one advantage with an arranger, folks with little or no keyboard experience can be playing songs in a short while.
Not sure that's an advantage WHEN MARKETING TO MUSICIANS; the general public, maybe, but not musicians. Despite arguments to the contrary, sales figures don't lie.
chas
Chas, you’re quite right when marketing to musicians. However, as has been discussed ad infinitum, arrangers are targeted at the home player.
I’ve started a couple of folks with little musical or keyboard experience on arrangers. And, I may be doing a community ed. presentation on them.
Also, the school that I teach at periodically has a dozen or so basic arrangers to teach basic keyboard in their music class.
If students take to the arranger, many will move on to some sort of piano.