Changing rhythm backings in a piece

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Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 08 Mar 2018 15:18

Steve (Westgarth) had been talking about Brian007's 'performance' of Meet Me On The Corner by Lindisfarne. Click the below to listen to Brian's version of it. Particularly the two styles Brian has used, one with just a straight heavy 'off beat'; and the other emphasising every beat of the bar.

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https://app.box.com/s/40uixvjq1n1i02a6x6ciytvt0nseu6a1

Steve commented:
I see you used 2 styles in there. Were these 2 registrations? I've never tried that. I will now.

Brian replied:
As far as I can remember it was the same style but probably I worked my way through
all 4 of the variations in the same style using different registrations for the intro, verse and chorus.

.. to which Steve replied:
Nevertheless, it's inspired me to mix styles in registrations and use them in one song. See how I get on.

What really interests me here is how do we set up our backings to play a piece? We all do 'drum fills', and often use different variations of a Style, but there are times when we can do something a bit more dramatic than this.

Let's take a look at how the professionals sometimes tackle a piece. Listen to this, Petite Fleur, a Sydney Bechet piece arranged by both Chris Barber and Acker Bilk with changes in rhythm backing at certain places (they both do the same). For starters, their arrangement is played at a faster tempo than the original Sydney Bechet one.

The one below is by Chris Barber. At the start of the piece there is just a 'straight' one-two, one-two beat. Then as the piece progresses the backing changes. I have made a note of the times where these changes take place. If you leave your mouse 'hovering' over the PAUSE button the timings will remain showing throughout the piece.
0.56 i i m m - there is a little 'skip' in the beat.
1:13 to 1:28 - there is a 'heavy' beat emphasising every beat of the bar.
1:31 to 1:43 - there is that little 'skip' we heard earlier, but this time it continues to the end of the melody line.
1:48 to 2:03 - back to the 'straight beat' we had at the beginning.
2:04 to 2:20 - we get that 'heavy' beat again.
2:22 to 2:32 - it's back to the rhythm with the 'skip'.



What he has done with this is really interesting.

Hugh
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Brian007 » 08 Mar 2018 18:53

Hi Hugh,

Interesting stuff, but perhaps not quite as achievable with an accompaniment and playing live ?

Be interesting to see just what could be achieved with accompaniment.

Brian007 :D
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Westgarth » 08 Mar 2018 19:24

Interesting observation Hugh.

Well now instead of sitting and thinking "what shall I play" it's "lets mess around with the rythms and see what comes out".

All good fun.
Regards, Steve
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 02 Jul 2019 20:20

I have had a go at playing Petite Fleur with a 'changing beat' similar to the one Chris Barber has done.

I have 'adjusted' two different STYLES I have in the AR into three distinct backings, and put these into three different Registration Memories so I have instant access to them.

1. A 'straight' one-two, one-two beat. which I have used at the start of the piece.
2. A backing with a little 'skip', the 'skip' being put into the bass PART. The guitar remains as a single 'strum' on the off beat.
3. A backing where every beat of the bar is emphasised, both in the Bass PART and the Guitar PART in CHORD 1.

And I have noticed that both Chris Barber and Acker Bilk have a fairly hefty 'vibrato' on their clarinets, so I have done that too.

So here is my 'take' on this song, with the 'adjusted' STYLES as mentioned above ..

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https://app.box.com/s/8j2akysdmkff16ixik5mhtfnzh236hxy

Hugh
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 03 Jul 2019 17:54

Lets take a look at how another professional has 'changed the backing' in their piece. This one really is 'way out'. I first heard it at our local Theatre where they played the recording for a Pantomime they were putting on (Peter Pan) and it had me gripping the side of my seat!

Björk - It's Oh So Quiet (Shhh !!, Shhh !!)



Complete change of tempo and mood!
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 04 Jul 2019 21:58

When you are playing with a Style most of you with keyboards have several 'variations' of the rhythm you can bring in. I only have two, MAIN A and MAIN B. And sometimes they don't sound that different. So to 'ring the changes' with the rhythm I have to go for a completely different STYLE. Luckily, if I change a Style completely the TEMPO I have set remains the same. But of course by doing this there is quite often a dramatic change in how the song is played.

Below is an example of where I have done something completely different in the middle of the song .. to the extent that one could say I have two different songs! First listen to the original of the song in question, which came out in June 1960. Same 'Latin Rhythm' all the way through.

Brian Hyland - Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini



And here is my take on this, with two completely different rhythms.

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https://app.box.com/s/hx105z45b0s7blmzmm4cqljesn408419

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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 05 Jul 2019 15:33

Here's another one where I have made a dramatic change of rhythm in the middle of the song. Cruising Down The River. Strict tempo dancers would not be happy bunnies!

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https://app.box.com/s/n7gix4hez0ezvcdosjx3b8h6jkwtdcqf

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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 08 Jul 2019 14:47

One last one from me with a complete change of Rhythms, one for the 'verse', and another for the 'chorus' (actually, two for the chorus). Not 'variations' of a rhythm, but completely different rhythms. I don't often do this (just as well, you may say), but in this song I reckon the second rhythm gets it going off at a pace, which is what I was trying to achieve.

Charlie Brown

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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 20 Jul 2019 01:56

Another example of how to change a rhythm backing to good effect. This is by George. A Woman In Love. He has used Retro Pop and 80s Piano Ballad. The Retro Pop has a syncopated beat which is very effective, and the 80s Piano Ballad with it's 'straight' beat makes a nice contrast. Then there is the 'quieter' guitar section where you can even hear the fingers moving up the frets (it's surely only the Genos that does that!). Taking the time to choose and set up an arrangement like this is what playing music is all about.

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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby George » 20 Jul 2019 01:57

Hi, Hugh,

Thank you for your kind comments this is a lovely style and was so easy to arrange because I just used the OTS settings for the style the Genos has some good one's but it is a great ballad style .

George.
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby dentyr » 20 Jul 2019 18:11

Hi Hugh,

Another song with a changing rhythms is "Running Bear (Little White Dove)", sung by Johnny Preston in 1959.
Running Bear has a complete change of rhythm from the first part to the second.



We played this as a dance "Log Cabin". To get these effects just set the next style on the next reg button and so forth down the line. It is also possible to change the variations. Some styles have a great variation over the A, B, C,& D buttons.

So, on button one to start put Eg. Vocal Waltz, then button 2 English Waltz, then on 3 use Schlaga Waltz. As long as the tempo is the same then you are OK unless you want a change in rhythm. On Tyros there is a Sync/Stop button which you can use for that skip in Petite Fleur.

The great thing about Yamaha kbds is the fact that there is very little that you can't do. It only takes time and practice. I suppose that I will have to find some time and practice now.

For Running Bear you start with a 6/8 beat the change to a straight 4/4. Easy on the T4 as there is a style that does that.

The fingers on wire-wound strings has been on Tyros and I think on some PSRs. (Maybe it's the other way around??)

Regards, Dennis.
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby dentyr » 12 Aug 2019 22:39

Hi Hugh,

I have made up one reg with the following styles all at 120 BPM:-

Button 1. Slow Foxtrot
Button 2. The Jazz Singers
Button 3. Classic Big Band
Button 4. Organ Q/S
Button 5. Vocal Foxtrot
Button 6. Tapdance Swing
Button 7. 30’s Big Band
Button 8. Bigband Med

Click the below to play. Press the 'back-button' to get back to this page after listening.
DEMO of Foxtrot Variations

Sorry about the playing and also I did not change the variation buttons. However, it shows that it can be done. The right hand voices can also be changed on the fly.

Now:- 8 + 4 OTS buttons = 12. Each button can have 7 variation of the voices – 1 or 2 or 3 then 1+2, 1+3. 2+3, 1+2+3

That’s on ONE style. If you freeze the style on button 1 then you have

7 *12 =84 variations you can play.

Now a different style frozen on each of the other buttons and you have

8 * 84 = 672

But there are 4 variation buttons A,B,C,D. which wops you up to

4 * 7 *8 = 224 + 672 = 896

That’s the basic; you can also change the R.H. voices on the fly which increases the number exponentially.

I really don’t know why you would want to do all this but it was good brain exercise this morning.

Den
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 19 Oct 2019 20:46

Here's another one I play, C'est Si Bon. I couldn't make my mind up which of two 'Styles' to use for playing this piece as they are so different, which meant that my approach to how to play the piece was completely different too. So I have ended up using both Styles in the one recording, switching from one to the other in the middle.

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https://app.box.com/s/5ergk9dxttez32vy8nocrpeyms1n1mym
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby dentyr » 24 Aug 2020 11:20

Björk - It's Oh So Quiet (Shhh !!, Shhh !!)
Just looked at this video on YouTube - was that place filthy where she 'Washed' to start.
Den.
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Re: Changing rhythm backings in a piece

Postby Hugh-AR » 30 Oct 2020 01:30

Now here's one which changes the backing to something completely different in the middle of the song. Listen to what happens at 0:52 .. a change of rhythm to emphasising every beat of the bar. When playing our keyboards we should always be prepared to look for alternative STYLES for songs like this and not just stick to VARIATION A, followed by B, followed by C followed by D. That's not what this song does! Although admittedly, a lot of songs do just stick to the same basic rhythm all the way through.

Petula Clark ~ Don't Sleep in The Subway (1967)

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