Keep in mind that there are features ALREADY BUILT INTO your arrangers designed specificually to simplify style creation, and speed up the process. You can create one variation and simply copy the parts of that one variation to the next and make changes to it. The ability to copy your parts is a HUGE time saver.
The most difficult part of style creation would likely be the fills, but it just takes a little practice to get those done.
IMO the biggest benefit of the style sequencers (if your board has it) is the ability to swap parts between styles, and copying previously recorded parts. Swapping parts saves you a lot of time because many styles have guitar/bass/chord/drum parts that cover most everything, and you can save some serious time using parts from other styles that would normally be difficult to play from the keys. Plus you can even spice up a style using a part from another style that you wouldn't normally consider using. The options are endless.
Right on the money, Squeak. Copying from your first created Variation does save a lot of time.
My first foray into style creation was when the tools were primitive compared to today's Style Creators...I had to play in the parts, as there were no other options.
It is surprising how efficient part swapping can be...I even take parts out of a Swing type style, and use them in an 8 beat, using the Style Creator's
Groove function to make the parts match up.
And that very same Groove function is also pretty handy in changing 8 beats to swings and shuffles, or 16 beat or even 6/8 feel...and you don't have to do all the style parts, so you can have one style start in straight 8 beat and change to a swing feel on certain variations, and one intro/ending swing while another doesn't...there are lots of possibilities.
The fills, although sometimes hard for most people can easily be procured from an existing donor style that is close, and then edit to suit your needs.
The beauty of using Style Assembly (or part swapping, if you prefer) is that the parts are already set for note range, triggering style, and full chord recognition, which is why I tend to use it more than playing in the parts...let's face it, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of styles we can use to base our new style on.
Like any other feature on the keyboard,
the more you use style creator features,
the more comfortable (and more adventurous) you become with it.
Ian
PS...what keyboards are you presently using?
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