Some of us are piano players, synth players or keyboard players. The rest of us most likely use a keyboard to enter notes into our DAWS - at least some of the time. We can all do with a list of sites that help us buy better keyboards and play them more proficiently. Here are 25 of the best.
"Keyboard player" is quite a broad category, since so many instruments use a keyboard as their interface. Harpsichords and clavichords, pipe organs and electric organs, accordions and celestas, pianos and electric pianos. And then there are the MIDI controller keyboards that can't play a sound themselves, but are our DAWs most potent partner.
I doubt there are many harpsichord players among us, so this article won't focus on sites that cover the acoustic instruments. We'll include sites that teach playing techniques and cover electronic instruments (pianos, synths and controllers).
This list has a history – and will go on growing as you make suggestions in the comments. This list has been collected from the following places:
- The guitar-related sites from my 2009 post 47 Sites Every Recording Musician Should Visit which was inspired by your comments to an earlier Open Mic.
- Your suggestions in the comments to that post.
- A more recent Open Mic where you answered the question What are the best websites for keyboard players?
- A few sites that hadn’t made it on any of the previous lists.
Please feel free to add to the list, or let me know of any corrections that need to be made.
Keyboard Lessons and Tutorials
1. Audiotuts+ Tutorials Tagged "Keyboard" and "Piano"
Here is our own collection of keyboard and piano tutorials, articles and quick tips. Enjoy!
2. Jordan Rudess' YouTube Channel
An awesome new resource for musicians and audio professionals to learn, network and discuss methods and techniques and to continue learning new skills and building on knowledge.
3. Derek Peterson's YouTube Channel
New piano lessons every week.
4. PianoLessons.com
Explore video lessons covering beginner, intermediate, and advanced topics for both classical piano and keyboard piano.
5. How to Play Keyboard Online
A compilation of video tutorials that teach you to play keys.
6. Zebra Keys
Over 50 free piano lessons for various levels of difficulty. Each piano lesson is accompanied by visual flash animations that allow learners to view and hear songs as well as play along with the animations on their own piano keyboard.
7. Synthesia
Fun software to help you learn to play the keyboard - on Windows or Mac. It's like Guitar Hero for keys.
Keyboard Theory
8. Free Online Piano Lessons
Lessons are structured for the beginner piano player and will show you how to form piano scales, piano chords, arpeggios, modes for the piano, and more.
9. G Major Music Theory
A comprehensive set of lessons and workbooks on music theory.
10. eMusicTheory
A huge collection of lessons and resources about music theory - many of which are free.
11. 8notes.com - Theory
46 lessons introducing you to the most important concepts of music theory.
Keyboard Gear
12. GearJunkies
Gearjunkies is all about gear. There's plenty there about keyboards.
13. Gearslutz
A great forum about gear in general. I can usually find lots of reviews about a keyboard here before I decide to buy it.
14. Harmony Central - Keyboards
Harmony Central is crammed full of articles and user reviews of all types of instruments. Here is their keyboard section.
15. MATRIXSYNTH
A blog that's everything synth - including retro. I saw photos of some of my keyboards from the 80s there this morning.
16. Digital Piano Keyboard Guide
Unbiased reviews on electronic music keyboard, digital piano, synthesizer, workstation, MIDI controllers. Includes a helpful forum.
17. Dan Maynard's Piano Reviews
Reviews of many electronic piano models, with a helpful "How to Buy a Piano" section.
18. Vintage Synth Explorer
A synth blog that contains modern synths as well as vintage. They have a great library of over 750 synths, including descriptions, reviews and audio samples.
Keyboard-related Blogs
19. Keyboard Magazine
A great magazine with articles and tutorials for keyboard players.
20. Synthtopia
A portal dedicated to synths and electronic music.
21. TweakHeadz - Keyboards and Modules
A site for learning about home and project studios. Here is their Keyboards and Modules section.
22. Totally Keyboard
A blog that has some pretty cool programming ideas and tutorials. It’s mainly to do with Reason, but the guy talks about music tech, vintage keyboards and has some decent banter. (Josh Jones)
23. 100 Greatest 'Rock' Keyboard Players
An interesting list of keyboard players compiled by the Digital Dream Door Site. Unfortunately the list doesn't contain a lot of links, but it's a great place to start if you know how to use Google.
24. Crazy 88s: They Keyboard Player Species
A keyboard blog with lots of embedded YouTube videos, links to keyboard player websites, and great interviews.
25. Switched on Synthesizer
A synth blog that collects interesting hardware synth videos and tidbits.
