It's these so called two camps that have brought the SZ to it's knees plain and simple.....as for me I will listen to any kind of player of any type music,including vocals, on any instruments and appreciate the good that comes from it as I always have since I started playing at age 6...A few days ago I saw a Foreigner Concert and was blown away by the energy and sound these guys put out, by far best lead vocals I've heard in a long while.....although I'm not a rocker per-say I really enjoyed the good music same as I would a Jazz or Opera performance because I was taught to embrace all music and draw the good from it as it pertains to my own musical performance. As far as that Coffee throw in a few donuts and I'm there, I'm sure we can teach each other a few tricks about playing music!

Personally, I don't care WHAT anyone uses on a gig. Our job then is to entertain our audiences, in any fashion that actually leaves them entertained. And there are MANY ways to skin a cat

BUT.... this ain't a gig. This is a forum of arranger players. This is NOT your average Friday night animal house! So, when posting music FOR EACH OTHER,, surely a higher standard could be applied? I can't for one minute think that nobody cares in the least whether a posting here is little more than karaoke. We are surely looking for example in the field of playing an arranger. Yes, this can include SMF play, but, let's face it, if little of the SMF is anything to do with you, what is the point of posting it? "Here's something played by someone else, that I'm singing over"... is that what we REALLY want to hear from each other?

This, by the way, is NOT a put-down of Donny, or anyone else using commercial SMF's. As he said, 'out in the trenches' you use whatever you got. But this AIN'T the trenches. This is 'behind the lines'. This isn't a singers' forum. It is an arranger players' forum. Surely, what we want to post here ought to be arranger PLAYING?

Personally, I am a BIG user of SMF's. I've said many times how stymied I feel, being unable to use my LH in any conventional sense because I HAVE to input the damn chords (over and over on repeated sections!). But I use a large percentage of self created SMF's, either made from scratch, or derived from arranger play, then edited. I don't think anyone would be all that interested in hearing how well I've tweaked a commercial SMF, it simply isn't arranger playing, unless I strip it down to its' absolute basics and play as much as I would at least play in a full live band.


On the gig, it's all good... but here? I would HOPE that we actually DO want to hear each other play.

I think you'll get your wish when the chord sequencer is RE-released again.The underlying no respected put down of using smf's is always there in some peoples mind.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 09-14-2009).]

Hi ,
like the idea of arranger based song. It would be interesting to hear the different styles used for the same song on the various keyboards members own.

Non pro's could pick up great keyboard playing tips from the pro's.
Stuff like when to change melody instruments so that it doesn't sound corny
( I've heard arranger songs where the player changes the instrument every 4 to 8 bars) .
Also where fills should be used etc etc

Be great to hear how the pro's do it .

This sort of useful information can't really be be picked up if members are using totally different forms of recording their songs.

Anyway, just my 2 cents worth.


best wishes
Rikki





[This message has been edited by rikkisbears (edited 09-14-2009).]

Hi,

Very glad to hear Gary is feeling better; and I liked his vocal version of "September In The Rain. I also really appreciate all Gary has done for the PSR groups; and "well done" on his upload.

I played a quick-record instrumental version of the same song on the PSR3000 and hope it plays OK for ya'll.

MP3: http://www.4shared.com:80/file/132670941/a24d5389/September_In_The_Rain.html

Best regards,

Del

Del-It played and sounded just fine. I liked your RH work...

Question on the variation you used. Sounds like you picked one particular variation and stayed with it the whole tune. Why did you choose that approach vs. using 2 or more variations of the same style?

Thanks for sharing...

------------------
Bill in Dayton

I've got to see a few different club acts over the last few weeks and in two different cases they triggered smf's, then sang over it and played a single note lead over the instrumental section. They didn't play a single chord for the songs I watched. Its hard for me to look at them in the same light as someone who's playing every chord and leads over styles, all while singing.

There is an act around here, haven't seen them since the Holidays who do use smf's very effectively. They're a duo...one plays guitar and the other sax...they really add something consequential to the midi file. Big difference if you ask me.

Would the "BS causing the exodus of all the "REAL DEAL" members in the past year" include members behavior like the creation of J. DiLeo? I think its hypocritical of you to put comments like that out there after the stunt you pulled. The amount of drama you yourself have supplied to the SZ is significant. How many times did you post a tune, then delete a tune...over and over again? How many times have you left?

When I joined SZ a few years ago, I found you to be a "personality" with loads of great information and ideas. For whatever reason, your SZ persona has degraded into something more of an "caricature with an attitude" which isn't nearly as appealing.

A lot of us would like to see that old Donny come back...



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Bill in Dayton

Thanks for your rendition, Del. I'm a great believer in what I call 'aural' or 'sonic' interest, i.e., the use of breaks, fills, variation changes, phrasing, all the little and not so little things that take a performance into the next level, so to speak.

I think Bill's comment was on the right track, because I also felt that as pleasant as your version was, it could have used some fills and variation changes, and maybe a change of lead voice at times to a more out-front sound. I mean, all your basics are there, so it's all in the window dressing, a bit of sparkle, if you will. Hope you find these comments useful, and it's good that you posted some actual music. Rock on.

68 posts and only three songs. I never imagined this concept turning into another SZ pissing contest, but you've/we've become so creative at it. I will not make any more eJam suggestions, as I see many want it to go in a different direction; that's fine with me. Thanks for the ride.

Cass at least you tried....sorry it didn't work out as planned. Thanx for the effort.