I use the 'pitch bend' controler to add expression when playing guitar & harmonica solos, especially on country tunes. What I can't figure out is how anyone could ever access the pitch bend/mod wheels while performing in arranger keyboard mode, because the left hand always needs to be playing/ triggering the chords, while the right hand performs the guitar solo. I have had to (instead) assign a foot controler pedal to trigger pitch bend (1/2 step fixed pitch change). This is a marginably workable solution but unfortunately you don't have the pitch change control (varying degrees within the set parameter) which can be achieved via a pitch bend wheel/stick. I''m interested how others of you deal with this.

Here another pitch bend gripe (specifically related the Yamaha PSR2000) which has perplexed me. Why is pitch bend only assignable to foot controler #2 and not foot controler #1 ? It seems that all other foot controler assignments (except modulation & volume) are assignable to either foot controler #1 or #2. The reason this is an issue for me is because I typically like to dedicate foot controler #2 to vocal harmonony on/off and sustain (damper pedal) to foot controler #1. When I'm playing a stringed guitar instrument (the sustain pedal assignment is not appropriate) so it makes more sense to be able to assign pitch bend to controler #1 in those situtations, and be able to keep foot controler #2 assigned to vocal harmony on/off. Oh well, maybe it's just ME? I'm curious to hear from other PSR players about this.

- Scott
http://scottyee.com

Can you switch them, and use the sustain from pedal 2?

I just let go of the chord and use left hand for the pitch bend. Maybe you are using too many chord changes.
DonM

Brilliant !
Gee . . . Why didn't 'I' think of that !?
Thanks UD - Scott

DonM,
Nope, I don't use too many chord changes, especially cuz country tunes don't require that many , but I do play with both hands (with the 'left voice' on playing a live keyboard or guitar comp) so lifting my left hand off the keys suddenly would sound weird. I tried using the 'left hold' feature, but that sounds unatural.

Hmmm Interesting Scott.....but I don't think I could live with a non linear ( varying degrees ) control like a standard foot pedal...pitch bend is just way too important of a tool for me and I emulate guitar solos quite a bit. I manage somehow to jump back and forth between chord changes and the joystick on the PA80 without ( usually..lol )missing a beat, but mainly I only use the joystick when soloing and I keep the rythyms and accompaniment instrument changes as simple as possible. In a live setting though I can't really emulate all of the things I would do on my own compositions and still use pitch bend techniques properly...( playing an arranger is such a different and distinct skill from playing a regular keyboard huh..? ). Normally I don't even think of any of this because I don't play the arranger functions while I'm recording or composing additional rythyms or melodies.. Anything that is done from the styles or my own styles is normally recorded first, and played back on the sequencer, allowing me to use both hands to play additional parts. So much other stuff to think about when playing live with the arranger functions..

I would almost have to learn an entirely new skill if it were possible to do the pitch bend with a pedal exactly as it can be done with a wheel or joystick, but I'd be willing to do it as I too recognize that soloing and using note bending with my left hand takes away from using my left hand the way I need to to play a song properly.

Hmmm.. I was curious though...I really never tried but can the pedal controls be changed / assigned in registration settings ?

My gripe with the 2000 is that I don't like "wheels" to begin with, but that is MY problem..I'm sure other players have their own preferences. I much prefer the joystick approach that Korg uses, where pitch and mod can be controlled on one joystick simultaneously. I also don't like that the mod wheel has no springback. I can see the advantages for someone who wants to leave it set in a certain position but in the past while playing a solo I have bumped into it when reaching for the pitch wheel and it took long enough for it to be noticable before I could correct it.

AJ



[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 01-11-2002).]

I TOTALLY agree ! This is what makes live arranger keyboard playing so special and such a unique art!


YES. I made custom voice registration setups (buttons 1-8) specific to different music genres (country, pop, rock, latin, jazz, etc). I typically assign pitch bend to the foot controler for guitar-stringed instruments and sustain for keyboard instsruments).

Scott...Regarding using pitch bend on Guitar \ Harmonica type melodies. I am been interested in doing this because I am not very good at it. At the keyboard Festivals the Yamaha Demonstrators use it with left hand when a chord is left running for the one bar or more.

QUESTION....What's the ideal technique, do you push the pitch bend over first and then lot it return after you have hit the note?

Graham UK

Reading all these posts makes me see how "different" we all are as players of arranger keyboards. Some use pitch wheels others none, some use certain pedals for things, others none, some use chord hold others none, full keyboard, and on and on. But in the end its all in "what it sounds like" when your playing no matter how you accomplish it.

Play On!!

I like to bend "up" to a note the way a guitarist would, so if your target is a "C" bend a "Bb" till you get there ! (re: "Sleepwalk")Rarely will you need to bend more than a full step,(sometimes 1/2 is plenty) unless you're doing a Van Halen set, or some other guitar-intensive style. (Metal)

About two decades back I got to play with a monophonic Roland synth that had a switch to set bend-up or bend-down to afeter touch. I wonder if this is a possible way around.

I normally take my left hand off the chords, but if the bend and the chord change come too close to each other, I have to compromise either the chord change or the bend.

BTW, one thing I like Korg over Yamaha is the joystick; I was never good at bending with the wheel by one semitone when the maximum was set to two. Never thought of assigning it to a pedal either. ..should give it a try.

Thanks
Shiral