subject: Learn To Play Easy Guitar Songs On The Piano Guitar [print this page] The piano guitar, also called the keytar, is a combination of the piano and the guitar. Featuring a lightweight keyboard, the keytar is played like the piano but held like the guitar, supported by a strap around the neck like a guitar strap. Also like the guitar, many piano guitars feature sound effect controls which allow the musician to control or bend the pitch and to use vibrato, pormento, and sustain features. The keytar became popular in the 1980's though it lost ground in the 1990's.
If you want to learn how to play the keytar today, it is best to start off with learning the notes and then to transition into playing along with easy guitar songs. If you are an experienced pianist or if you already know how to read standard notation, learning to play the keytar might be very easy for you. Though it is set up like a normal keyboard, the keytar allows a musician more mobility and the ability to control effects with one hand while striking notes with the other hand. You may want to begin by getting a good feel for the instrument before you move to trying to play an easy guitar song because the keytar may be very different from any other instruments you may be familiar with before. If you really want to be successful at playing the keytar, you may be better off learning on a real piano or keyboard and then transitioning into the keytar as a performance instrument later.
As you play the keytar, make sure that the strap is adjusted to a comfortable position for you and make sure you can easily reach the volume and sound effect controls. As you practice easy guitar songs on your keytar you may find that it is awkward to play songs on the keytar that would be rather simple on the piano or on a traditional keyboard. Over time, however, you will develop a good feel for the keytar and you will be able to play more advanced songs and at a greater speed. Once you become comfortable enough with the instrument you may want to experiment with the sound controls, trying out a few of them while you play an easy guitar song. With time and practice you will be able to play the keytar well and add an exciting dynamic to any band you choose to play with.
