Instruments - Part 25

 Synthesizer

The synthesizer is a keyboard instrument that generates sound electronically.  Most synthesizers can generate a wide variety of sounds, imitating other instruments as well as making non-traditional sounds.

Most synthesizers have a built-in amplifier and speaker to play the sounds, so the instrument can be played stand-alone ...

Or it can be connected to a computer through a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) connection.

Synthesizers are not much used in classical and jazz music (despite the success of the early synthesizer album Switched-On Bach by pioneering transgender musician Walter/Wendy Carlos), but they are used by many rock groups.  This is Russian rocker Sergey Shnurov with the band Leningrad.

Earlier, we saw the digital piano, above, which has a full 88-key keyboard and produces one sound: the sound of a grand piano. 

Synthesizers produce all kinds of sounds, but they have smaller keyboards.  The 5-octave (61 key) keyboard above is typical.

This synthesizer keyboard is only 4 octaves (49 keys), but that seems to be enough to make this guy happy

Playing just one key seems to be making this guy happy.

We close with a short clip from singer-songwriter-producer John Legend's video Funny or Die showing him at his synthesizer.  This guy is multi-talented: he has won the Academy Award, the Emmy, the Tony, and twelve Grammy awards.  Sorry the video is pixellated, so you'll have to use your imagination.