Getting creative with the Chord Sequencer

Here's a little tip to squeeze a bit more variety out of a chord sequence.

When you record the sequence in the first place, switch Bass Inversion (ON BASS for the Yamaha-speak types!) OFF, but play the chords using unusual inversions, descending bass notes, any leading thing you can. You probably don't want all that stuff the first iteration of the head. Or even the second (while the CS plays the chords for the first time for you). And you won't hear it while you play it, set like that.

But if you hit the Bass Inversion switch to ON for the third head (your second solo?!) you'll now get a quite different bassline and chord inversions, giving you more variety without any extra playing..!

Nice...

Good idea. I know I could really get some great use out of a chord sequencer... Epecially on songs that feature piano with jazz type chords (rootless) I feel very limited with the chord recognition on my T2. I really have to "dumb" down my playing.

diki if you get a chance can you show us a "short clip" CS demo in operation on the BK9,....I have been trying to grasp the need for it in my personal use of the CS...the more I see and hear the more I could appreciate every using it for my needs if at all.
thanx and good luck with your new Ax!

So Diki, is the CS a midi or audio feature? Is it what you asked for all these years from Roland?

Yes, it's the return of the MIDI Chord Sequencer, minus ONE feature from the G1000. There was a parameter that allowed you, if you wanted, to have it record the variation and fill choices too. That is gone, and currently, it records the chords only.

To be quite frank, that's not a big deal for me. For starters, I do my fill and Variation selection with my feet, so it doesn't impact what I can play having to make the button pushes. But also, it's that very freedom to change the Variations and fills differently each time round that makes it so useful. If all you want is exactly the same thing each time round, might as well use an SMF and Markers...

But yes. After being almost the sole voice continually whining about its loss all these years (it disappeared after the G1000), Roland wake up and realize its potential! You can all pat my back now!

Mind you, personally, I put it down more to the fact that Korg put one in the PA series, and Roland felt the need to 'me too' them! Even on a feature they themselves invented.

Now my task is to persuade Roland (and Korg too) that allowing the CS to be saved (which Roland allows, but Korg don't, yet), and then LINKED to a Performance or songbook entry is a good idea...

Hopefully it won't take as many years, and as much whining!

Donny, I currently have nothing to make a video with, and an audio clip doesn't really do any good. On the whole, although you CAN record the chords for an entire tune, and this makes for a grand mixture of SMF ease (no need for your LH at all, if you want!) and arranger freedom (you can still pick what style, and when you kick fills and place Variations differently depending on the crowd or dance floor), and you can also drop OUT of the CS at any time, should you want to take over, it's probably more likely to wow you with any time you have a section that you sing, then do a solo over the same changes.

Simply put the CS into Record any time in the bar before you need it to record, play and sing the section, then hit Play at any time in the bar at the end... Now, the CS takes over, and will repeat that section as many times as you want, with no LH input.

Plus, you can still play in the LH section of the keyboard, but it doesn't affect the chord recognition. This allows you to do things like record fairly simple changes, but then add more complex alterations in what you play, without it freaking out the chord recognition.

Or imagine a song with a vamp in the middle... maybe you want to solo over it, maybe you want to go out in the crowd and sing, whatever... Play and CS Record it the first time, hit Play, go do what you want to while the vamp repeats, then take over after you have done what you want. Nice!

Everybody uses theirs in a different way. But once you start to think of uses for it, they just keep coming. If you really LIKE arranger mode, but feel constricted from time to time having to tie up your LH doing the same thing over and over, it is the answer to your prayers. All the freedom from chord chores that SMF's give you, but without the pre-made constraints that SMF's have, even if you use Markers...

no need for video its the sound IM interested in and transitions back & forth to live style play etc..couldn't you just record right into the Bk9?

You won't hear a thing, Donny... It is utterly seamless. Functionally, the CS playing the chords is IDENTICAL to you playing the chords.

You would have no idea when I was using it, and when I wasn't, except that I might be using the bender, or drinking a beer with my left hand!


Of course, if I screw up the chords when I record them, they are going to be screwed each time they play back. But get it right(ish!) and you have no idea at all that it is being used.

How do you like the sounds, I was impressed with the supernatural section the stuff we use on a regular basis.

well thats good to know...no glitches is a good thing playing live!

I moved the answer to this,
to the BK-9 thread I have going, so we won't mess up a Chord Sequencer thread too much....

http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/367785#Post367785

This is the post the above post of mine refers to.

I'd never use it, or praise its use if there were anything wrong with it!

It is, to use my maybe better description of it, a Third Hand!