Combining Polyphonic and Monophonic Voices
Posted: 10 Nov 2019 00:02
On my AR Organ I can choose Voices like Piano, Strings, Guitar etc. and all these are 'Polyphonic' ie. if I play two or more notes on the keyboard then these instruments will sound multiple notes. But I have one section called LEAD VOICE that plays Monophonic notes ie. it will only play one note at a time. If I play multiple notes then only the top note I press will sound. I had originally understood that these were for SOLO instruments, and indeed the direct choices I have in that block are VIOLIN, FLUTE, OBOE and TRUMPET, all of which I would expect to be playing a melody 'on their own' and not have several of the same instrument playing multiple notes.
On my AR, these LEAD voices are 'richer sounding' than the same voice chosen from the Voice sections. This is because they can be 'tuned' to make them slightly sharp and make them stand out; and they also have a greater volume.
But in that same section I have a Tab I can press to choose any of the voices available to me. Like Piano, or Guitar. Of course, if I do this I can only 'sound' one note at a time, so I have to play the melody with just the one note. This reminds me of a Yamaha Keyboard I had years ago when I had my Farfisa organ (yes, I did have a keyboard many years ago). When it was set up to play the whole keyboard (ie. no split) it would play multiple notes (ie, it was polyphonic), but as soon as I 'split' the keyboard to play chords with Styles on the left of the split .. the right of the split became Monophonic and would only play one note at a time. Keyboards have come a long way since then, but I have always thought that a Monophonic voice was a let-down in technology.
I couldn't have been more wrong, as I want to show you in this topic. In the DEMO below I have first set up a Piano Accordion and a Grand Piano from Voice 1 and Voice 2, so they are both Polyphonic voices. Listen to how the notes I play sound with both instruments. I have played it like this twice.
In the next part of the DEMO I have set up the Piano Accordion as a LEAD Voice (so it's MONOPHONIC); and the Grand Piano as a normal Voice (so it's POLYPHONIC). When I play notes you can hear the two instruments sounding together .. but when I reach that top note I hold that note down and play other notes underneath that top note with my other fingers.
Now the essence of the LEAD Voice is that being MONOPHONIC, it will only sound the top note I am playing (and holding). So those other notes I am playing underneath with the POLYPHONIC Grand Piano will sound as Grand Piano without the Accordion sound.
Have a listen to what I am on about. Click the below, then afterwards click the back-arrow to get back to this page.
DEMO of two Polyphonic Voices being played together; followed by what you hear when one is Monophonic and the other is Polyphonic
Using this technique you can play little 'counter melodies' underneath a top melody note which you are holding down.
Now listen to this piece. None of it has been 'multi-tracked'. The little counter melodies that you hear are by using the technique above.
To reiterate, the melody is played with the Piano Accordion .. and Grand Piano, together; but the little counter-melodies are Grand Piano only.
Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab
https://app.box.com/s/8uhqhzyui50oub5sau6v4ut3ri48becl
I will never again think that MONOPHONIC Voices are a let-down in technology. I realise now that if a Monophonic Voice is played with a Polyphonic Voice one can use the technology to enhance one's playing by putting in little counter-melodies that sound with only one Voice.
Hugh
On my AR, these LEAD voices are 'richer sounding' than the same voice chosen from the Voice sections. This is because they can be 'tuned' to make them slightly sharp and make them stand out; and they also have a greater volume.
But in that same section I have a Tab I can press to choose any of the voices available to me. Like Piano, or Guitar. Of course, if I do this I can only 'sound' one note at a time, so I have to play the melody with just the one note. This reminds me of a Yamaha Keyboard I had years ago when I had my Farfisa organ (yes, I did have a keyboard many years ago). When it was set up to play the whole keyboard (ie. no split) it would play multiple notes (ie, it was polyphonic), but as soon as I 'split' the keyboard to play chords with Styles on the left of the split .. the right of the split became Monophonic and would only play one note at a time. Keyboards have come a long way since then, but I have always thought that a Monophonic voice was a let-down in technology.
I couldn't have been more wrong, as I want to show you in this topic. In the DEMO below I have first set up a Piano Accordion and a Grand Piano from Voice 1 and Voice 2, so they are both Polyphonic voices. Listen to how the notes I play sound with both instruments. I have played it like this twice.
In the next part of the DEMO I have set up the Piano Accordion as a LEAD Voice (so it's MONOPHONIC); and the Grand Piano as a normal Voice (so it's POLYPHONIC). When I play notes you can hear the two instruments sounding together .. but when I reach that top note I hold that note down and play other notes underneath that top note with my other fingers.
Now the essence of the LEAD Voice is that being MONOPHONIC, it will only sound the top note I am playing (and holding). So those other notes I am playing underneath with the POLYPHONIC Grand Piano will sound as Grand Piano without the Accordion sound.
Have a listen to what I am on about. Click the below, then afterwards click the back-arrow to get back to this page.
DEMO of two Polyphonic Voices being played together; followed by what you hear when one is Monophonic and the other is Polyphonic
Using this technique you can play little 'counter melodies' underneath a top melody note which you are holding down.
Now listen to this piece. None of it has been 'multi-tracked'. The little counter melodies that you hear are by using the technique above.
To reiterate, the melody is played with the Piano Accordion .. and Grand Piano, together; but the little counter-melodies are Grand Piano only.
Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab
https://app.box.com/s/8uhqhzyui50oub5sau6v4ut3ri48becl
I will never again think that MONOPHONIC Voices are a let-down in technology. I realise now that if a Monophonic Voice is played with a Polyphonic Voice one can use the technology to enhance one's playing by putting in little counter-melodies that sound with only one Voice.
Hugh