Ken Madell

Though usually fabulous, a really suitable rhythm can not always be found. Now we can make our own. I like to learn the ropes by doing something. It took me 2 days to absorb the massive 13 pages of instructions, and create my first user rhythm for a children's song I need to perform soon. And I'm very happy with it, and all I learned while creating it. For anyone interested, I think I can get you started pretty easily. There is absolutely no need to get your music right on the first try. It's a very interactive, integrated system that makes it easy to try out, alter, improve and discover new musical ideas. I tried, and threw away so many ideas, but it was interactive and easy to improve. (The rhythm editor can also be used as a tool to study and learn from the keyboard's existing content.) YOU EITHER: 0. alter an existing rhythm ONLY by making MIXER changes to any or all the parts of an existing rhythm. This in itself is so versatile, allowing you to turn any parts off, or change each parts tone, volume, effects and pan. 1. find an existing rhythm that is close to what you want, and alter it by clearing or replacing parts with other existing parts from other rhythms, or adding your own new parts; then replace the old version, or save it as a new user rhythm. 2. start a new user rhythm by copying any parts of any combinations of existing rhythms into it, and then adding whatever new material you need. 3. start a new user rhythm entirely from scratch, writing all the parts yourself. 4. use all the editing functions to just isolate, study, immitate, and learn from any of the great music in the rhythm library. Before you start, get familiar with using the 4 arrow buttons in the mixer. It's easy. TO START: In rhythm mode, you just select an existing, or 'No Data' rhythm, then long press 'function/edit' to enter the rhythm editor. Then long press 'part/mixer' to enter the mixer. Then press the key for whatever accompaniment pattern you want to be messing with. The really great thing is that you can easily and interactively 'loop listen' to any accompaniment pattern, and/or any individual part in it, WHILE you are in the mixer and able to alter the tone, volume, and effects (and play along). To move from part to part, just push the mixer 'arrow' button. To flip from hearing the single part to hearning the whole accompaniment, just press the 'enter' button. While you change anything, you are listening to what it does. Recording a new part is just as interactive. After entering record standby by pressing the record/stop button, you 'long press' the 'accomp' button for rehearsal mode. The mixer is still active, so you can change tones and effects to find what sounds perfect, while rehearsing. Then move immediately when ready into actual recording. Recording is done by loop overdubbing, and when it's right, just press 'stop'. If you goofed, just clear the part and try again. The manual really doesn't explain this well, as it is focussed on all the details. STAY IN THE MIXER. Most functions keep operating while you are in the mixer, and while you are loop listening, so it's a nice, interactive process. There are a few VERY IMPORTANT unlabeled button functions used in the rhythm editor. 1. Registration buttons 1 2 and 8. 1 is to copy any accompaniment pattern or part into the pattern you are editing. 2 is to clear your pattern or any part in it. 8 is your MENU for setting parameters like number of measures and beats, part playback settings, and effects. 2. Long press 'record/stop' to setup recording options like precount and default chord. 3. Long press 'accomp' to enter rehearsal mode, to get completely prepared to record. For most of this you are still working within the mixer, so you can be changing tones, volumes and parts interactively. IT IS SO WORTH A DAY GETTING REALLY FLUENT WITH WHAT YOU CAN DO. A few operations, I don't remember which, will cause you to exit the mixer. Just long press the mixer button and reactivate it. Now, I suggest perusing the 13 pages in your manual, while keeping this orientation in mind. Then take a go. I started with variations 1 and 2 of rhythm 44, 6/8Blues, which just touched on being what I needed. I added a new guitar part, which worked, and motivated me to make some mixer changes, and add a horn part. After a full day of trial and error, here's my 'Mexican' user rhythm, and the song in mind while creating it. This is my first time doing anything like this. I'd love some feedback. Ken No Good file No Good file I SEE I CAN FIX THIS.... HERE ARE THE GOOD FILES MexiHat.mp3 Mexican.mp3

I have a 7600 and 3000. All I can say is that when Casio moves forward into a new line of products there is such an enormous improvement. The new editing and user creation capabilities are so well designed and so USEFULLY and Creatively real-time interactive and integrated. In one day you can watch yourself becoming a better musician.

Absolutely G, for 20 years I've been appreciating and enjoying the continual tweaking, discarding and reinventing from Casio. Their committment to helping musicians become ever better musicians is what reaches me, and sets them so ahead of everyone else's game, in my opinion. I just read that Mr. Kashio the CEO just passed. Did you know that Casio is a family owned and run company started in a backyard garage? Isn't that something?

Actually though, I'm an unusually strong traditionalist. We only have to look to Japan and China, where our Western traditions are intensively studied, appreciated, and incorporated into continuing creativity. They are the world's finest composers and performers. I think Casio demo tracks could be the best, most creative music being written in the whole world these days. To me, this is traditional forward movement, like Baroque developing eventually to Romantic. I hear a strong traditional theoretical connection, but it's completely incorporating new technology. Whereas a lot of music these days that has abandoned tradition, I find terribly irritating.

Here's what I've found out this year (I'm still listening). No, fingers actually DO NOT have muscles, they are moved by tendons connected to muscles in the forearm and some in the palm. This may be why finger agility is so connected with relaxation of the forearm. There are several mutually exclusive serious threads of proper piano technique. Two apparently quite excellent performers and teachers are even teaching their beginning students not to use fingers to play, but to play by transferring arm weight to the keys from the very start. My belief is that this is the correct way to play, but only after a few years of first developing decent independent and agile finger motion. Other teachers believe everything should be done by finger motion and pressure. Some approaches say flat fingers, I believe in an arch, low wrist and finger tips in most cases, but not all articulations. There was an excellent recent observation on real piano action, that the effect was mainly to disrupt the players timing. Absolutely, there is a difference. But my feeling is that it is a small one, with little if any affect on proper technique or muscles. Just a minor difference to get accustomed to. The really important thing is to achieve nuance of articulation and expression, and keyboards are now just shy of doing this as well as good pianos. That's why I have an open mind to see what's going to develop. I'm already convinced that a Casio keyboard is a unique and better instrument for teaching the first few years of musicality, theory, and creativity, while allowing for as much technique as most students need or can tolerate. There are certainly going to be different points of view, just like the variety of threads in what makes for proper technique on accoustic pianos. Personally, I've started finding weighted and accoustic keyboards a little cumbersome now that I've been playing mostly keyboard. Maybe that's just me. Who knows at this point.

WOOWIE, wailin'

Good comments Alen. If you don't mind I'd like to make this topic a little more open ended, because I think some interesting and unexpected things are happening in keyboardland. Before becoming an avid Casio fan, I was just your average classical piano grad student preparing to teach, and taught beginners for many years. A few got digitals, the rest traditional. But now, I've reached the point of entertaining the idea that someday keyboards may become a preferred instrument to the piano by many. Y'know, for the most part, piano teachers are very traditional, and often quite uncreative. Sometimes, not well informed. I think weighted keys is a myth, just like the prevalent idea that you need to start your lessons in childhood. Fingers have no muscles. And compared to the responsiveness these new keyboards are having, I've started finding weighted keys (including real pianos) to be cumbersome and slow to respond. For now that's just me maybe.

I like the idea of merging visuals with music, as you are doing a very creative job with. In order to get my music posted to Facebook it needed to be a video, this was a quick tolerable thing I came up with. My song writing these days is merging with my teaching, which is mainly for beginners on keyboards, and I am an old hippie, what can I say.

Absolutely, we'll have some fun. Being new to this site, I'm not sure about the best way to reach me, but I should be active here, and I'm supposed to get notified of replies. I'll look for you. Ken

Video made with PC app and cellphone. Any fans? Something email.mp4

AGREE.... Now that we have keyboards where we can do our own creating and sharing, we should do it. This wonderful website makes it possible. Casio's strong committment is to music education. That's a big part of why their features are so good. Maybe there are some teachers ( other than myself ) here, and we can also start a little teaching thread to jump start some community creativity.

Good observation Alec, this new keyboard touch response is truly awesome, and no other keyboards can do it. In the past it was perhaps the primary reason serious piano teachers avoided keyboards. This keyboard responds to touch and technique over the entire spectrum smoothly and completely, just like a piano. It is now a very serious, expressive musical instrument. All credit to Casio.

I may have grabbed the first US 3000 from Sweetwater last week. I was patient, and so glad I didn't jump on the 700, though that is what I want for my beginner students (Amazon just started an unbelievable $199 package of 700 plus stand, bench, pedal and DVD guide). I've been learning, teaching, upgrading with Casios for 20 years. I liked my 7600. The 3000 is so much better in my opinion, I wouldn't even compare. So much simpler/intuitive to operate, better sound, better keyboard, more memory, performance pads, over the shoulder portable, even cheaper.

Jenny, I have a 7600. Just got my 3000. I've been a teacher, learner and composer with CASIOs for 20 years, have upgraded 5 times. Here's your detailed review. In the next 10 years NOBODY will be able to make a better keyboard than the CT-X3000.

Alec, you don't need the 5000, and it's heavier and no batteries. Stay portable. Unless you are Beethoven, you won't need to upgrade for a decade.

Thanks Brad, I just got got the first 3000 to reach Sweetwater about a week ago. My comment, the differences are almost inconsequential. Note to others: I got my 7600 a few years ago, it was great. The 3000 is so much better, you can barely compare them....just buy one, no brainer.

Hi Mike, Casio couldn't have a better spokesperson. I chose Casio for keyboards 20 years ago, just like I chose James Bastien for beginners teaching 30 years ago. CASIOs are now a BETTER instrument than accoustic pianos for both serious and casual teaching/learning. As a teacher, composer and performer I can't think of ANYTHING that could be improved in the 3000, or anything of creative musical value Casio hasn't thought of and included.

Hi Alec this is for you, I'm a mainly beginners teacher, composer and Casio devotee since 1990, and I got my CT-X3000 a week ago. Forget all your worries. I'll have you playing beautifully without a lot of reading, and I'll introduce you to learning reading at your own pace, while you're enjoying playing. I'll do this for free because you sound so well intentioned and enthusiastic. We'll do it by video calls on whatever platform you like. All I ask is that you pay my data charges (about $10/hr). I have an MA, teach keyboards for Guitar Center, and I'm a top 10 writer on learning piano/keyboard on Quora. Want to get started? Ken

Hi Charlie, Mike, everybody, I have a CTK671, CTK691, CTK2400 which all went to students, WK7600, CTK4400 and FINALLY a week ago a CT-X3000 ha,ha Mike got mine B4 you did, So, first hands on impressions for comparison 7200 and 5000 my models essentially identical, There's nothing you'll miss from the 7200 in the 5000 and 3000 audio is just as powerful, so you probably don't need the weight and higher price of the 5000. For me the 3000 is Casio saying, "We like what we've been doing so far, but we had a lot to learn; this time let's rethink/improve EVERYTHING and make something PERFECT. " If you have full facility with earlier models, you barely need the new manual which is much better than previously. At the same time, operation is somewhat different, but so much simpler and more intuitive. Takes just a little getting used to. Location and functionality of buttons is better and simpler. You now have 8 registration buttons, 4 rhythm variations, 4 phrase pads for ANYTHING, user creation/modification for anything, and you move from playing, recording, mixer settings, sequence editing, function settings etc. in a free and interactive way that feels like computer multi-tasking. The tones, rhythms, drum kits, effects, keyboard response and feel, memory capacity and interfaces, audio system, composing/arranging features, demos, display functionality, and anything I might not be thinking of right now, is better. Someday, maybe there will be a Carnegie Hall performance.