What Does Playing an Arranger Keyboard do for You ?

I thought I'd throw this topic out to the gang....I'll collect my feelings and post as soon as I return from todays gig.
Meanwhile what are Your Feelings ?..........

Without the arranger keyboard I would not have leant to play in the first place.
As a young boy I had bad experiences with a piano teacher which left me uninterested to take it further.
The arranger many years later changed all that and gave me the pleasure I get from playing today.

Graham UK

Those auto rythms put the fun back into playing. I use to play organ, two manuals and bass, but it sounded boring without rythm. I'm not saying it didn't sound good, just not exciting. With my arranger I can play the same song over and over, seems like I never get tired of it. Select a different voice every once in a while, then hit the fill. If I was playing with a live band most of the time, I would probable buy a Roland VK-8 (non-arranger). If I had the money, I wud stak it on top of the arranger, or get a softsynth. Yea!!
Starkeeper

It cured my sehborea and scoriasis.

Al

They have kept me from having to get a real job!
They have saved my back from lifting organs, leslies, etc.
They have saved me money by packaging sounds, drums, vocal harmony, effects, compressor/limiter, equalizer, sequencer, song and file storage in an easy-to-carry, inexpensive instrument.
DonM

Good points Don,

They have let me make a very good living at what I love to do.
They have let me give many many people enjoyment through my music.
They have let me retain the full band sound I used to be a part of for 20 years without all the problems that go with a 7pc show band.
They have made my prof life easier, letting me create, record, and play music with an all in one unit, the variations are endless.
The best part is that I know in the future technology will hopefully get better and better regarding Arranger KB's.
And that's very exciting !!!

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www.donnypesce.com

Difficult question to answer. Why does one like doing anything? Just for the pleasure of it I suppose. I came to arrangers late after having played the piano for over 40 years. I originally got a cheap one just as a midi controller but discovered I was a frustrated organist. So I got a PSR740 and I've been having a ball ever since.

Bryan

I came up with a bunch of good musicians in New Orleans. I'm a sax player that must know the chord changes. So I could always lay a chord down left handed and play melody for self entertainnment. I've always enjoyed playing a big variety of styles. The arranger is perfect for me to learn to be a one man band. I know lots of tunes I know the chords and melody.

Now all I need is a set of gagounias to get the nerve to go out and hustle gigs. I'm a bit short in that department. Yet I made a lot of rent money and paid bills walking up and asking 6'4" 260lb men in pool hall if they'd like to play some nine ball for a couple of bucks for years around New Orleans That's before I got religion.

But this entertainment thing is a bit different.

Boo

I remember my first Yamaha and Casio keyboards I had with "auto accomp". Back in the late 70s they were considered toys. Like Starkeeper my family had a Lowrey console in the living room. At least it taught me how to play chords, but it was kind of boring. Those PSR type keyboards allowed me to enjoy my playing more.........I'd play for hours!
Today I have a Korg i40M and my newest favorite, a PSR2000! I still play for enjoyment, and sometimes for hours! With all of lifes turmoils..........my keyboards have never let me down! Music sooths, calms, and helps me forget the real world. I've created my own world in one room of my house where my music and computer gear is. I may enter it stressed out.............but always leave it a better person!

Do you remember the scene in Harry Met Sally in the restaurant? Yes! Yes!

It makes me feel happy.
It sings along with me in perfect harmony. (I'd like to teach the world to do that)
It gives me ideas for songs in the styles.
It makes me smile and my friends want to sing along and smile too
It gives me lots of instruments and sounds to try out and listen to.
It relaxes me.
I can be an entire band all by myself.

I like it and it likes me too.

- Brian

An arranger helps me get a song out of my head and into a form that others can hear. I do not write on an arranger, but I sure "arrange" on an arranger. I can quickly try different versions of a new song. A great tool.

All of the above, plus it provides about half my annual income. I never learned to read music, but I never let that interfere with my playing and singing. The arranger allows me to keep those creative juices flowing, which is one of the reasons I can still work 60 to 80-hour weeks and enjoy what I'm doing. To me, being an entertainer is just one more fun way of making a living. If I ever get to the point where it's not fun, that will likely be the day when a lot of older people are looking down at me saying "Damned, I wish I would have done that."

Cheers,

Gary

Gary,

Find something you like to do and you never have to work again.

I tell people: "Excuse me, I have to go play work."

- Brian

Gives me an excuse to hang out here.

Anxiously allows me to look forward to the next NAMM show...PA-X? Roland?
Zuki

I used to play just single instruments and my choice of songs to sing were minimal. Now I have a PSR 740 and boy, has it changed my life. I dont think I would even trade my arranger for a highly sophisticated non-arranger. It just wouldnt serve my purpose. All the claps and kudos I get for my music I owe it to my faithful 740 which has improved my presentation abilities and hey, what do yu know, it even patched up things between me and my girl when things were broken. She heard me sing and play. I was using the Vocal Harmonizer. I sang "All I have to do is dream" with Vocal Harmony and she just came and hugged me with teary eyes. With so many memories attached to my arranger, I don't think I would like to give it up for ANYTHING!!!

An arranger keyboard is my only band at the moment. I would like to play on a band, but I can not find any players that would play the same music as I do. I am 20 years old and most other young people play only techno, punk, heavy, hard rock and other music styles like that. They don´t play smooth jazz, fusion, funk and old latin like I do. So an arranger keyboard is my only friend at the moment.

Micco

Boy, what a romantic you are! Who could guess that such "western like" vibrations are flowing in distant countries like yours... With just an arranger keyboard...

-- José.

I started as an organ player, and moved on to synths in the late 70's. I too had the early Casio and Yamaha keys. I had an early Technics model in the late 80's and thought it was pretty cool. The arranger section sounded better than anything I had played to that point. I never realized how far arrangers had come though 'til about 5 years ago when I started playing a PSR530 that I saw at a Circuit City. I was instantly hooked.
Arrangers assist me in creating music of my own design, and / or playing along to current / older favorites. They also allow me to perform a host of songs live with just a guitarist / vocalist or without anyone else at all. My arrangers have allowed me to practice with a "band" at any time I want to do so, which in turn has sharpened my skills.

AJ

[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 05-13-2003).]

* My kn6000 allows me to transform a little social gathering into a raucous party ...
* My kn6000 allows my to leave the hustle and bustle of an all too busy day, and with a set of headphones go off into a world all by myself ...
* My kn6000 allows me to duplicate a hit tune so that the client thinks it sounds like the recording ...
* My kn6000 allows me to take a well known song and re-arrange it in a whole new way ...
* My kn6000 allows me to be a part of a 16 piece big band, a power rock group, a sophisticated jazz combo, or a solo piano player, all depending on my mood ...
* My kn6000 allows me to feed this huge need to play entertainer, whether playing alone in my house or bringing the joy of music to others ...
* My kn6000 allows me to go out to nice places, meet and socialize with nice people (most of the time), eat good food, sing, play, and at the end of the night GET PAID FOR DOING IT !!! ...
* My kn6000 allows me to fade back in time, pretending I'm still playing gigs (jobs) with 4 of my lifelong best friends ...
* My kn6000 allows me serenade my bride of almost 40 years, and STILL have her tell me how much she enjoys it ... And that's the BEST part ...
t.

I still can remember going to band practice (accordion)(Duluth Accordionares)(What! You haven't heard of them?)

http://genny.lib.umn.edu/sample.mp3

Anyway, going to lessons and always sneaking away to the Lowery Organ room. For me, those were my first arranger keyboards. Accompaniment, one-touch play, different registers other than organ sounds. Crude by today's standards (this was the early 70's) but oh what a blast to get to play with a rhythm section and play what I wanted to play. I was hooked.

Playing an arranger keyboard is only a pastime for me, but I can't think of a better way to pass the time.

mike

It is my way of living. I could not live
without my arrangers.

I would have taken an interest if there were no arranger keyboards around... lol to this day i laugh at those who play non-arranger keyboards...they dont know wot they missing Plus I'm sure all of your girlfriends/wives know you extra special cos of ur arrnger keyboard talent