It's really about reaching the audience. Whatever your axe is, either you connect or not. Maybe I'm a softy, but some of these styles in the arranger just blow me away, emotionally. I try my best to find the ones out there that really are 'moved' like me, and stay connected to them to really enjoy the show. Some leave, that's ok. But the majority sure enjoy it and that tells me the arranger is a successful musical tool.

There are some times (for instance, my last of 13 jobs last week) that it becomes difficult to tell the 'story'. I believe as entertainers, we control the outcome of the room by being an excellent player with excellent arrangements. Whatever the means are to get there, really doesn't matter, imo.

The "defense" is in response to "offense"...the subtle and sometimes not so subtle inference that an arranger user is less of a musician than others. I see this here often, commonly done to feed egos or drive a wedge between those of different skill levels..unnecessary..

As to why it is used, as has been said is simply the right tool for the job.

Yes, what he said!

One of the reason I avoid music forums of my own language is that arrangers are usually bullied there and there’s no really a discussion going on.

I was growing up with arrangers mostly because entry-level keyboards are usually arrangers. Still, when a time to make money came, I started to play pianos at restaurants and didn’t really consider playing an arranger in public. Well, of course I thought about it, but never got around to do so. Well, I actually played Yamaha MM6 in a coffeehouse, which has an arranger feature, but I also played a piano there as well. I had some need to prove to myself that I’m accepted as a player, not a user. But if I could sing as most of SZ members do, that’d be another story and I guess an arranger would be my choice.

Now I’m shifting to guitars, I guess, and tend to play my PSR more as a workstation, not an arranger. I still expect that it’s just a phase, but it has been lasting for a few years by now.
I thought that Genos would be so seducing that I would be back into arrangers’ world again, but so far the more I learn about it the less I expect it to happen.

I do feel a need to have an arranger at home because sometimes I still may want to play with rhythms, besides it’s like a musical encyclopedia; it gives quite a picture about different styles and how to work with them.

I know that arrangers keep getting better; in the same time I feel less need to “have it all”, I mean, all the sounds and backings; I fear that I’m getting tired of all this variety and loosing the focus and thinking a lot about getting a keyboard even simpler than I have now.

I have read through all the posts on this topic I keep coming up with the same feeling: I have played with midi and audio backing and I do not enjoy it – for me it’s no fun.

When I was supporting a home and four children and a wife my band played what people wanted to hear. I did it to the point of hating what I was doing. As I was backing my instruments what came to me is that I just finished playing four hours of music; most of which was noise.

Please, please, no reflection on what others love or play; this is just about me. So the question is not what am useing to make music, but do I love what I am doing when I create music. I got excited when I saw Dave’s set up – small amp, wheels and IPad (Midi); I started putting a midi set up together. I played one midi file and stopped dead.
I have heard some great players who played with background; they were entertaining – they were good. But for me.
How boring if we all thought the same and played the same keyboard.

John C.

I agree with Sparky and DonM.

Gary

Thats an EASY fix Sparky ....IT'S ALL ABOUT PLAYING MUSIC BUT IF YOU DONT "SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT" SO WE CAN LISTEN OR SEE TO WHAT YOUR SAYING it's all that is needed to solve whatever it is,...all that talk, ego, chest pushing, whats better, who's better, purists, how great it is, styles, backing tracks, midi file players, etc, etc, etc, whatever it may be, ....bottom line,....IF SOMEONE DOESN'T SHOW US WHAT SOMEONE IS TALKING ABOUT IN A DEMO OF SOME KIND OF AUDIO OR VIDEO SO IT CAN BE SEEN OR HEARD IT MEANS A HILL OF BEANS...

Thank you I'll duck now..

PS but you know I'm right, just sayin'..

Kabinopus I do understand what you wrote. One can get lost in perfecting.

“I know that arrangers keep getting better; in the same time I feel less need to “have it all”, I mean, all the sounds and backings; I fear that I’m getting tired of all this variety and loosing the focus and thinking a lot about getting a keyboard even simpler than I have now.”

John C.

Hi Guys, isn’t it simply a case of, to each his own.
It’s a case of what you enjoy playing, isn’t that what music is all about?
You guys chose music as a career, because you love it, there are far easier careers around that probably would earn you a heap more money with far easier hours involved.

I mentioned on another thread yesterday , about giving my piano to a neighbor, who hasn’t played in 40 plus years, now she’s practicing everyday and loving it. What I didn’t mention was her husband is just as thrilled as she is that she’s playing. He was a drummer for one of the top Australian bands back in the 60’s, gave up the drums a few years back, and more recently took up the ukulele for something to play. It’s a hoot, he loves it. Just about talked all his friends into buying one and gave them lessons. Haha

Just a thought

Hey that ain't the guitarist's fault. It is the nature of the instrument. Only using a Floyd Rose tremelo system with the tuning actually locked down with Allen keys will ensure that. And I just don't like having to use Allen key devices to have to be able to change broken strings.