Rock Keyboard: the Complete Guide with CD.(Book Review)

by Scott Miller. Hal Leonard Corporation (7777 W. Bluemound Rd., P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213), 2003. 96pp. $16.95.

Scott Miller has written a wide-raging introduction to the performance of rock music on the keyboard. It is part of Hal Leonard's Keyboard Style Series. The book consists of ninety-nine all original examples that can be listened to on an accompanying CD played by a full four-piece band. This should be a great enhancement to all players, beginning or advanced, for becoming acquainted with the materials.

Miller develops his materials in ways that display a thoroughly pedagogical thrust: Some examples are for the development of right-hand skills; others are for left-hand and base-line development. Still others address themselves to the role of the keyboardist in "comping," or accompanying the rest of the band. Yet others are concerned with the attainment of skills in soloing.

From the foregoing it follows that there are no complete rock songs in the book nor was that the author's intention. Rather, his goal is to supply the aspiring player with a copious musical vocabulary of "vamps," "pads," "riffs" and "licks" to enable one to build ...