Randy.. for that I would start with a muffin and also squeeze in an egg

And for now... I am my audience

well, x = 10 ... in octal, base of 8, 8 is equivalent to 10, therefore, 8 = x ...

or it's just a slip of the finger ...

That's fine but there is so much more to music then just
automatic arranger KB repetitive styles.....
being a creative musician in all aspects
is what mixing it up is all about.
We can all talk...but personally I will ALWAYS ask
to HEAR what someone is talking about.
Then we can continue the discussion.

Let’s not forget that besides Styles,SMF's, MP3's, and Karaoke files., that we also have the option of playing full keyboard with no backing ( solo piano or vocal/piano) . Also we can mix it up more by playing LH bass ( or pedals) over a drum beat . Yes, so many options!

As for me, I mostly to do styles, because I like the flexibility of not being having to follow a prerecorded or sequenced arrangement. I use a SMF or audio backing track if I can’t find a style that suits the song or if I feel a style just can’t do the song justice. My wife who sings with me absolutely hates SMF, and any pre recorded/sequenced track, but. will give in if we feel like a style file doesn’t work.

Paul playing with others is another ballgame for sure..
many artists don't even know what an arranger is or how it works..that said..
many pro touring acts use some type of tracks
to enhance the show also..
today there are so many ways to do it, and there is
no wrong or right only good music
in whatever way shape, genre, or form it is created with.

For practice and performance I often use custom rubato, or "free play" type custom styles. There is no drum percussion or bass "groove." In many cases I'll activate sync stop, so the sound fades when I lift my fingers from the keys. I suppose it's more like organ playing, except that the arranger still adds a bass note, and I don't have to press all the keys to play a chord. Some of my friends feel that the resulting sound is more authentic, and certainly less busy than full accompaniment. Besides, this is the only way I know of to play liturgical music and traditional hymns.

I'm not a fan of playing over SMFs, MP3s, etc. Maybe with liberal use of mark & jump, muting parts at certain times, tempo changes, etc., it might be ok. But it begs the question- how much should I do in advance? I like arrangers and other auto-accompaniment instruments because I want to interact with the songs I like more directly than just making an mp3 playlist, or mix tape (remember those!)

But- for a short while I belonged to a casual singing group. I'm hardly a great keyboard player, and I wanted the emphasis to remain on the singing. So for practice and performance we used customized SMFs and KAR files.

Fran, I thought MIDI and Karaoke files were the same thing, except with a different extension? What are CDG?? Using my little BK-7m, I was able to change the key several steps, apply covers, makeup tools, change tempo and display the lyrics. Awesome tool! On .mp3's I could change the tempo and wash out most of the vocals with Center Cancel. Not sure about changing the key on .mp3s. Karaoke files were much more flexible. So each has it's purpose!

Ted interesting can we hear some of these songs you do
using the methods you are describing...maybe I can learn somethning?

Donny I probably won't post my music, I'm not that good! But ask yourself: what would a Catholic Church organist do? Bass on the pedals, held chords in the left hand, typically voiced close between F and F. RH single-note melody to lead the congregation with harmony sometimes added on the chorus. I don't have the skill to play a real organ like that. But using ALL of the automatic features of the arranger I can fake it pretty well. Without pedals (and the requisite skill to play them) I can't do bass "runs" like an organist could. But by using Bass Inversion I can force the bass note to something other than the root when necessary, which makes a lot of difference.

The trick to this is: NO drum. No rhythmic bass either. Just long, sustained notes in the style pattern (picture whole-note triads tied together for 32 measures, and you get the idea!) You have to choose voices that have an indefinite sustain like Organ, or at least a long sustain, like bowed string instruments.

On Roland, unfortunately you can't force the style track notes to "retrigger" when you change chords in the middle of the pattern [remember all those tied notes I mentioned?] So some voices can only be played with the sync stop active. Basically when you release the keys it resets the style pattern and forces everything to retrigger at measure 1 beat 1. Again, the time signature is irrelevant because there is no rhythm or groove. I can show you hymns that go from 6/8 to 9/8 and then back again-- what were those monks thinking?

Since the sound fades as soon as you release the keys, being able to transition quickly to the next chord is important. [Hello, single-finger majors!!] Adding some reverb and a long release makes the sound smoother. If I knew how to use a sustain pedal, I'd be dangerous!

I didn't invent this concept. For years, Yamaha, Korg, and ironically the lower-end Rolands have had the ability to play a string pad and monophonic bass sound when the arranger is activated and the rhythm is stopped. It's great for practicing and will work for any song that doesn't call for a strong rhythmic beat. Strangely, this mode isn't implemented as a convenient built-in function among TOTL models. But if you understand what's going on and the fine points of style creation, you can set up a rubato practice mode on any arranger that accepts custom styles, and has sync stop (or a retrigger function, and chord "memory" that can be disabled.)

Now that I've revealed the "secret", I would like to hear some of YOU playing these styles!

Sorry to hear that Ted........
most people don't know how good they really are?
"hearing" speaks a million words
My Aunt Connie was a Church Organist as a kid
I would just sit there in awe listening to her play
the big pipes with the choir.
I hope in time you can share some of your music with us
that's what it's all about.

take care

stay safe