As that is directed right at me Donny here is my response.

No-one has ever been banned just for being critical. But HOW the criticism is expressed sure can be deserving of a ban. If people can't express a critical viewpoint without being abusive they should just keep well away. The bottom line is act like a jerk and get treated like one.

You have totally nailed it Don. This forum is not about the ability to perform but is ALL about the keyboards being used. Thanks so much for pointing that out and bringing everyone back down to earth.

Hey a stringed instrument like a guitar can go out of tune so easily especially in an air conditioned environment. People that don't play a stringed instrument just don't realize how easily this can happen and you don't even know it until you start playing a song. In a live situation there just isn't much you can do mid song other than stop playing and adjust tuning. Tough when it is a live one song appearance.

Not just guitars either, Nigel. I used to have a Micromoog that was a bugger for going out of tune. Many's the time I'd by playing with my right hand and reaching over to the back with my left hand to tweak the tuning knob on the fly. Thank goodness things have improved since then.

Nigel, I think one of the benefits of sticking around here is the chance to learn MUSIC...any and all things pertaining to music. That would certainly include changes, passing chords, inversions...anything to make player/performers better. Info shared could be about keyboards, software, music theory, performance tips...it's all been posted here and appreciated.

Reviews of boards is right up there, but, for me, at least, that's not why I'm here.

I tend to listen closer...a LOT closer, to the better players. They have it figured out.

If you submitted a piece and you flubbed an important change, would you rather be told about it or keep embarrassing yourself every time you played it?

Learning from each other...isn't that a big part of what being a musician is all about?


Russ

Russ I agree totally with you and DNJ. You too hit the nail on the head. After the first month when I first came to this forum and found out which keyboard that I wanted, (incidentally it wasn't on this forum it was from a "Korg" forum that I made my decision) I only wanted to know about sequencing at the time for my sax playing.

Many here were telling me this keyboard had more sounds and better sounds and so on and so forth than the other keyboard etc. This was boring me to death at the time. No one here knew a thing about sequencing 10 years ago, seriously.

Aren’t we all interested in learning what is the best way to play the keyboard and how to play the keyboard? Really, is the only interest here is to sit around and listen to the different sounds all day.

I just have a hard time in understanding why someone with a musical instrument would not want to learn to keep improving his or her playing ability. Doesn’t this seem like this is a place where this should happen.

Isn't music a bit deeper than just the sounds and number of sounds on a keyboard? I mean you can have the greatest sounding keyboard that's 50 years more advanced than everyone else's keyboard and if you insist on doing it your way (using chords that sound awful) wouldn't that be foolish.

I'm not here because of sounds. I go to the music store to listen to how a keyboard sounds. All keyboards sound great if you can play it. My friend "Jack Ness" who is one of the better musicians that I’ve ever worked with plays his gigs with a Casio. Some of the folks from this forum emailed me and wanted to know what keyboard Jack was using. Ha ha! This is when I knew absolutely nothing about arrangers. Now I chuckle when I think about it.

I think everyone will be elated because I think I’m finished with this subject. My head is starting to hurt from beating it against a brick wall.

TO QUOTE A PHRASE FROM THIS FORUM THAT I’VE READ MANY TIMES, Try to keep this in mind it is one of the most profound statements voiced in the history of this forum from the very first post, IT IS NOT THE KEYBOARD, IT IS THE KEYBOARDIST.
I REALLY DO NOT PLAY KEYBOARD VERY WELL. I’M A SAX PLAYER. HOWEVER, ALONG WITH MY VOCALS, I GET EMBARRASSED IF I HIT A WRONG CHORD AND I’M PLAYING FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO DOESN’T KNOW A Bb FROM A Q#. Ha ha!
GOOD BY FOR NOW!!

My two cents (for what it's worth) . . .

When I first joined Synthzone over 12 years ago, I too had hoped the discussions included more about music theory (scales, chords, chord progressions, chord substitutions, chord extensions, on bass/pedal, arranger orchestration, etc), as well as arranger keyboard specific "playing" technique. When I initially brought up rootless jazz chord voicings, I was poo-poo'ed and even accused by a few members of coming off like an elitist snob, so gave up any idea of this place being anything else other than an informative, and often combative 'gear debate' forum. I suspect the reason could be the membership's extreme variance of music background, experience, and education. I also discovered early on that being a 'Pro' musician here doesn't necessarily reflect one's musicianship skill level.

I for one want to continually improve as a musician, so it will be interesting to find out how many others here are really seriously interested in becoming better arranger keyboard players, or simply content maintaining the status quo, whatever level it may currently be (from beginner to advanced).

I would like to turn this into a positive link. When I learn a song I am not interested in the extended chords – such as G13-5, G7+5, G#11. I turn every chord into it simplest, example from G7#11 into G7. Cm11 into Cm. For one it helps me memorize a song quickly. My second reason is that many times the chords are not correct. Do I play the song with the simple chords? Never.

As a guitarist I always tried to tell a story with my chords. You could listen to my chords and leave the melody out and it would sound good – I was telling a story, a story that added to the singer or soloist. If I was backing a sax I knew his solo could reach new heights if I played a great chord line.

You do not add or extend chords for a song like Rock around the clock – or Fame – to do so would destroy what made it popular in the first place. Songs like Body and sound and Misty offer a lot of room for a player to express themselves.

My suggestion, if there are people who are interested, is to post one or two ideas on a particular song. In the past players posted a complete song with all the changes they made; overkill, too much to absorb at one time. Just one or two ideas. Those who enjoy sharing their knowledge as well as those who wish to learn will get something from the posts.

John C.

As one who MOST RECENTLY made a faux pas with an error in a tune I submitted - and being told in no uncertain terms that I probably shouldn't be out gigging - I have read this thread with great interest ...

My question is - and it's not just to you Russ - "has anyone REALLY ever tried to discuss music on this board, as suggested in Russ' post?" ... Not that I remember ... one of the great failures of my life is that I did not MAKE the time to study and learn chord substitutions, passing chords, etc. but I do feel that when I play from a fake book, lead sheet, whatever, I DO play the chords shown ... Also, I realize that I have not been naturally blessed with a very good ear - perhaps leading to the aforementioned faux pas, - but I think that was more a case of 'playing around' with the midi file, recording, and submitting, without really LISTENING to it - and that was MY error ...
I have always felt, that if I want to post something, I have to be ready for the comments, and I accepted them, even when one critic "wasn't trying to be mean, but ..." If I step into the batter's box, I have to be ready for a 'beanball' ...
I for one would LOVE it if there were REAL discussions about MUSIC - chord substitutions, passing chords, etc. ... but will that ever happen? ...

It will if some of the pros who have knowledge in those areas start posting stuff to help out those of us to whom some of the finer points of chording are a bit of a mystery.

I think there are a few qualfied individuals on here (and I'm certainly not one of them) who might initiate such topics. Let's hear from you guys. Any takers?