Fran’s analysis is right on the money. Often, less is more. At present, I’m playing a Yamaha. I’d love to use some of the big band styles. However, they just don’t fit a quiet dinner party. The brass riffs, intros and endings will blow people away, in a negative way. So, paring down the style parts is necessary, at least for me. That’s why on guitar gigs, I use Band In A Box, for its small combo simplicity.

Years ago the organ players moved through a song while making many changes; it was an art in itself. Then came the use if registrations – they allowed the player to put more of himself into his performance.

The import word is speed. Sure I could hit the transpose button, and I do know the chords, but why not include them in the registration allowing all my concentration to stay with the song.

When I listen to a god live band the volumes and instrumentation changes. The trumpets, saxes, and trombones do not continue to blast – they back off, they stop playing or lower their volume. Back to Mack the knife example. If enough changes are not made for the repetitive five choruses the song goes nowhere; the same for a song called Love. If I am going to press a registration to change the volumes and the instrumentation, why not include transposing or anything I might want???

I also include a tempo change – yes a tempo change, 145 at the beginning – to 148 towards the end – it adds more excitement. I would never do that to Latin music or a waltz or a disco.

I do not want to lose dancers or listeners – nor do I want anything to take away from my concentration on my singing.

I use only one registration for Five Foot Two. (smile)
Just saying, John C.