I think Craig Knudsen's simply playing along to Yamaha's midi 'play along' songs.

Fun,Fun,Fun

I Feel Good

I'm sure he's merely fake playing the left hand parts, and only (if that even) playing the right hand melody, because at the end of "I Feel Good", you can still hear the horn fills playing even after his left hand stopped playing the keyboard. A cheesy but entertaining demo JMO.

Though I understand how this might be a good marketing tool to attract beginning keyboard players, it does nothing to promote arranger keyboards as a pro musician's keyboard. JMO.

[quote=Scottyee]I think Craig Knudsen's simply playing along to Yamaha's midi 'play along' songs.

Fun,Fun,Fun

I Feel Good

I'm sure he's merely fake playing the left hand parts, and only (if that even) playing the right hand melody, because at the end of "I Feel Good", you can still hear the horn fills playing even after his left hand stopped playing the keyboard. A cheesy but entertaining demo JMO.

Though I understand how this might be a good marketing tool to attract beginning keyboard players, it does nothing to promote arranger keyboards as a pro musician's keyboard. JMO. [/quote

who cares HOW?....it sounds great !!! there are many ways to operate an arranger. thats what makes it fun.

Including 'faking' playing while an SMF plays? Not sure I agree with you on that one, Donny...

I don't have a problem at all with using a SMF. Sometimes that can be the way to go. When my band does some electronica type songs like Hella Good by Gwen Stephanie or Get The Party Started by Pink I use an SMF to generate those parts that would be impossible for me to play. But I play one of the parts over it. Faking playing is just cheezy. Better off just to play the SMF and not play at all than fake it. But SMF playback can be very useful.

Im sure this guy can play hes just demoing the unit for the video.

Whether he "can" or "cannot" is'nt the issue.


As respectable arranger keyboard musicians here, we ALL should care !

It's fine if one "actually plays" along to a smf, but when you "fake play", as Knudsen did, it's not only "cheesy", but "dishonest", and further fuels the negative perception of arranger keyboards as merely entertainment toys to easily impress your audiences through deception.

I've been pointing at the fact that too many so called "pro musicians" do such fake playing for years.
Honest atitude and a simple midifileplayer would do great, no need for a keyboard to "hide" behind.

[quote=Scottyee it's not only "cheesy", but "dishonest", and further fuels the negative perception of arranger keyboards as merely entertainment toys to easily impress your audiences through deception. [/quote]

Scott, this may come as a shock to you but you have just described at least 50% of those 'entertainers' performing with arranger keyboards. Although no one here will admit it, NO ONE but ARRANGER PLAYERS consider these keyboards as 'legitimate' instruments. That doesn't mean that some of the people that use them or make a living with them, aren't legitimate musicians or even good or great musicians; it just means that the established musical mainstream does not consider them as 'legitimate' instruments. Are they marvels of technology? Sure. Are they expensive enough to be 'pro'? You betcha' (in my best Sarah P. voice ). Do they have the 'sonic' quality and build quality to be used in a professional venue? Well, yeah, I think so. Do they LOOK 'pro' enough to take on stage? Most do.

Why then, do they command such little respect and even some derision, within the community of professional working (excluding OMB's) musicians. You also won't find them in any MAJOR studios, either. The reason, I suspect, is what you have outlined in the partial quote above; they always leave some doubt in the listener's mind about the level of your playing ability. Because you CAN decieve an audience, the assumption is that you will.

This post will be decried and rebutted on this board because it IS an ARRANGER BOARD. That doesn't mean it isn't true. Me, I love arrangers, especially the technology and ease of use. Would I ever take one on a gig? Not likely. That's because I don't have the skills (entertainment-wise or vocally) to function as a OMB (a talent all unto itself), and that is the only venue I could envision using one. For me personally, I'd much rather hear a great (solo) pianist at a restaurant or club than an entertaining arranger player. But then again, I don't dance either (forget the myth ).

chas

Chas, those "mainstream musicians" are the ones watching me work while they can't find a music job that pays more than $50. a night!
Who cares if some of them look down their noses at me; I'm the one with the job they can't get!
Besides 99 percent of them don't have a clue what an arranger is. They assume everything is sequenced and I'm playing on top of it, because that's the only technology they've even heard of outside of a four or five piece band.
They are always willing to "go get their guitar" and sit in with me, or have me "call if you ever need a guitar player".
I'm not saying that what you say isn't true in many cases; just saying WHO CARES??
DonM