10 Stupidly Fun Toys Every Musician Needs

7. Keytar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFFO98Uxwfo Seriously, who doesn't love a keytar? A throwback from the glam days, the Keytar allows keyboard players to be able to move around on stage, pose with the band and generally avoid being relegated to the back, as most keyboard are usually forced to. Generally speaking most keytars are just MIDI controllers meaning they have no onboard sounds, instead they control another interface that generates the noise - the keytar itself is just an input device. This has it's benefits though, allowing it to run with smaller battery packs and keeping it light. They're notoriously bulky, so anything to help them move around easier is a bonus. Keytars are designed to be held and played like a guitar, with one hand on the 'neck' and one hand on the body. This means they're normally used for simple chord movements and lead patterns, owing to the fact that generally only five fingers are hitting the keys at any given time. The neck of the keytar normally has some expression options too, like a pitch bend or modulator option. Given their inherent nerdiness, keytars are used by bands in genres ranging from electronica and dubstep all the way through to power and prog metal. Essentially, anywhere you find a keyboard player who does more than basic chords, you can probably find a keytar live. Admit it, they do look awesome.