I love arrangers and think they are a lot of fun. However, learning to play piano will give you a much better understanding of music as a whole. Just my opinion.

Although my favorite is piano there is nothing like an arranger for entertaining an audience when you're playing solo.

My biggest regret: not having learned the piano as a child.
My natural laziness, my bad habits ... and my good ear guided me towards the arrangers.
Another big advantage tu use arrangers: independence! knowing, learning a song, choosing the sounds, the rendering depends only on me and I am always in tune with me, punctual, available, in a good mood, ...).
I do not know how to read a score, I am not a jazzman, but what I manage to produce satisfies me, satisfies other people ... and that is enough for me (apart from the regret for the lack of theory and of no lessons).

My goal is to able to perform at a much higher level on both piano and arranger keyboard. Maybe it would be better to focus on one, but I really enjoy playing both, but most of my practice time is spent on piano playing. Any pianist with a good understanding of chords will do fine on arranger keyboard.

Couldn't agree with you more there.

The thing for me is an Arranger player is a more adaptable player than say just a piano player or just as guitar player. Even though they may be great at what they do ( there are some on this forum who are just as well as arranger players).

But the Arranger player needs to adapt their keyboard style of playing to the main instrument they are leading with; not just the style or rhythm. They have to learn the nuances ( like in playing a guitar or other acoustic instrument) to make it believable, if they so choose to.

Ok, I love playing an acoustic piano, and electric bass or banjo and mandolin too, as they all have their place in music or in a band. But my keyboard can almost replace them all and do more as well.

Be proud at what you do cause it is your thing!

Allan

Couldn't agree more Don. I love my arranger and want nothing else.