Hi,
I live in Berlin/ Germany, play Yamaha 9000 pro and Technics KN 6000, use style software (factory styles, bought styles and styles I made by myself).
When no style is available but a MIDI file, I use this, set off all parts I play live (melody line, solo and bass).
I modify the styles and MIDIs I use, so that these ones sound less "electronical".
Usually I use printed music, but I am able to play by ear too and in the band I use chord sheets (but for many songs I know the chords and need nothing to remember).

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Regards
RF

Please click on this link and this will tell you a bit about me. Though I have the KN7000 now. Yours musically. Midge.
http://groups.msn.com/KeyboardCapers/thestorybehindkeyboardcapers.msnw

Hi All,

OK, I'm Heather in Leesburg FL. I have a PR54 Piano that plays KN6000-KN7000 files.


Here's a link to my web page that will tell you about me. http://home.earthlink.net/~shcox/index.html

Now, not to be a spoil sport but I thought that is why the forum has profiles. If everyone uses them then adding that information to every post is not neccessary.


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Heather- Leesburg, FL PR54

Heather,
Understand your logic but a lot of newbees
wouldnt know what a profile was.

Cheers Barry

Good point Heather.
I think this has been a topic earlier on as well.
GJ

My web site with all the gory details http://mysite.freeserve.com/willumspages/index.html

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Willum

Hello Everyone,

I'm Aud and I live in a small village just outside Cambridge, England. I have a Technics PR900 Piano and a KN7000 keyboard. Like most other people, I was hooked as soon as I heard the Technics being played and feel real grief to think there will be no more.

I would just like to direct this last paragraph to Ted. You wonder how and why you should be able to play by ear? I have been pondering this for years. I had four brothers (me being the only girl and thoroughly spoilt by them I might add) the eldest and the third brother can play anything they hear and most instruments including accordions, banjo, ukele etc., The second brother and myself can only play by music and only then if we know the tune.

I have four children (3 girls and a boy). The eldest has this gift of being able to play anything at all by 'ear' and the other three children are not interested at all. I have two grand daughters learning to read music both playing the piano. The eldest has passed all exams taken so far "with credits" and the other one struggles because her 'ear' playing gets in the way. Life is full of mysteries isn't it? I don't think we shall ever know the answer to this question, but the main thing is to enjoy your playing whatever your style.

Aud

I live in the great Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, USA.
Except for the 4 years I spent in the U.S. Navy traveling the World, this has been my home for over half a decade.
Larry Hawk

Hi Audrey.

I find your experiences, along with everyone else's, very interesting.

Questions come to my mind in regards of comparing the qualities of 'ear' players and 'sight' players.

Which group appears to have more versatility in regards to personal creativity, adlib, improvising etc?

Do 'ear' players pick up exactly what they hear and will not stray too far away from that?

Does learning to read music and to unnderstand the relationship of tones seem to help develop personal style more?

Anyone, feel free to add.

Thanks.

Ed

Hi MrEd and all forum members,
I believe that ear players have more versatility as they can wander from the main melody and improvise. Having said that, I am sure there are many sight readers who will disagree with me. As I said earlier, I am an ear only player and I can set a rhythm playing on my keyboard and then jam along with that rhythm making up a tune as I go. Its very easy as long as you remember the partnership between the melody and the chord. This can go on for as long as I like but I must be honest and say that the melody I start with is probably nothing like the one I finish with.
Hopefully we will hear from some sight players who will shoot me down in flames. I'm quite happy to be wrong. Although I believe the ear player has the advantage I would still love to read music. It must be fantastic to pick up a piece of paper with lots of lines and dots on it and make wonderful music with it.

Come on sight players, convince me I'm wrong

Let the battle commence
Alan