Great tips so far guys.

keep 'em coming......

One thing that hasn't been mentioned, but that I feel is very important is the pitch bend.
You gotta learn how to use that, so you can sound more authentic.
Guitars, Saxes and Trumpets etc. do this all the time.
But how to trigger it while playing in arranger mode if you are not Michel Vonecken?

Here is my longtime solution:
with the Yamaha's, and I'm sure with other brands the same, you can assign the pitch bend to a foot pedal.
That is soooo much easier and keeps your hands free playing and you will sound a hell lot more authentic.
Once in a while if your hands ARE free you can use the pitch bend directly to spice up things, because a guitar player bends the notes up AND down. The foot pedal is only down, which is sufficient in most cases.

My left foot pedal is for fill to self, to keep the beat from getting boring and the right foot pedal is for pitch bend when soloing.
A third pedal is for VH on and off which I have slightly to the side to not confuse my pedals.
Everything else can be easily done with your hands I think.

As Donny and others have said it many times: if you play a Saxophone, you gotta think like a Sax player.
How do you do it?
Listen, listen, listen, then try it out on your KB to see if you can get close to the sound.

Whenever I listen to music I try to pick one instrument and REALLY listen to all the different nuances and then I try it on my KB.

It makes a huge difference.
What is it really that we're trying to accomplish?
To create an Illusion of real musicians beeing up on stage.
Nothing wrong with that.
How good is your Illusion?

Listen, listen, listen; and the try it on your KB.

Watch a couple of Michel Vonecken videos.
That'll give you a start on where and how to begin.

Have fun.....

Eric

[This message has been edited by Eric, B (edited 05-21-2006).]