A while back we were discussing how arrangers night die out because of lack of styles . I was going to see if I could do a video of style creation when I could grab an hour and then stumbled across this excellent YouTube clip of Kris showing the awesome capabilities of the korg keyboards ( and in fact any arranger ) to help you make limitless styles . Enjoy .

https://youtu.be/ydv7P-fFODE

You don’t have to do anything as busy as what Kris is doing . Start off doing something simply and build up your creative skills . I find often that less is more .

Once again, it is not the keyboard, it’s the keyboard player.
It is not the lack of styles; it is what we are doing with the styles.

Good post Spalding, thank you.
John C.

You have it backwards; the arranger will become a niche market because of the styles, many of which are song specific so requiring minimal input from the user, plus they do not cover anything like the younger generation want, which is loops and arps that can be put together in a flash (The arranger is so cumbersome in this task that it is hardly surprising that most youngsters aren’t interested) and give them a nice base to work on. (Until you get rid of canned (And antiquated) styles the arranger can only go downhill as those that do use them die out)
The video you linked to shows exactly why most youngsters are not interested, as they could put together something in the genre they want using their iPad in a fraction of the time.

Bill

Spalding, back in the Technics days I reworked my styles to fit what I wanted to hear. Since then I stopped working with files because of many that were available. I have been using the pads to change the feel of the styles.

After watching the video, I have decided to work with my styles again.
A great find, thanks again, John C.

Thanks Spalding, great case of showing what is possible, too bad a lot of people don’t give it a go.
Even though there are hundreds of styles available on my Korg, they don’t necessarily suit the songs I want to play. If I was into country ,rock pop etc, I’d probably be ok, unfortunately I’m into show tunes and old standards.
So, since some of my old psr styles do suit, I convert them across.
I probably use more converted and modified styles than I do factory.
Shows the flexibility of the arranger.

I was hoping he'd program a simple waltz, but I don't think anyone under middle age even knows what a waltz is.

He's a really good musician. A natural player. Impressed with him playing those bass lines so fluently with his left hand. Also impressed with the dedication he shows to that machine. You don't learn that stuff overnight.

Yes, everything IS changing in the music industry...rapidly. Everyone says to make your own styles. Watching this video (though I didn't watch it all) woke me up to that. I don't think it's THAT difficult to make up or modify a style if you're (or is it "your?") putting together R&R, funk, R&B, etc. It's the traditional stuff that stumps me. I still can't find a decent cha-cha and I wouldn't know where to start to put one together.

I play everything but my forte and passion is "traditional" stuff. No market for it but it's something I enjoy.

I'm glad Spalding posted this video. It made me realize that I'm going to have to learn somewhere how to make up my own styles. That "project" will replace the project I just completed....learning Windows 10!

Just start by listening to a waltz or cha cha style and trying to replicate basic elements of it . Start with the bass as that’s the most easy to replicate . Then the drums. Once you have these basic elements you are well away .

First of all have a look at some entertainment organ teaching books (The Complete Organ Player by Kenneth Baker is good (Available on eBay) and there are many others) as these will teach you how to play the styles with hands and feet, (Rather than press a button and everything is done for you in a canned style) then just transfer the teachings into to style creator on your arranger, (As you don’t have enough keyboards or pedals to play them live) this also has the advantage that you will know what you can and cannot vary in a style. (You can mix styles within reason as well to get the sound you want)
As to the drums, there are boat loads of courses out there ((Either in book form or via YouTube etc.) as that is where everything starts from. (Highly complicated created styles (Song specific) are the last thing you need as you can’t do anything with them)
Have fun

Bill

The only reason they prefer their ipads is the fact that playing arrangers requires some knowledge of chords.. and other musical theory..

But if you really want to be creative nothing has more to offer then todays arrangers as core element of any setup.. so many ways to create backings for live playing... it just blows your mind...

Hi Mark,
Know what you mean, some of the traditional are over complex nowadays, waltzes and ballroom latin for instance. One of my old keyboards had simple useable ones, can’t remember if it was my technics or early Rolands. Used to have a great one that worked perfectly with Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White.

I’d been working on trying to dumb a couple of piano ballad styles down ie onboard piano ballad, nice style but doesn’t always work , over complex.

Guessing must make a difference if you’re a singer requiring backing vs playing melody.
Wouldn’t want to sparse a backing track, whereas for playing along , too busier a style, gets in the road.

What arranger are you playing at the moment, Mark.