I play solo but prefer to play with other musicians when possible. I can sing alright, but I wouldn't want anyone to have to hear sing for four hours:) Same thing with leads and improvised solos, I like having some variety that another player can bring. I love the flexibility of an arranger KB in that I don't have to play the song the same way every time. If I'm lucky enough to hire a couple of players, we can really stretch the tune by open sections for solos.

Here's some recent gigs I've done with some other players. Totally unrehearsed. Recorded by patrons on their cell phones...

In the first video we are playing at roof top bar in downtown Dallas. The song is called called "Ya Te Olvidaré" which we normally play as a ballad but some dancers requested a salsa. My wife is singing, Manuel Castañeda who has played with some big Tejano acts like Little Joe and La Familia is on sax, my good friend from college Efren Guzman, is on percussion. He plays with several symphonies and jazz groups here in Texas, and has toured and recorded with some major Mexican acts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIfARkPgDiU



Here's we are playing at street party in Plano, Texas. We're doing a Selena song with a reggae feel. My wife is singing, another old college buddy from University of North Texas is playing percussion, same sax player, and my 12 year old daughter is on violin. Sorry about the feedback, it's kind of hard being the sound man and playing keyboards and singing all at the same time, right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0SqQq_Dvyc&t=41s

If anyone has some examples or thoughts on playing arranger keyboard with other musicians, please share. Thanks!

Great videos Paul.....It depends how you are going to play with others ...most experiences with an arranger is that other musicians have a difficult time trying to follow a computer driven device like a style depending if it's a drummer, guitar, etc, etc, where you would shut off the drums in a style or whatever,......playing with an arranger kb in a band situation just using it's great sounds can work well also, Piano, organ, strings, guitar, etc,....like you are the keyboard player in a band, etc, an arranger kb is a very flexible instrument although you don't see it used very often in bands on stages all over,....why? who knows?....probably just the "Aura" of it sends subliminal "home player" messages to pro keyboard players etc, etc, ....but we know better right?..

The biggest problem I encountered when playing with a band is tempo. Now, when I played with highly skilled, trained musicians, which was only once a month for a couple years, timing was NEVER a problem. These guys were right on the money, even when the drummer couldn't make it and the keyboard drums were used. They never missed a beat, yet they had incredible style.

As for your singing, this takes time and lots of practice to become a good singer. It doesn't happen overnight, however, you can get some help if you are willing to seek it out. Most community colleges and some regular colleges, offer voice classes, and the course I took was called "Voice And Articulation" really provided me with lots of improvement during that six week course. Everyone said I was a pretty good singer before I took the course, but shortly after, they said I was a great singer, which of course, added to my already inflated ego.

First and foremost, the course teaches you how breathing at the right time makes a huge difference when singing. This is followed by articulation of each and every word. I hear so many amateur singers on stage and TV that slur their words while singing that in some instances I cannot understand a word they sing. This is just awful. Diction is an integral component of vocal quality, both when singing and speaking.

The course also teaches vocal control, which is of paramount importance, again while both singing and speaking. This is right out of the handbook for radio newscasters. Essentially, you learn how and when to place emphasis on certain words, how to end a phrase and when when and how to raise and lower your singing/speaking volume without using a proximity effect of the mic. I learned to do this early on as I was a newscaster for a local radio station and learned from some of the top newscasters in the business. And, this turned out to be highly beneficial when I switched to a headset mic, which I also used in the newsroom.

I had the honor of playing with the Zim Zemarel orchestra when they played some smaller jobs in Baltimore, locations where they brought in six to eight pieces. I played both the keyboard and guitar, using the keyboard mostly as a piano and sometimes the drums. My friends Jerry and Elsa Burns played with Zim at the White House on the south lawn. Jerry said it was the scariest job he ever performed and also the hottest. Everyone in the band was required to wear a black tux, the job was in mid June and the temperature was near 100 degrees with 90 percent humidity. They did 2 solid hours with the full band and back then Elsa was the vocalist. Zim passed away a couple years ago and everyone in this part of the world misses him dearly.

Here's a vid of the orchestra shot during a battle of the bands:



One of the keys to success with singing is using a high quality, hyper-cardiod or super-cardiod mic, one that has good feedback rejection. The next thing you must do is properly set the effects, reverb, delay, echo, EQ, etc... All of these electronic enhancements make a huge difference in your overall vocal quality and you should utilize them to their fullest. The end result is incredible and believe me, the audiences will notice the improvements.

Good Luck,

Gary

I have heard Paul sing on several occasion. Trust me, he doesn't need lessons! He's a great player too and plays drums, keyboards. . . whatever. His wife sings great too, and she is prettier that Paul!

Thanks Don! I do train my voice almost everyday and I can get through a four gig just fine without pain, but I meant it's nice for the audience to have some variety. but If the venue can't afford over $200 then they will get just me....


Also Don M, I know you have posted some real nice stuff with some guitar players. Maybe since your mainly doing private events now, you might want to another player or two?

As far as "locking in" with an with the auto accompaniment, luckily I've worked with musicians that have no timing problems. They do sessions and live shows all the time with clicks and sequences. Recently I did a gig with my prs 950 to my left of a nice Steinway Grand and I hired a really great jazz bassist. I used the drums patterns playing very little and some times the guitar auto accompaniment too.

Drummers (at least the ones that actually study the instrument) are used to playing with a click. Just look at that 13 year Japanese girl drummer that we saw here on Synthozone last week. She had no problems playing along with the track.

Gary, the Jim Z Band sounded great! When you played your keyboard with them were you using any auto accompaniment with them?

Paul, it would be great to work with you. I don't have much booked right now. I'm doing a couple of nights a month at Ernest's and I have a reunion in Oklahoma to do in July. I've been enjoying taking it easy!
I can get to Dallas anytime you need me though!

Yeah you almost never see arranger keyboards used on stage, especially in any kind of band situation. Most of the musicians I've worked with on gigs where I bring in an arranger get a kick out of it. They asked me all sorts of questions, often wondering how I "control the track"
Many times they are surprised that it wasn't a pre programmed track. Arranger KB are a great tool and I'm glad I discovered them right here on SZ! A total game changer for me!

Now that would be great! I actually have done drums/percussion with a fellow keyboardist/ SZ member "Tye" He plays an Audya 5 and as good as those drums sound, some live drums and percussion "on top" help the groove sounded even groovier! Plus I guess the live drum/percussion gives a good stage presence. Maybe it helps with some of naysayers that think we're just doing some sort of karaoke show!

Well someone is too blame for the masses not too know more about arranger keyboards....Why do you think it's more popular as a home instrument versus a pro stage keyboard like synths?

Yeah I wonder too. I can understand big touring acts not needing them because they can afford a complete band.... I think some closed minded musicians just kind of cringe when they think of those supper cheesy auto accompaniment from the past. At least that's the way I thought before I discovered the modern day arranger.

But I do see arranger keyboards in all sorts venues and events when I visit Mexico. I've been told arrangers are found on stages in Europe too. Not sure about Asia and other parts of the world.

A really great keyboardist here in Dallas who was hip to arrangers told me that he thought the reason why they haven't caught on in the States is that Americans musicians love to create. Look at all the US styles that have caught on world wide (Jazz, Rock, County, Blues, Big Band, R&B, rap....) What he meant was if your going to create a groove/style or even a song from scratch. a workstation or other type of platform would probably be the way to go. As great as arranger keyboards are they do of course have their limitations.