Mr. Alois Müller is a German classical pianist, church organist, accordionist and keyboard player. A musicians' musician...


In the link below, you can listen to his wonderful performance on the Korg PA5X:

https://youtu.be/rHLGqapSs0g?feature=shared

Wow!!

That was an electrifying 25 minutes of non-stop entertainment by Alois Muller.
Thanks for introducing me to this keyboard virtuoso.

There is no substitute for classical training. This helps develop a solid musical foundation and proper playing technique.

Classically trained musicians make pop songs renditions look like child’s play. They seldom use or need complex arrangement styles.

Alois certainly made the Korg Pa5x shine. It suited him better than using the busy styles on the Genos2.

He made the Typewriter Song almost mimic the original played at the 21 min mark.


https://youtu.be/rHLGqapSs0g?t=1263



Here is a brilliant rendition of A Taste of Honey that Alois uploaded yesterday.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0UKlmLHygg

Alois demonstrates the proper way of playing the Piano using both hands utilizing the AI Full Keyboard and Fingered on Bass modes on the Genos2.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cde5lpxOVRg


For a professional piano player all they need is a basic accompaniment style to showcase their talent and sound authentic.



You can see the Bohm Sempra SE40 organ in the background.

Hi Tapas, I'm glad you enjoyed Mr. Müller's playing, he's simply phenomenal, what he does with his left hand, I haven't seen anything like it.

I only wish he would have subtitles on his you tube videos, because there is so much to learn from him. He is not only an excellent musician, but also an excellent technical expert that knows the ins and outs of Yamaha and Korg keyboards.


In this link he does a demo of the Genos2:
https://youtu.be/h8mAQvY-JI0?feature=shared


A swing medley on the Böhm Sempra SE40:
https://youtu.be/_5n3OYJjmvw?feature=shared


Playing on a real church organ:
https://youtu.be/hytsWccdfeU?feature=shared


Playing the accordion:
https://youtu.be/dYT2UVqJ8P8?feature=shared

Yes, I admire how Alois plays the fluid arpeggios with his left hand on his rendition of Je t’aime mon Amour at the 2:34 min mark.


https://youtu.be/sqOu9RzOjl0?t=154


This is Richard Clayderman’s version.


https://youtu.be/NNpfp_mQFdE?t=13


I am amazed how well Alois captures the essence of this Clayerman classic.
You can tell he is a happy man completely immersed in his own world of music uplifting the spirits of his audience.

This is all what great music is about!

Tapas, very true.

I like how in Europe, they have these keyboard forums, where twice a year they get together and everyone brings their keyboard while having a good time. This was in Netherlands.

https://youtu.be/_W1NX15QTd8?feature=shared

That was so heartwarming to see so many keyboard enthusiasts joining together as a community and sharing their joy of music in Netherlands.

I spotted so many keyboards – Genos2, Genos, Tyros4, PSR, Pa5x, even a Montage M6 and a live Sax player.

Alois Muller is a prolific musician. He has uploaded over 3,000 videos since 2007 on his YouTube channel.


https://www.youtube.com/@AloisMueller


UK has an active Arranger Community too.

I was looking at this long list of upcoming Organ and Keyboard Concerts in the UK.


http://www.cavalcadeproductions.co.uk/events/concerts.php


There are 16 events in the month of February alone for fans to enjoy live music.

In Europe arranger keyboards are still popular. In many EU countries, music schools have arranger keyboard courses along with piano courses.

I was watching a video about some young music school students perform on arranger keyboards somewhere in Russia. It was nice to see that these youngsters are interested in playing on arranger keyboards, some of them are very talented.

https://youtu.be/dKox5ZpHy48?feature=shared

Bravo to these young kids performing on their Yamaha Arrangers!
They are the future.

This talented lady is going to grow up to be a classical organist.


https://youtu.be/dKox5ZpHy48?t=1038


Thanks Dengizich for sharing this link.
I enjoyed watching every 38 minutes of this recital.

I think all kids should be introduced to a musical instrument from a young age.

Imagine 8 billion souls living in perfect harmony.

Thanks for sharing Dengizich and Tapas.
I've copied and pasted the link in a thread at YM Forum so the members there can enjoy as well.
Nice to see the young ones play arrangers, and that the skills and level rise with the age. 🌞
Who knows, maybe there is a future for those great instruments after all? 👍

Thanks Gunnar!

For those who wish to comment here is the link to Yamaha Musician.


https://yamahamusicians.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=131638#p131638


Yamaha Musicians is a great resource to browse and discuss anything related to Yamaha Musical Instruments.

Gunnar, you have been doing a splendid job as a Global Forum Moderator. We can count on you for all the latest updates.

Best,

David

Watch this incredibly talented young lady kick up a storm playing Moszkowski Etude Op. 72 No. 6 on a Yamaha C5 Grand Piano at the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea.


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


She is Ah-In Kim, 8 years old.

Simply breathtaking!

The next generation will be alright.

That is a splendid and extraordinary performance done by a very young Lady!
The technique seems to be at a very high level, but the emotional part seems to be well hidden, or not too visible.
Guess that is something that grows and shows more as she get older.👍

I've always said that in my next life I want to be a skilled piano player. Unfortunately I didn't realise it before it was far too late.
As they say, the older we get, the better we was.... 😁


Btw,
thank you very much for the nice comment Tapas.
But it's not me, it is the others on YM who deserve the nice words:
Admin, all the other moderators, and not least all the knowledgeable and active members.

You will find plenty like this is Asia of all ages, this is due to the music education system in Asia which prioritises note perfection in its teaching, unfortunately it becomes very boring after a short time as all emotion is sacrificed for this note perfection. (Showing emotion is frowned upon in Asia, as this is only something that is done in Western Nations)

Bill

Thank you for sharing.

I'll share a TV show that is aired in Hungary, called "Virtuózo", where young talented musicians compete with one another. The link is for the piano players, but there are other instruments competing in the show too.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22fc8uWPbtRI-A8UtANTvTDbig7VKL8X&feature=shared

Wow!

Thanks for that link Dengizich.
I watched a few of those 47 performances.

This young lady would make Chopin proud. Her hand motions were so fluid with precise fingerings of every note. The judges were impressed.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr0JCEBba1o&list=PL22fc8uWPbtRI-A8UtANTvTDbig7VKL8X&index=32


The skill set of this group of young virtuosos is on a different level.

In contrast watch these young musicians just having a fun time with their instruments.
Yamaha Japan presented this to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the Electone.

Watch this spirited performance by this talented lady on the Yamaha Electone STAGEA ELS-02C.
She is not as rigorous as a classically trained pianist. However, you can see the pure joy in her expressions.


https://youtu.be/myM-CY-Yoz0?t=493


Yamaha Electones are not sold in the US.
These are the specs of the STAGEA ELS-02C Custom model.
It has 5 Registration Banks of 16 registration memory buttons that can be triggered by foot switch.


https://my.yamaha.com/en/products/musical_instruments/keyboards/electone/els-02c/index.html


This is the User Manual in English


https://jp.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/8/803278/els02_en_om_d0.pdf


The electones have been designed to offer a cheaper, lighter and compact alternative to bulky home organs with dual manuals and a pedal board.

Ebay offers the cheapest price on the Electone ELS-02C.
$7390 with free shipping


https://www.ebay.com/itm/263792470364


The other option is to have it shipped by Taro’s Trade Japan.
$7674


https://www.tarotrade.com/shop/electone-1/brand-new-stagea-els-02c-custom-detail


For home organ players who have an aging Lowrey, this can be a smart buy.

Listen to how the Yamaha Electone STAGEA ELS-02C sounds in the hands of a professional.
This is Alex Payler performing the James Bond Theme.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRHW1LtD804


Watch how Alex agitates the keys horizontally on the ELS-02C to create the Trumpet Shakes.
The Yamaha Electone is the only instrument that allows Horizontal Touch as well as Initial Touch and Aftertouch.


https://youtu.be/CRHW1LtD804?t=80


Door to the Future
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTCl3G15KJs


This is the Harry Potter Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU5UFF_qp3Q


This is his original composition “Palladio”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDXPSGPQ8Iw


This is a breathtaking rendition of Bolero.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG2V2pGpVNA



Are you inspired yet!

Tapas, very interesting, thank you.

Alois Müller has mastered left hand fills while changing chords. So this is possible using AI Full keyboard, but he makes it look easy. It is not.

I’m not sure Suzuki and the other Far East schools of teaching produce ‘robots’, there’s a plethora of skilled Oriental pianists with prodigious technique AND massive emotional content.

The problem is, just as it is over here, the technique needs to come FIRST before the emotion gets added, but many proud parents or pushy teachers start making videos as soon as the technique impresses, but before the emotional connection is made.

To excel at the highest levels of classical music, there’s really no substituting emotion for technique, simply playing the music (say Liszt or Rachmaninov) takes prodigious technique and no amount of emotion will make up for an inability to simply get the notes right.

Before we get judgmental of very young players, we need to appreciate we are seeing them LONG before they’re ready. A simpler piece but with more adult emotion might impress us more than technique without it here in the West, but BOTH are simply a premature stop on a much longer journey…

Yamaha first introduced the moving keyboard on the D85 organ from the late 70s early 80s, however no other manufactures that I am aware of did the same. (Perhaps Yamaha have it patented)

Bill

Hi Bill,

Thanks for letting me know. I had no clue that Yamaha incorporated this feature on their Electone D-85 Organ. I am studying the user manual.

It says on page 9 that Vibrato and Wah Effects can be triggered by lateral movement of a solo key.

I think this is the most natural intuitive way a player would invoke a vibrato.


https://usa.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/0/321280/D85E.PDF


Why doesn’t Yamaha add this feature to their Genos line?
The Genos2 has an FSX keybed.

The Electone ELC-02C (Custom Model) has the special FSV keybed that allows this lateral movement.

In the feature list Yamaha states, “In addition to Initial and After Touch features, Pitch can be varied using Horizontal Touch. Sensors detect lateral changes in stroke in increments of 0.1mm, with 127 levels of resolution that enable a range of delicate expressiveness. Only Yamaha offers a custom keyboard with this feature.”



What do you think of the Expressive E Osmose 49-key Polyphonic Synthesizer and MIDI controller?


https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/...uch-synthesizer


It talks about 3D Aftertouch.

Not only does this keyboard support MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE), but each key features three dimensional control.

It states “Polyphonic aftertouch includes extended vertical range and horizontal modulation per key.”

Here is a YouTube demo of the 3D Aftertouch feature.
I have cued up the point where a single key is being moved laterally to invoke a vibrato and also a pitch bend.


https://youtu.be/YH6kh1EG4I8?t=292


This demo just blew my mind!

I am assuming this is the most expressive MIDI controller in existence.

I feel they should make a 76-key model. It would be the ideal MIDI controller to add a wide range of expressions to your playing style while still accessing the existing sound library from your Arranger/Synth.

I am guessing this would involve some programming to map out all the extra 3 dimensional controls.

I was always a fan of the Roli keyboards, but unable to find one locally to try. But my enthusiasm started to wane when I heard so many demos by extremely talented musicians that failed to master the additional degrees of control.

To be honest, the only person I heard demonstrating it well was/is (not sure if he’s still using it much) Marco Parisi, whose work on it is jawdroppingly authentic and amazing. Whether emulating guitars or saxes, his was the only use of it to utterly convince. Well worth looking up…

However, in the hands of others, including the amazing Jordan Rudess, it was far less convincing. From this I pretty much figured out how truly difficult it must be to master. Yes, of course, you need phenomenal straight chops and an ear for the instrument you’re emulating, but in addition, you appear to need a precision of motion on those extra axes beyond most people’s control.

We spend our entire lives training our fingers to press keys with only regard for downward speed/pressure, and any sideways or vertical (in or out on the key) force is irrelevant, even sometimes necessary for speedy motion to the next key. Unlearning all that and having to concentrate not just on the notes but also the position on the note and any downwards, sideways and upwards pressure or movement when it ALL can be heard is a daunting challenge.

Very, very few seem to have mastered it.

I remember playing Yamaha’s in the 70’s with the sideways sensors. The ones I played had a smaller third keyboard about the main ranks, dedicated to solo sounds. It wasn’t a GX-1 sadly (I’ve always wanted a go on one of those!) but a very high end home organ. It was great as a solo keyboard, but even as crude as the single axis of motion it detected was, it was still difficult to affect pitch (and thus bring in vibrato or affect intonation) accurately. While it DID give me the best single hand way of creating a natural vibrato, it was very difficult to NOT trigger the vibrato accidentally. (EDIT: A bit of Googling got me the model Yamaha I played, a D-80)

Things like the Osmose and Roli MPE keyboards strike me as more of the same, exponentially more so!

For me, I find ribbon controllers far more controllable for doing finger vibrato or trills and shakes for solo sounds, taking the difficulty of hitting the right note AND the correct sideways vectoring and splitting it between two hands. And yes, it ties up both your hands… But even as modest a player as me can get stunning results from it, when even Jordan Rudess struggles with a Roli and doing everything with one hand.

The odds of me getting to try an Osmose out are practically zero in my area, but I’m dying to have a go. At least it kept the traditional key shapes..!

Who knows, maybe a generation will come up trained from the beginning on MPE keyboards and mastery of them will be more commonplace, but for now, at least for imitative synthesis, it seems to be more than most mere mortals can do! 😂🎹🤔