What keeps rattling in my head is a statement UD made a few years ago. Not a direct quote, but he said he uses 8-12 styles to cover his entire playlist. On the surface this sounds genius in that it simplifies the entire performance and you don't have fiddle-bit finding styles. However, when I try to do this, the song I play sounds vaguely familiar to the original due to the orchestration. Granted for simple sings with simple progressions, standard styles are fantastic, but I have trouble with those very specific songs like "Mony, Mony" or "Sweet Home Alabama", etc....

Donny, the problem I have with SMF's is that there is no leeway to the song. If you want to comp or go the bridge one more time because the crowd is grooving or the dance floor is filled, the SMF is difficult to control under live conditions. Aren't you stuck to the format of the SMF?

Fran...is the answer to create a specific style for each song you play? This brings up many more issues like; how do you store them and categorize them for quick and easy retrieval (non-specific to any one keyboard or brand) during a live performance?

Dreamer...yes I could record myself on midi-drums and create the style for each song, like the way midi-hits or other style houses do it. But then I face the problem of having styles that are TOO specific which means they would be hard to find and apply to other songs.

Donny, EMC styleworks looks good, but is expensive. Isn't it something like $495 US for the Full Version? Ouch, I could buy a boatload of SMF's or Styles for that amount of cashola.

Hi cassp

This is a good time to have some good generic styles that cover all the kinds of music you play in your user styles and/or Music Finder.

Combo type styles without a bunch of doo-wah horn backgrounds and other clutter would be the safest.

The styles can be easily edited to do 99.9% of any song you would want to do. It would also make a different way of picking songs for a gig.

One of my favorite approaches is to think what genre and speed will be best for the audience at any particular time. Will it be swing fast, medium or slow. Or will it be a modern song etc.

I think unless you want to make use of all the frills of the styles, that we have about 380 more onboard styles than we need.

I mean really when you think about it, how many basic styles are there that are used almost all the time.

Previously I played drums, and when you think like a drummer would, you can really narrow it down like:

4 Beat
2 Beat
3/4
Latin
8 Beat
16 Beat
Boogie
Shuffle
Disco
Ballad
Rock
6/8
Blues
Funk
50's
Reggae
Tango
Cha Cha
Rhumba
Samba

etc, etc. Anything like this ought to make playing an arranger keyboard easy instead of going through a ton of onboard and external styles.

Scott
www.ScottLMusic.com

Ok, I say we have a little contest/game. I'm going to call out a song and I want you folks to come up with a generic style (onboard) to cover the song. Let's see how this goes in proving my point.

1st Song which challenges the Bass line of the style rather than drums:

MY GIRL

Easy one...on a Roland..light rock..lightpop....light soul....

Turn off arranger for intro, play left hand bass...bring in drums...then you can use the arranger patterns...


Also as Dave and others use..12 styles are enough, if you play left hand bass...just use the drums and right-hand sounds...A strong vocalist doesn't need any more..

On Tyros 2 specific Motor City, Intro 3.

General, 8 Beat, play the bass line with some instrument with your right hand while chording in the left.

OR, do your own version with the built in bass etc.

On a Korg: Motown. Classic bass lines in variations 1, 2 and 4. Driving 4's in variation 3.

For Be My Baby with its distinctive intro: '8 beat 5'. Variation 1 for the intro and then into other variations for the hook, etc.

"Markers" can take care of all that no problem.... Roland & Ketron arrangers do that with ease....just set markers and make the SMF play any way you dictate

Its worth every penny & more...& like a said a must have for the pro using and arranger with styles.