I’m just starting.to learn Bass and the Bassbuzz course and I’m thinking of buying a 61 key piano keyboard and wonder if it will help me with music theory etc and support my bass learning?
I’ve done something similar, but a little different. I bought an Akai MPK Mini IV, a MIDI controller with a 25 key keyboard. Rather than learn a second instrument at the same time, I’m learning Ableton music composition, playing with loops, and getting it set up to where I can capture my bass playing and integrate it with my own music down the road. Along the way, I’m learning about song structure, and there’s enough keyboard to where I can visualize chords and arpeggios via piano keys. I also downloaded Reaper and will check it out along the way.
7 Likes
I’m doing exactly the same! Same keyboard, same approach!
This was really helpful:
Taetro seems to be a nice guy … and he has a great way of explaining!
3 Likes
Yeah, his videos have helped me a lot! Also getting out the manual PDF and actually reading it lol. Sometimes in the videos they touch on a feature activation so fast it’s hard to follow, or don’t fully explain it. The manual really helps there.
2 Likes
I downloaded the YT videos and play them on my TV (using KODI on an Android TV box with access to a file server), so I can pause, skip back … and read everything on a big screen (without ad interruptions), while doing what he does on my laptop.
It helps a lot 
1 Like
My son actually has that same Akai MPK Mini IV. He keeps trying to convince me to buy him FL Studio while refusing to attempt anything else.
2 Likes
The Akai MPK Mini IV includes the very capable Ableton Live Lite and some other software - tell him that that he can have FL Studio after he created his first good track
1 Like
That’s basically what I’ve done. I told him to show me what he can do creatively with the tools he already has (like the ALL that you mentioned, or Reaper, or even Ardour (he’s primarily a Linux user and hates Windows, which is also weird to me why he wants FL Studio so much) before shelling out money for something he may not end up even using.
1 Like
Kids
1 Like
Yes it 100% will. Learning theory on a keyboard is about ten times easier than on bass (not exaggerating - in fact it’s likely more than 10x easier). Lots of things are just immediately obvious visually on a keyboard.
One immediately obvious example is why the chords in a diatonic progression are what they are. On a bass this takes a little bit to grasp. On a keyboard it’s more like “of course that’s what they are, if they were anything else it would be wrong.”
5 Likes
Let me guess - he wants to make heavily loops oriented music? A flavor of hip-hop? Amazingly FruityLoops is still the king for that.
Thanks Howard,
That’s really good to know 
1 Like
I would imagine it’d be loop heavy, yes. His primary focus is making music for a video game that he’s coding for a school project so it’d just be playing in the background. He just turned 13 last month and is in 7th grade. For this project (in a Gifted and Talented class and the project can be pretty much anything he can think of) he chose to learn a programming language he hasn’t worked with yet, Godot (he has previous experience with Scratch, Python, Java, Javascript, C#, and maybe some others), and start from a blank slate to develop a game including all the sprite artwork, backgrounds, music, gameplay, etc. without importing anything from other sources or using AI coding assistance.
He’s also taking lessons to learn drums on an edrum kit we have so he can record that into part of the music track. Maybe I’ll lay down a bassline for him if he asks 
. I’ve tried to get him interested in the bass but so far he’s declined that. I do have my passive shorty p-bass hooked up into input 2 on his drum amp so I (or he if feeling frisky) can jam together.
Maaaaaaaaaaaaan … that’s a lot of activities!
I was outside in the forest with my dog and my (secret) knife when I was that age … how times have changed…
1 Like
Heh, it’s not all that much. Most of the coding stuff is while in school. At home it’s just the learning drums and whatever he decides to mess around with on his computer. Sometimes trying to mess with the MPK Mini, but mostly just playing Minecraft or AmongUs. I guess I shouldn’t mention that he’s the linux and VM admin for the local robotics (FIRST Robotics Competition) team. He’s only in 7th grade instead of 9-12, so he can’t officially be a member of the team and compete, so he does the computer/server support and administration. Learning some of the CAD modeling software they use to mock that stuff up also. Our team for the FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge), which is smaller robots for 7th and up grades is basically finished the season now.
3 Likes
I loved robots as a child (still do!) … but in the 70s they were like this (I guess your son is playing with different robots :-)):
(I had the 2nd one on the left - thinking about it: I want one like that even now!)
1 Like
Yep. Look up those 2 I mentioned and you’ll see a bunch of pics and videos. They’re international, also. They’re often looking for adult mentors if you want to volunteer for a local group!
1 Like
I already mentor the local punks over here, and they are a handful!
Also: AI is the devil
I’ve been playing for about three years now and have decided to buy a midi keyboard.
While going through B2B previously, I wound up taking some lessons (I like live feedback) locally. At some point, while not telling me to take full keyboard lessons, that instructor said it could help. Only recently have I begun doing this.
My wife has a Korg SV2 and I was amazed at what I did know.
I struggle with notes on the fretboard sometimes - anything past the 7th fret or anything on the D and G strings. I learned the basic pattern for major/minor scales but not the notes.
I also want to learn keys and synth so I can play synth bass parts.
So, as I go through B2B a second time, I’m also learning the keyboard.
1 Like
Really appreciate the feedback and am looking at touch sensitive 61 key keyboards .
1 Like