MANY THANKS to Roel for testing the above chord voicings on the SD1 so QUICKLY! Roel, it actually only took me a few seconds to get the above chords/voicings in my post. I used the copy/paste function.
Wonderful news to hear that ALL of these 'cool' jazzy chords voicings are NOW implemented in the SD1. I hope you and other fellow forum members (Notlos, Henry01, DanO, etc) who own the Ketron (Solton) SD1, Yamaha PSR9000, PSR9000pro, Technics KN6000, KN6500 or KN5000 will 'take the time' to 'try out' these piano keyboard voicings on YOUR arranger keyboards. If you are a keyboard player, it will enhance your arranger playing options and can provide more professional sounding arranger keyboard results. These rootless chord voicings are particularly good for classic pop standards (Misty, Route 66, Night & Day, etc. ) where a small intimate lounge jazz trio type sound (drums & bass) along with your LIVE piano type comping/soloing in full keyboard mode is desired. This is also supported in split mode on the Yamaha 9000/9000pro & Ketron (Solton) SD1. These voicings are also GREAT for giving blues tunes more of a jazzy sound. Take the following VERY BASIC simple 12 bar blues chord progression for the tune "Kansas City":
|C7| C7| C7| C7|
|F7| F7| C7| C7|
|G7| F7| C7| C7|
FIRST: (in full keyboard mode, but with arranger OFF) while playing the melody in the right hand, play the above chord progression using the following (root included) left hand piano voicings:
C7: (C-E-G-Bb)
F7: (C-Eb-F-A)
G7: (D-F-G-B)
NEXT: (in full keyboard mode, auto accomp function OFF) play the same chord progression, but this time, use the following left hand 'rootless type' chord voicings:
C7(9): (E-Bb-D)
F13: (Eb-A-D)
G13: (F-B-E)
You should notice that the first method will sound grounded and the second method more open (less defined). You may not like the sound of the second version, but WAIT:
NOW: Play the same above two chord voicing progression versions, but this time turn ON the auto accomp arranger, using a medium tempo (110-115 bpm)jazz swing or bluesy type style and muting ALL auto-accompaniment instrument parts EXCEPT Drums & Bass. TURN UP the BASS part volume all the way up. You may notice that (with the auto accompaniment turned ON) the second version will sound more jazzy as the keyboard voicings you are playing, compliment, (not duplicate) the bass line notes being played by the auto-accomp bass part. The added 9th and 13th tensions and elimination of the root give the harmonies a more sophisticated sound.
I hope all of you Technics 6500/6000/5000, Yamaha PSR9000/9000pro, and Ketron (Solton) SD1 owners will take the time to give this a try on your respective keyboards and then tell me know what you think.
- Scott
http://scottyee.com [This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 08-27-2001).]