Editing Keytar (section)

== History ==
{{anchor|Early history}}
===Early history (18th century–1970s) ===
The oldest forerunner of the keytar is likely the [[orphica]], a small portable piano invented in Vienna in 1795, which was played in a similar position as the modern keytar. The [[piano accordion]] first appeared in 1852, it was essentially a Miniature version of the [[Reed Organ]] that's worn on straps and is pumped with the player's left hand. In 1963, the [[East Germany|East German]] manufacturer ''Weltmeister'' introduced the ''Basset'', as a Keytar shaped Electric Bass Piano.
In 1966, Swedish organ manufacturer Joh Mustad AB introduced the Tubon, a tubular electric organ.  This instrument was worn with a strap around the shoulder and could be played standing or sitting.  The Tubon had a half-keyboard on one end accessible to the right hand, controls to be used at the "neck" on the opposite end for the left hand, and a speaker at the end of the tube.  It was sold in the UK as the Livingstone.  It saw use by [[Kraftwerk]] and [[Paul McCartney]] in the 1960s and early 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |title= The 'Tubon' Joh Mustad AB, Sweden, 1966 |url= http://120years.net/the-tubon-sweden-1967/ |website= 120 Years of Electronic Music |date= 9 February 2014 |access-date= 9 November 2015}}</ref>

In the early 1970s, [[Edgar Winter]] often performed with keyboards slung around his neck, but they were not technically keytars because they had no "neck"; he actually used an [[ARP 2600]] keyboard and a lightweight [[Univox]] [[electronic piano]] with shoulder straps added.

{{anchor|Keytar as synthesizer/controller}}
===Keytar as synthesizer/controller (1970s–) ===
[[Image:Syntar inventor George Mattson.jpg|thumb|160px|Performance Music Systems Syntar and its inventor, [[George Mattson (synthesizer inventor)|George Mattson]]. The Syntar was the earliest keytar synthesizer product exhibited at the 1979 Atlanta [[NAMM Show|NAMM Expo]].<ref name=syntar/>]]
The earlier keytars commercially released in late 1970s&ndash;early 1980s includes:
* [[Multivox|Hillwood]] ''RockeyBoard RB-1'' (synth piano with [[Voltage controlled filter|VCF]]) released in 1977 with influence from [[Edgar Winter]],<ref name=rb-1>{{cite web
 | title = Rockeyboard RB-1
 | url = http://brochures.yokochou.com/keyboard-and-effector/hillwood/1977/en_p6.html
 | work = Hillwood Keyboard / Synthesizer Catalog 1977
 | publisher = Hillwood Musical Instrument/Zen-On
 | access-date = 2011-12-28
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120608171954/http://brochures.yokochou.com/keyboard-and-effector/hillwood/1977/en_p6.html
 | archive-date = 2012-06-08
 | url-status = dead
 }}</ref>
* PMS ''Syntar'', an early keytar synthesizer released by [[George Mattson (synthesizer inventor)|George Mattson]] (Performance Music Systems) and exhibited at the 1979 [[NAMM Show|NAMM International Music & Sound Expo]] in Atlanta<ref name=syntar>{{cite web|author= James D. Maier |title= The Performance Music Systems Syntar |url= http://www.carbon111.com/syntar.html |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref>
* Davis ''Clavitar'' (controller) used by [[George Duke]] and [[Herbie Hancock]] in early 1980
* ''Powell Probe'' (controller) designed by [[Roger Powell (musician)|Roger Powell]], and
* ''Royalex Probe'' (controller) helped to develop and used by [[Jan Hammer]] in early 1980s
''etc''. (''for details, see'' [[List of keytars]])

In late 1970s and early 1980s, [[Jan Hammer]], the composer best known for his composition and sound design successes for ''[[Miami Vice]]'', frequently used several keytars including ''Royalex PROBE'' which he helped develop. Hammer is seen for instance using his PROBE in the music video for the "[[Miami Vice Theme|''Miami Vice'' Theme]]". Also in the 1980s, [[Wayne Famous]] of the band [[The Producers (band)|the Producers]] strapped on a regular [[Oberheim OB-X]] synthesizer, which caused him to develop back problems.

Among them, the most widely known earlier keytar may be the "[[Moog Liberation]]" released in 1980. Early users included [[Spyro Gyra]] keyboardist Tom Schuman. Though [[Devo]] is associated with keytars, they never used them except in music videos and promotional ads for the Liberation. The earliest printed use of the word "keytar" was in 1980, when it appeared in an interview with Jeffrey Abbott (Keytarjeff) by Tom Lounges of ''Illianabeat'' magazine (now ''Midwest BEAT Magazine'') who now hosts a weekly interview show featuring legends of the music industry on N.W. Indiana's PBR radio station.

Although [[Steve Masakowski]] has been incorrectly credited for many years as the inventor of the keytar, in an interview with Peter Hartlaub of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' on December 11, 2009, he only claimed to have invented an instrument called the Key-tar which was a string-based instrument.

The keytar was made popular in the 1980s by [[glam metal]] bands, as well as [[synthpop]], [[New wave music|new wave]] and [[electro (music)|electro]] musicians. Changing trends in music diminished the keytar's popularity during the 1990s, continuing on until the late 2000s when a major revival was sparked by artists and groups such as [[The Black Eyed Peas]], [[Damas Gratis]], [[Flight of The Conchords]], [[Motion City Soundtrack]], [[No Doubt]], and [[Steely Dan]]. Another instance is in early 2008 with [[Snoop Dogg]]'s music video for his single "[[Sensual Seduction]]", in which he uses a keytar as a throwback to old school bands.

{{anchor|Current state}}

=== Current state (2010s–) ===
Notable manufacturers of keytar models have included [[Moog Music|Moog]], [[Roland Corporation|Roland]], [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]], [[Korg]] and [[Casio]].  As of 2013, the [[Roland AX-Synth]], the [[Roland Lucina]], the [[Alesis Vortex]] and [[Rock Band 3#Keyboard|Rock Band 3 Wireless Pro Keyboard]], are the mass-manufactured keytars on the market.

[[Starr Labs]] manufacturers a variation on the keytar (called a Ztar) that plays to the strengths of guitarists, featuring a neck of piano-styled keys arranged on the fretboard instead of strings.

[[File:Keytar-ladyperforming-busan-southkorea-2013-9-7.ogv|thumb|A woman performing with a keytar in [[South Korea]], 2013]]