Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

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Any comments about the Styles you use, or how you adapt them for your own use, please post in here.

Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

Postby Hugh-AR » 24 Apr 2019 21:34

Do you use STYLES when you play your organ or keyboard? If you do, how do you choose a STYLE? No doubt hunt around for something that sounds right with the song you are wanting to play. And then what? Do you use it 'as is' (with all the backing parts playing)? Do you ever change any of the 'voices' selected for a Style 'part' (I am referring here to the voices allocated for the various parts of the STYLE, not the voices you are using to play the melody) .. and that includes the 'voice' for the Rhythm Kit?

You will no doubt have four 'variations' of that style and can ring the changes as you go along. Lucky you! On my AR organ I only have two variations, a MAIN A and a MAIN B. And sometimes some of the backing ''parts' don't suit the song I am playing. For example, in one of the pieces I played, using piano as my main voice, there was a piano in one of the backing 'parts' which was at the same octave as the piano I was using for the melody. The two blended together and made it sound as if I was playing a load of 'bum' notes as I played the tune! And then sometimes there are backing 'parts' that just grate on the ear as they go on and on, and on, and on .. in every bar.

So I like to try and 'adjust' the existing 'default' style from my organ, either by changing the 'voices' used, or the 'balance' between the various parts, and even turn some of those backing parts OFF! ie. MUTE them, or turn their volumes down to zero. Also, if I have something in my head that I would like to include as a backing part I will REPLACE a backing part with something of my own. Like an Arpeggio .. or a Repeating Piano.

Now I know that you keyboard players have MULTIPADS that enable you to do this. You should be so lucky! On an organ we don't have 'multipads' so have to do these things via the STYLE.

A STYLE is made up of it's component PARTS (AR organs), or CHANNELS (PSR, Tyros & Genos), or ACCOMPANIMENTS (Korg). On the Roland Atelier organs you can alter the volumes of the Rhythm and Automatic Accompaniment (Music Styles) separately so you can get a balance between those two, and the rest of the music you are playing. But you are not able to get at any of the 'parts' making up that accompaniment. Until you get to the Roland AT-900 which has been designed to enable you to do this.

On Yamaha organs & keyboards the names given to these are:
Rhythm 1; Rhythm 2; Bass; Chord 1; Chord 2; Pad; Phrase 1; Phrase 2.
On the Korg they are called:
Drum; Percussion; Bass; Accompaniment 1; Accompaniment 2; Accompaniment 3; Accompaniment 4; Accompaniment 5.
There are different sounds in each one, and together they make up the complete STYLE.

Now when wanting to play something, you could use the Style you have found 'as is', but it is quite fun (if you have the inclination and the time) to 'Customise' a STYLE and have it as you want to hear it in the backing. There are several basic things you can change.

1. Each 'part' in the STYLE can be brought 'IN' or 'OUT'. So you can select which bits of the STYLE you want to accompany your piece, and change this as you go along. Maybe have all the Parts 'IN' for a crescendo towards the end.
2. The volume for each can be changed to get a different 'balance' between the various PARTS (maybe you think the volume of one of the PARTS is too quiet, or too loud). For most keyboards this has to be done 'on screen', but on the Genos you can do it 'live' by physically moving the sliders.
3. The VOICES used in the STYLES can be changed to different ones.
4. You can customise the PAN so the drums or voices can be put more to the left or right, although the 'defaults' are fine. The PAN gives you an overall 'stereo' effect for the STYLE.
5. You can also create your own PART to REPLACE one of the existing parts; then SAVE it as a USER Style. So you could have eg. an 'arpeggio', a 'repeating piano', or any other 'pattern' of notes coming into the backing of what you are playing. This can be really exciting, but you have to know what it is you are trying to achieve in your backing.
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Re: Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

Postby Hugh-AR » 20 Jul 2019 13:25

1. Switching the 'parts' of a style ON or OFF.

This is what it says about turning the Channels ON/OFF in the Tyros User Manual.

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... on the AR Organ you bring up the CONDITION Page. The PARTS that are selected are coloured blue (black in the picture). To turn any of the parts OFF you press the appropriate Data Control Button under the screen and the background colour changes from BLUE to WHITE.

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Re: Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

Postby dentyr » 20 Jul 2019 13:49

Hello Hugh. It is not necessary to have all the backing going all the time. The channels can be switched on or off as you go along. Takes practice but it can be done.

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The little blocks on the bottom show the instrument on or off. The buttons below, (you cant see as they are too dark,) you can change the instrument and also the volume. So basically, you can do this to create the style you want just for this song.

To create a new style you need to go through the style creator, set up all the things you want and then save it as a new style. That sounds simple but it is not! I have tried it but gave it up as a bad job. I am no competition for Yamaha. :-)

This is a minefield for frustrations!

Regards, Den.
Keyboards: Yamaha Tyros 4, PSR SX700, PSR S970and StagePa300
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Re: Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

Postby Hugh-AR » 20 Jul 2019 13:52

This is how Margaret Draper (MARGARETD) has arranged a piece by turning various ACCOMPANIMENT PARTS ON and OFF as she progresses through the piece.

Midnight In Moscow.

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab
https://app.box.com/s/x9lsv7aunl8r67qy9auqge6kmt7iyu17

Margaret starts the piece off with just the BASS, and CHORD1 PARTS (the INTRO .. see ** below). She then brings in more of the Style, and stronger voicing as she progresses.
And then .. ?
She quietens it all down, removing the BASS and CHORD1, and just has CHORD2 (piano) and PHRASE1 (which is an intermittent trombone). Then gradually she brings back in everything else. The 'ending' you hear is the 'pre-programmed' ending for this Style (but see ** below).

** Did you know that the pre-programmed INTRO and ENDING of a STYLE are based on the PARTS selected at the start? If you knock out any of the PARTS then those don't 'play' in the INTRO or the ENDING. And this is what Margaret has done here. Not had the 'full' INTRO or ENDING playing.

One could just choose a suitable STYLE for a song and play it right through with all the PARTS. But it is more fun to 'arrange' the song as Margaret has done above. Unless it's not your 'style' (pardon the pun) to do anything other than play a piece right through with the Style you have selected for it.

Hugh
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Re: Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

Postby MARGARETD » 20 Jul 2019 13:53

Hugh,
Arranging parts of styles takes time and repetitious working to make it sound good.
I quite understand that a lot of people would not want to bother to amend styles, but rather just use what is available, I get enjoyment making what is more of my own stamp on the music.
Cheers,
MARGARET
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Re: Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

Postby Hugh-AR » 20 Jul 2019 13:55

Here is one I have done that just lets the STYLE 'play' by itself, with no melody being played (ie. an 'intermission'). In the middle of the song I have the BASS, CHORD1 and RHYTHM PARTS playing, but nothing else. Then I have added CHORD2 into the mix; and finally come back in with the rest of the PARTS and the melody. Makes for something a bit different, and it's quite effective to have a 'break'.

Do a right-click to open this up in a New Tab
https://app.box.com/s/793knx97xkw8vgle8jpjstkwahju6b2w

Hugh
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Re: Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

Postby dentyr » 23 Jul 2019 16:58

Hello Hugh,

Here is a Video of turning ON/OFF the style voices, even on the fly.



Regards Den.
Keyboards: Yamaha Tyros 4, PSR SX700, PSR S970and StagePa300
I knit dolls and animal toys.
I always try to do things which I can't do in order to learn how to do them. ..
Werk maakt je vrij. Muziek maakt je blij. Work sets you free. Music makes you happy.
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Re: Customising a STYLE for a particular song.

Postby dentyr » 23 Jul 2019 17:09

Hello again,

Turning ON and OFF the voices in the style. Well, in the DEMO below I started with the sax and added in the others as I went. Then turned them off one at a time. Should have turned down the volume of the base drum, don't like the thumping bass.

Click on the below. After listening, click the 'back' button to return to this page you are viewing
DEMO of turning Channels OFF and then ON again

Den.
Keyboards: Yamaha Tyros 4, PSR SX700, PSR S970and StagePa300
I knit dolls and animal toys.
I always try to do things which I can't do in order to learn how to do them. ..
Werk maakt je vrij. Muziek maakt je blij. Work sets you free. Music makes you happy.
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