5

I never treated minikeys as anything other than a portability trade-off and something used for creating short loops with midi-controller, but recently I got a Yamaha Reface DX and I'm having so much fun with it. After a couple of days however, I've realised that I'm unconsciously using some techniques I never or very rarely use with a regular-sized keyboard, such as:

  • I can play 16-semitone intervals with one hand so that I can single-handedly have a sort of bass line.
  • I can press (simultaneously or consecutively) two adjacent keys with one finger (something I do more rarely on a big keyboard)
  • I more often slide between adjacent keys.

All this makes me rethink minikeys as a slightly different instrument, not to the same extent as electric bass and upright bass, but still different.

My question is - are there any pieces that were composed specifically for playing on minikeys so I can practice and improve techniques that are applicable exclusively/mainly with smaller keyboards.

Improve this question
  • How big are your hands? I can barely hit a 9th (14 semitones) on a regular piano, and I can hit a 10th fairly comfortably on the smaller keyboard at my sister's place. I also occasionally need to hit adjacent keys simultaneously with my thumb (in some pieces of classical music). – Dekkadeci Mar 9 '20 at 5:41
  • @Dekkadeci my hands are small) but it 16 semitones, I’ve mistyped it, so thank you for the comment, fixed! – shabunc Mar 9 '20 at 7:45
  • 1
    This isn't exactly a source of compositions ready to play, but something that comes to mind from your question is 8-Bit Keys — lots of reviewing new and old toy keyboards, and most videos include music made to fit the particular keyboard. I don't recall a focus on the kinds of techniques you mention, but it might be somewhat informative. – Kevin Reid Mar 10 '20 at 15:47

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.