Playing music as easy as one, two, three

If you can count then you should have no trouble playing the keyboard by following a Tokoroa man’s novel method.

Eddie Hogan wanted to make keyboard playing accessible to everyone, so he got to thinking.

‘‘I tried to figure out a way where someone with no musical knowledge could play the left hand side of the keyboard while I play the right hand side so I’ve come up with this idea of putting numbers on the chords,’’ he said.

‘‘When we are playing all I’ll need to do is call out the number they need to push. It means anyone can now play the left hand side on a one fingered chord, they don’t need to know anything about music.’’

Hogan, who has been playing the keyboard for eight years, is always on the lookout for innovative things to do. Last year he created a garden windmill out of blades from an old hedge trimmer.

He said he was excited about his latest concept and how it would open up the world of music to a new audience.

‘‘I have a book of scales for the piano and all the notes on the scales are numbered so I thought why not do the same for the chords on the left hand side of a keyboard,’’ he said.

‘‘I found an old Venetian blind which I have cut up, wrote numbers on, and then stuck with Blu Tack onto C, F, and G.’’

‘‘It means primary school children, disabled people, and elderly people, who might not know anything about music, can all have a go.’’

‘‘Not knowing music they would know which one was C, F, or G but this way it still brings up the chord and I think numbers are easier to start with,’’ he said.

He said he will be testing out the concept at the Tokoroa Women’s Institute monthly meeting at the Tokoroa Bowling Club on September 14 at 11.15am.

‘‘Three of us from the Tokoroa Keyboard Organ Society have been invited as guest musicians to go and play during the meeting,’’ he said.

‘‘I will be the only one doing this though and Tokoroa Women’s Institute members will be able to join in.’’

‘‘They are all ready to give it a go and are looking forward to it because it is something totally different,’’ he said.

Hogan said he was happy for people to call him on 886 2356 if they wanted to learn more about the system or to try it out for themselves.