Do You Only Use STYLE Play ? Yes or No (poll)

Mostly Styles with some SMFs that I play along with. Some SMF's sound so good I can't avoid using them. Depends on the situation

The obvious answer for us is NO - . Also, I'm a dummy and didn't see where to vote yes/no hence a typed response.

I've got some SMF's we did a-gazillion years for a Hal Leonard "Easy Play" book. If I remember correctly some of the tunes were PD (Public Domain). Let me track those down and see if I can put a couple of them in a location for folks to download and give them a try. You might like and you might not - No harm/no foul. Either way, you'll have a couple of new tunes to mess with.

Short answer: Yes. (severe lack of playing skills)

Long answer: Sometimes I resort to Multi-Pads to augment or improve what I'm trying to create in the atmosphere of a song.

Even longer answer: What I would give if I had been fortunate enough to have had piano lessons as a child or youth... but I am so grateful for Arranger Keyboards. (Thanks Yamaha!)

Yes

I must have screwed up with this poll cause I can't see it either.. haha

No ... Not ONLY ...

What annoys me is when people look down on others who use smf, mp3s, multitracks, suedo karaoke, etc, or any other means to create music,...
vs Arranger Styles..

Agreed, but yet many of us 'looked down' on karaoke singers even if they were good vocalists ...
I'm at the point where I say to each his own ...

No...
Altough.. its more then 60%

When i play piano, i only use a drumbeat..
I love playing with a looper...
Sometimes i play along midifile or audio..

I probably do 90 percent styles because I like the freedom to be in control of the song structure- open up solos, end the song when I feel it’s time.... Sometimes I run into a song that I feel a style does not do justice to.... Usually because of very specific drum, bass parts or very specific breaks, meter or tiempo . changes. In those cases I can usually find a good midi file or audio track. But to be honest, I would probably use styles a lot less if I had better piano skills , especially left hand bass or bass pedals. Maybe in my next life !

It’s all about entertainment from my point of view with that said I do use some SMFs and a couple of mp3s. They do the job when I need them to. One of the MP3s I use is for My Way. I recorded the mp3 backing track on my old Tyros using the style called Epic Ballad. There’s nothing like it on the Pa4x, so I use it as an mp3 on the Pa4x when I play that at a gig. Most of the time I do use styles and if there’s a decent piano where I play I’m sure to sit at the piano and play a few tunes, that’s insurance that I play for real and not just playing to backing tracks.

Unless YOU created it, you AREN'T "creating music" when you use a mp3 or SMF. And even if you made it, you're only creating music at the time you were making it. If an artist paints a picture, he is not 'creating art' every time he shows it. The caveat, of course, is what you are adding to it; vocals, additional instrumental parts and/or instrumental solos.

NOBODY LOOKS DOWN ON ANY MUSICIAN that has demonstrated that he/she is a competent musician, no matter what they are playing; arranger keyboard, pipe organ, or juice harp. I think people ONLY look down on people who have no talent and no musical skills at all BUT THINK THAT THEY DO. We enable these people because well, we're kind and don't want to burst their bubble or hurt their feelings. We don't actually look down so much as feel sad (or in some cases, annoyed) that they don't recognize their own deficiencies. This is a hard and harsh reality but it's true.

But maybe I've overstepped or overstated. However, nobody should be offended because if you fall into this category, as I've stated, you aren't aware of it .

chas

99 percent styles. Rarely use SMF, mainly because of their limitations.

And, Chas, I totally agree with you on this one as well. Mark this date on your calendar.

Gary

Yes, unless you count just a drumbeat or pads.

Gary whats the 1% left? I also tend to believe style play is a "limitation" vs the others in many ways, but that's me.

EVERYTHING has its limits ...
Musical instruments are limited by their very nature i.e. even a Grand Piano is limited to 88 keys ... musicians are limited by their level of talent and creativity ...
So why all this 'debate' ?

I don't know what it is but for some reason there's an underlying tone in some replies to song postings of "illegitimatesy" if you don't use styles, ..... as if SMF, backing tracks, karaoke, and any other means they're playing vs arrangeer styles is somehow wrong?

Donny ... maybe your overthinking it ... I got some favorable comments posting songs that I created a backing track for using styles as the basis for the track and so have you ... really, what does it matter? we all do 'our thing' the way we do it ...
We enjoy it, our audiences enjoy it, that's what matters to me ...
'tis the season to be jolly ...

Yeah Tony I guess you're right,..
maybe I need to drink more eggnog like Fran and sit back play my Roland BK9 and enjoy the holidays?

Salute ...

Tracy, I like a guy who uses pads, they are not talked about to often.
John C.

Playing for a dance crowd:

Styles, styles, styles, except where I could never come close to the original – then I used original recordings. Mostly line dancing and some rock. One of the most popular OMB players in my area would walk away from his keyboard and go to the dance floor and join the dancers for these type of songs.---No pretending.

At home I try to be the most me, styles on and off.
John C

Depends on the gig, mostly a mix styles and smf's ...
Ciao,
Jerry

Donny, once in a while I play the keyboard as a single instrument, such as a piano or vibes while I sing. Works for me. I wish I were better at it, though.

Gary

Oh well, seemed like a good idea at the time. Just went the list of tunes and none of them are in the Public Domain...

99.9% styles, multipads. Once in awhile I will do a backingtrack from Karaokeversion.com that allows me to pick the instruments, backing vocals etc.
During breaks I play MP3 request on my tablet for songs like the Electric Slide, Macarena, Uptown Funk.

Best of all worlds.

Regards,

Jerryghr

+1
This is exactly how I use it.
MP3 during breaks for songs I can't play or sing: Like Michael Jackson ...
Eric

No, I am trying to learn everything I can do with my kb.