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13. Clavinet technique

1 Perhap the funkiest of all keyboard instruments, the clavinet responds well to short staccato playing. We’ll add a clav part to the example from a previous tutorial, using Pianoteq 4’s Clav CL1 Basic preset, with some compression added to harden up the attack of the sound. Start by forming a G major triad ( B, D and G) with the right hand, as shown.

2 With your left hand, form an octave on two low E notes, effectively making an Em7 chord when both hands are played together. Imagine playing bongos with a 16th note pattern, but only connect with the keyboard on some beats. Alternate between the two notes in your left hand, working them into the rhythm individually along with the right hand.

3 Split the chord in your right hand between your thumb on B and your index and pinky fingers on D and G, then rock between the two halves of the chord. The key to a good clav part is the ‘bounce’, hitting the keys with short, clipped strikes. Once the basic rhythm part is established, we can fill the gaps with right hand riffs and runs from the E minor blues scale.