Dreams (Instructional Cover)

This is my cover of Van Halen's "Dreams". The upper keyboard, a Roland JV-90, is functioning as a MIDI keyboard controller...basically, it is being used to "play" the Roland Fantom X7 below it (and not playing any sounds of its own).

The intro is played using a buzzy sawtooth patch, which I created myself (mainly, two sawtooth waves, which have been detuned slightly and had chorus applied). After the intro, a piano is layered on top of the buzzy sawtooth patch (I believe this is how it is on the record, along with several additional overdubbed parts).

For anyone interested, I always set my rig up to NEVER require a patch change during a song. Changing patches during a live performance can risky if you don't cue up the right patch or don't cue it up in time.

Speaking of mistakes, there are quite a few on this recording (mental errors, mostly). "Dreams" is not a technically difficult song, but it is UNRELENTING and requires a lot of concentration, since there is ALWAYS a keyboard part being played (except for the bass interlude leading up to the guitar solo).

Eddie Van Halen is not only a guitar god, he is also an amazing keyboard player and composer. :-)

Sorry about the hair/head getting in the way at times.