This may be an old question, but ...

What I see on UTube and hear here and elsewhere leads me to believe the arranger is being used mainly as a rhythm section with the player playing a piano type left hand or left hand bass. I don't see or hear a lot of held chords or use of the IA chords, per se.

So, how do you use your arranger? What parts of a style do you use or stay away from. What kind of keyboard chord setting do you use? Do you use a 50-50 split or do you customize? Also, a lot of demos seem to be jazz, yet I never seem to be able to find that groove style. What types of styles do you use most often? And I guess, what linds of music do you use the arranger section for mostly? How often do you use full pianowith just the style percussion? ETC, Etc, etc.

dam, i shud hav spel chek'd

[This message has been edited by cassp (edited 02-09-2008).]

For me, a little of everything! Whatever suits the song, or what I want to make the song do...

Some of it, just drums and then LH bass and RH whatever, some of it Pianostyle following my piano playing, usually with a fair amount of the ACC muted. Some of it LH chords, RH solo (in fact I LOVE to switch between these two modes on the fly). Some of it sequenced. Some of it, no machines at all (got to remind the audience you CAN play, from time to time!)...

That's the best thing about arrangers... whatever method you feel like, you CAN do it, unlike a WS. But, IMO, no one method works best for ALL situations, and I try really hard not to lock myself into one 'purist' method. The music is supposed to come first, not your 'favorite' method...

99% left hand chords, in fingered mode. Right hand fills and rides.
1% midi files.
I play all kinds of music, despite my reputation for Country. A lot of 50's, 60's 70's pop and rock. A lot of country. Some New Orleans style jazz and some blues. Some standards. Everything from Sinatra to Willie.
DonM

[This message has been edited by adimatis (edited 02-09-2008).]

Ditton on everything Don said other than the finger mode--I use multi-finger.

Cheers,

Gary



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Travlin' Easy

Hey, Don... you got any good second line and parade style patterns for your arranger? It's the one thing I can't seem to find anywhere.

Funky Meters, Neville Bros., Professor Longhair type stuff...

Any good authentic zydeco, as well. And REAL cajun country if possible. You are up in that neck of the woods, aren't you?

I'd be obliged if you could turn me onto that stuff, if you have any. You are Yamaha, aren't you? I can convert those pretty easily...

You got to LOVE that Louisiana music!

I am a home player with a day job and so have limited time available to get really stuck in, also I come from an organ playing background and to be quite honest song specific, (And sophisticated styles) drive me round the bend, if I wanted that I would just stick a CD in the drive and play along with it.
Midi files I use to practice and I also use them to demonstrate particular features (Unlike the Pros on this site I just don’t have the time to put the work in, the day job is very involved) which my playing capabilities could not do.
As to playing, I am fairly flexible in the type of music; however I tend to stick to sustained chords, keeping the fingers between F to F on the lower split for all the chords.
Not exactly the most adventures I agree, but it helps me wind down after a day a work. (Assuming I get the time)


Bill

I'm mainly a jazz-oriented player: swing,
latin grooves, bossa/samba, blues, and some
free association including classical, klezmer, etc. I NEVER use the full arrangements except at the end of a late set to get an already jumping audience juiced up even more, with some swing and/or latin big band riffs.

I use the bass/drum styles and on occasion play lh bass. I use full kb chord recognition, do not use my left hand to always outline chords..with bass inversion on the bass line usually is pretty much in right place. another reason not to use full arrangements: you are freed of having to hold
down the left hand just so. I used to use
on/off breaks a lot, but now i find if i just
knock the bass line off, it's a very effective break with just drums and of course
when you end the break the time is perfect.

I like to split on Ab or G2 mostly. i dont split on piano or rhodes. on my E60 there is
a 2nd lower to complement the bass lower.most
use it for strings. i put a drum set in there
and program the touchso when i hit key hard
it plays a drum kit sound..gives you a real
performance parameter supplementing the preset fills

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Miami Mo

I'll have to go through my library. I do some Cajun music, but I'm way up in the north where there are more Texans than Cajuns.
I'm sure I have a folder of them though.
DonM

I am a Gospel singer/songwriter and i use my arranger almost entierly in piano mode to accompany my own or others singing. so ita mINLY RnB/Funk/soul/jazz that i play. I always thin out the arrangement so that i might have just bass ,drums, and guitar later i might add strings or organ

Like DonM, it's 99% left hand chords, melody in the right hand. I've recently started doing some vocals and when singing use right hand fills or a midi file depending on the tune. IF I'm using a 76 key arranger I'll sometimes just turn off all arranger functions and play piano solo. I play a number of styles of music including 40s, 50s, 60s, some 70s, broadway show tunes. Genre include jazz, blues and country.

100% left hand chords, expert mode/inverted bass default. My organ training (gotta learn those chords) paved way for an arranger marriage - love of my life

95% left hand chords, expert mode, bass inversion. Like zuki, I love those chords! 5% full keyboard no style mode.

If it`s a Yammy , left hand AI Chords / right melody.

I know piano players don`t do melody , but hey I`m an Organ Grinder !!



Gary 

I do mostly high energy praise and worship, those who are up on it would know stuff like CFN, Israel Houghton, Hillsongs, CHris RIce, etc.

I use a Yamaha DGX-500 for grand piano sounds and as a controller, MIDI'd to a PA1x-Pro. I use full keyboard chord scanning with the full accompaniment with some guitar stuff down or muted, since I have a live guitar player.There is one song, "Dancing Generation" where the original intro uses a bass guitar solo to kick the song off so I start with the manual bass button and play the bass part live with drums, just like the recording. Otherwise, everything is "as is".

I have, however, discovered a website, www.interactiveworshiplive.com that features popular worship songs that are basically all the tracks, minus lead vocal (drums, bass, guitars, B3, brass, soprano, alto, tenor, etc.) that you can download and run using Ableton Live software. The tracks are .wav files and you can mute whatever tracks you want to. YOu can then set differnt points in the song to trigger from an external MIDI controller or from the computer keybard, so you're not stuck with the preset song as is. You can repeat a verse, chorus, bridge, etc. as many times and any time you wish. Kind of a cool alternative for worship leaders.

I'm currently building my own "Super Music Computer" from scratch that will run this stuff, Cakewalk, software synths, etc and basically have my own recording studio in a portable tower. So far, I have the tower (with built-in handle), a 2.66 Gh dual-core processor and motherboard plus 1g of ram. I'm getting ready to get another G of ram, then going to have 2 HD, and a 15" touchscreen monitor. Should be sweet.

Jeff

Mostly, drums only, and breaks triggered with Ketron pedals. Usually, left-handed bass, but sometimes use auto bass function. The arranger is my rythem section. No mp-3's, etc.

Russ

Ditto what Don said! The exception for me is when I play with my band. When playing in the band I still use the arranger keyboard but I use no arranger functions. I play left foot bass on my PK-5 and chords on the left hand and comping or solos on the right.

Tom

95 - 98% left hand chords ... if playing over an SMF I will play full piano - chords and 'fill ins' - ...when doing a vocal I will rarely, but sometimes, do a chorus or two playing full piano, no style/rhythm, although my left hand isn't great ...
How much of the arranger style I use depends on the song/venue/style ... sometimes just bass and/or guitar, sometimes just drums and bass/guitar ...
With the technics kn6000 I can 'edit' the style on the fly ...
t.