ARRANGER ERGONOMICS
How you sit or stand to play not only affects your presentation...but has health consequences.

When performing, I never sit. Before I got the PSR 2000 I used a double keyboard set up with my left hand on the lower board and right hand on the top one. After many chiropractor visits, I saw myself on a video and noticed I was tilting to the left while playing. My chiro said the awkwardness of how I played was causing a mis-alignment that resulted in the pain I was experiencing in my neck and shoulders.

Since using just one keyboard, I think I now stand straighter...and the discomfort I used to feel after a gig has decreased a bunch.
Eddie

Yes,I too was taught not to sit too low (like Glenn Gould), play with flat fingers (like Vladimir Horowitz), or rock my body (like Stevie Wonder), but hey, these guys still seem to make beautiful music.

The pics may not show this clearly, but I'm actually 'standing' most of the time while performing (to maximize diaphramatic breath support for singing). I utilize a 'high' stool primarily to provide body support 'while shifting my weight between' my right and left leg in order to trigger the left/right foot pedal controller. I dunno about you guys, but the keyboard height & playing position I use works best for "ME" ! I experience no back, neck or shoulder pains. Maybe it's because the PSR2000 weighs only 23 lbs.

Believe it or not, I was performing 'standing' mostly, not seated. The 'HIGH' (not low) stool is used primarily to support my balance while switching my weight between left/right foot pedal controllers.



Arranger keyboard playing is NOT the same as playing an acoustic piano. I use the arranger to accompany my vocal performance. I use my LH to trigger the chords, provide the rhythmic pulse, and possibly add some occasional 1 or 2 note chromatic or melodic fills, while my right hand provides the upper structure chord comping: voicing extensions or alterations (9,b9,#9 13, #11, etc) and fills, and play the melody & soloing. The PSR2000's super light non-weighted action requires a radically different approach to playing than a traditional acoustic piano. Coming from a long background of playing acoustic piano, switching to a synth action was one of life's ultimate challenges for me, but once I realized I HAD to conqueor this, or give up performing altogether, the answer became clear. Lugging around a heavy 80 lb + kb gave me back and resultant hand/finger injuries and was no longer an option. I spent many frustrating weeks learning to re-adjust my playing style to accomodate the ultra light action of my first synth (Korg 01W) , but thankfully, I now proudly proclaim success because I now feel pretty much at ease switching between a fully weighted acoustic grand action to what appears to be the lightest flimsy keyboard action of ever: the Yamaha PSR2000 ! The difference between the way you play & sound on a synth action arranger & an acoustic grand may be different, but both can produce very musically satisfying results . . . And THAT's what COUNTS!



I'm certainly not worried about being upstaged by my keyboard. Who's the star?.... ME, ME, ME, of course ! ....

Scott

Scott:
I, too, enjoyed reviewing your gig pics and would pose a couple of questions. First, when playing a live dinner show, as you stated, are you front and center "the show" while folks are dining and conversing--i.e., you have their full attention or, are you providing background music to add to the ambiance of the event? Secondly, as a vocalist, too, do you ever use lyric cheat sheets, or is everything committed to memory? Just curious.
Larry

Scott,
One of the speakers seems to be located just behind you and behind the microphone. This is a situation that tends to drive a lot of feedback. Didn't you have problems with it?

-- José.

I'm rather surprised over all the detailed analysis & critique given to my recent gig shots. I posted my pics to encourage the rest of you out there (as well) to post pictures taken at your gigs too. So . . . let's see 'your' pics.

Matias: I luckily had no problems whatsoever with feedback from the speaker behind me. I was using my EV 757 dynamic cardoid mic and it never once picked up feedback. Actually, if any feedback were to occur (and it did'nt) it probably would have first come from the PSR2000's onboard speakers because the mic was situated much closer to these.

J.Larry: I was hired to provide the evening's dinner show music, in addition to 3 other acts: singer/guitarist (cocktail hour entertainment), a dance act (after dinner presentation), and DJ'ed dance music (later on). Whether a show remains just background entertainment or stands out as full blown show depends on how you choreograph it. As an entertainer, it's our job sense the 'feel' of the room and the mood of the audience. Once you know this, it up to you to direct where 'you' want to take it. Depending on the type of gig, I will (or not) use cheat sheets. For a casual, cheat sheets are fine, but for a successful solo 'show', it's definitely a distraction (not recommended). Generally, by the time the guests sit down for dinner, they have already intermingled & chatted during the cocktail hour, so by the time they're eating, they're ready to be 'entertained'. My first opening song (Big Band medley which included 'It Had to Be You', held complete audience attention, and then I shifted mood providing more mellow sounds (latin bossa etc), giving them a chance to focus on eating & relating
with friends again. I then bring them back with an audience participation tune which firmly cements their attention back for the rest of the set, allowing me to command full attention again, presenting a couple of classic ballads including: "I'll Be There" (classic Jackson 5 hit), and then finished off my show with the audience at the palm of my hands demanding an encore. It's all about pacing. The key to successful entertainment requires staying in touch with the energy of the room, and knowing how & when to move the audience.

An important thing I want to emphasize about gigging is that it 'requires' a lot of flexibility & adaptability because every gig brings a different set of unexpected circumstances. For this particular gig, I was hired to provide dinner show music entertainment. Part of the deal was that I could plug into the DJ's sound system, saving me the trouble (& saving them $) of having to bring my PA system. It was also clearly understood that I would be situated center stage during my performance. As it went, I ended up arriving (15 minutes prior to showtime) to find the DJ had already setup his equipment center stage. I could have easily created a scene and insisted he move his karaoke equipemnt stage left while I performed, but I'd also risk alienating him and he surely could have easily ruined my show by messing with the PA system settings etc. Though I wasn't positioned center stage, everything turned out well. The DJ went the extra mile to monitoring & maintain my sound levels throughout my entire showset. This included insuring the speaker behind me never caused feedback. I definitely would have never been able achieve & maintain the sound quality (while performing) that he could. In the end, both the audience & my client were happy with my performance, and even included a generous tip to express their appreciation.

Whew, I hope this answers all your questions. In the meantime, I hope others of you will post & share your gig shot pics too, so we can all critique and analysize YOUR pictures too death now too.

Scott


[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 06-23-2002).]

Hi Scott

I too enjoyed the pictures. That's a sturdy looking keyboard stand. What kind is it? It looks like your microphone boom stand is connected to the keyboard stand. Is that correct?

Scott Langholff

Scott,
I think you are confusing criticism with observations, obviously if you personally post pictures of yourself and your performing environment then people are going to take interest in what catches their eye be it posture, equipment or peripherals, I would have thought that was the main reason for sharing your most glorious moments with the forum or were we just to look and admire without passing comment.

larigot

PS, Are the dark glasses for the benefit of the IRS

hi Scott: The keyboard stand is a Quik Lok Monolith, model M-91. What I really like about it is because its rock solid (no bounce like the X type stands tend to exhibit ). The Monolith's revolutionary shape allows unencumbered floor space so foot controlers are easily accessed (including the rather large Yamaha MFC10, if desired) without restrictions. The stand (23 lbs) also folds completely flat and can sit at the bottom of the trunk of my car, taking up hardly any space at all, as its only 1-1/4" thick. My mic (mounted to an AKG mic boom) is attached to a separate portable mic stand. Unfortunately, as far as I know, the Monolith KB stand has no provision to connect a mic boom or stand directly to it.

For those quicky type nursing home/senior center gigs, I still take the cheapo X stand, but when I want to stand up while performing, nothing beats the Quiklok Monolith M-91.

hi Larigot: I really do welcome comments but I guess I didn't realize how 'in depth' the observations & analysis would become. I agree with you that keyboard height, as well hand & body playing position are important. I just felt that some of your observations were a bit off because I was not seated low, but actually standing & half sitting (on the stool). As far as the keyboard height position, after experimenting with different heights, this felt 'most comfortable' for me and certainly didn't seem to block my view of the audience or them of me either.

Larigot, Please post a picture of yourself playing your keyboard to give us an example of what you think the proper keyboard height and standing/sitting position should be. They say a pic is worth a thousand words, so do you have gig shots of yorself at the keyboard to share with us?

- Scott

Scott,

You will have to let me know at what instrument you wish to see me seated at as I perform on all keyboard based media from the
Piano thru Synth's, Arrangers, Multi-Keyboards, Theatre & Classical Pipe Organs.

Scott, if you've ever played or sat at a Theatre or Classical organ you would notice that your playing postion is dictated by the placing of the manuals but generaly organ consoles are built taking posture into account as there are times when playing for long periods are called for, as a rule I always try and keep a straight back while playing and when possible I keep my elbows slightly higher than my hands.

Scott, your style of act suggest's to me that you do not perform for very long periods at a time although I would not class you in the 'Take the money and run' school of entertainers and I hope you will admit to not being of that denomination. I regularly play at various hotels from 6pm till 12am on piano and even with good posture I still get back ache and I work as a part time fitness instructor with a good level of health so Scott beware or one day it could be a trip to the chiropractor for you my friend.

Another 'OBSERVATION' I made about your PSR2K setup was the configuration of your audio outs, from what I can see you have one lead in the 'main' out jack and one in the 'secondary' audio out, if this is the case then can you explain the reason for this, perhaps I'm seeing it wrong, incidentaly I do own a PSR2000 along with various other keyboards although none of them can replace my fine three manual custom made house pipe organ, I expect that instrument would frighten you to death Scott, tell you what I'll do! I'll post a picture of myself play that for you.

larigot