Playing with other musicians has to be the best, the interplay places you in a new high.

I have owned a keyboard since 1979, it has been my best friend in many occasions. I get to arrange every part of the band from volume to effects and instruments. Then I get to play with what I feel is good arranging. (for my taste)

My keyboard has blessed me in many ways, one of which is the many friends I have made who share the same interest. I am still in music and it is an unbelievable emotional outlet. I could be in the worst of moods and find myself totally in involved. So much so that I have had pots burn on the stove and have forgotten to pick up my kids. Haaaaaa!

Keep making new keyboards, life is good.

John C.

Gary, have you tires buying a guitar with low action and lighter strings, it has helped me a bit.

For a keyboardist Playing solo arranger as a "POWER SINGLE" is no easy task "To make a living"....& I find many find it too difficult judging by discussions with local band members in the area & just rather go the easy route and play with others. Playing keyboards in a band situation which Ive done for 25 years previously to my 18 yr Solo career & all my joy was in the past
I dont miss it at all....dealing with all the frustrations, problems & aggravation is happily a memory for me... I play several instruments & just the fact of making music makes me happy not necessarily without an arranger which is easy enough to do it all from solo Piano to full Big band accompiament and the arranger can do it all either way.....Im never without an arranger so my answer is NONE!

Playing the piano is a wonderful experience...that's why I'm never without an 88.

I learned on piano, so it is like going home.

I sometimes shut off the accompaniment on my S900 and choose the SA Concert Guitar voice, and play guitar arrangements...it's awesome having that kind of control and sound...same goes for orchestral strings and choir/strings combinations....I can while away an hour or two so easily.

Ian

Exactly Ian....The joy is having an instrument like an Arranger KB that can easily serve all needs from nothing to everything

Hello everyone,

To begin, this is an Arranger Forum, so, the people that are members on this forum I would guess that’s what they have.
For what I had read from different members so far, I see that there are many different ways in the way the arrangers are use, some for SMF playback, others almost like a regular workstation, even like a solo Piano and some (like me) use the arrangers with their styles either customized or somehow edited in their registrations either with all the sections on or modified and or some parts muted.
The use of the arrangers can be done with some of the combinations with all the above.
The arranger player that is also a singer, of course use the vocalist feature assuming that the arranger has it or even if it does, some use an external unit like TC-Helicon, etc.
Some “Arranger players” came from a Piano background others like myself as a Pro-organist and for some, is the first instrument.
I also know that some members either Pros or amateurs can really play and others have some limitations (Pros and amateurs), therefore, the Needs and USE of the Arranger, depends very much not just on the personal skills, vocals or only instrumental, and or all the things I mention before.
This Proofs that the Arranger Keyboards are very Versatile and can be configured in many different ways according with the Needs and situation of the user.
In Europe the Arrangers are regarded as the "Workstation" before the Synths did.

A few times a week for half hour or so I play the Clavinova with all arranger functions turned off. I have my favorite tunes I play regularly then I play something that I have not played in some time that requires better chops than I currently have. Sad thing is one time I could easily play the piece but I lost what I had,as the old saying goes " Use it or lose it" That's reason enough go back to arranger mode

[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 07-18-2008).]

My two cents

I have played with bands and recently have played as a solo act performing my own music for the most part. I enjoy playing piano and singing, but find that while people usually enjoy my songs you are limited by what you can pull off by yourself. So I recently got interested in arrangers and so far I love them. I can immediately play songs of mine that need accompianment that I had almost given up on. I can also sound like I'm in a band which in some ways I miss.

I think that as far as entertainment and a "joy" factor go I prefer an arranger.

As far as I'm concerned being in a band is not worth the aggravation especially as I get older. Besides some of the other more obvious issues with a band are the following:

Moving equipment
Long setups and takedowns
Teaching others songs
Endless practice
People quitting
Work schedules
Less money (after splitting)
Worrying about others making mistakes not to mention your own
Finding people who want to do the same music
Ending up doing most of the work i.e. booking,advertising.

I'm happy playing solo and I would have to say that an arranger gives me much more versatility and appreciation from people who want to be entertained.

Just my opinion

Don Adams www.donadams.ca


Just my

Don Nice website I enjoyed browsing!

Good luck to you!!

One more reason to love my keyboard – The money I made in one night playing weddings and parties club with my keyboard most club musicians (on the average) made in four nights.
I continued to do what I did when I had my band, there are no rehearsals but lots of programming. It is a Fun instrument and the drummer does not lose the meter/beat. Nice.

John C.

Ps, Yes, this has been enjoyable reading.

I use to play my Yamaha baby G3 every single night for an hour or more while I was out of music. On the job these days, I sometimes stroll to the in-house acoustic and it doesn't do anything for me now. A lot of that has to do with time mgmt. I cannot afford not to constantly be on my arranger.