sergio

The PX780 has many auto-accompaniment rhythms, but I find the selection limiting... Many of the rhythms are really identical except for a minor variation, and there are many obscure Asian rhythms that are difficult to adapt to a Western song. Is there any way to add more rhythms to the keyboard, either by downloading patches (from Casio or other companies) or using some equipment that may be easy to use with the keyboard. I really do not want to spend a lot of time learning how to use effectively some fancy rhythm machine, but something simple that I can enhance my choices. Any suggestions are very welcome! Sergio

I'll ask the question again in the tech forum about adding more rhythms to what the keyboard offers. It's not terrible, but it's limiting, because a lot of the rhythms are very similar, at least among the ones I've used. The one in this song is called "Jazz Combo 3", and I like it, but I wish there were more...

Opus 47??? Oh, man!!! You know, I DO have a sense of humor and I'm tempted to call it "Y", which is just a short way for me to name whatever I'm working on until it's finished. And people will wonder... what the hell is "Y"??? I love it! Now, the rhythm... THAT's my biggest issue!!! I keep searching through the rhythms available on the keyboard and I only find a few that "work" for me, and they have many obscure asian rhythms that are difficult to adapt to a western aesthetic, even though I try and found some. I just wish, and keep asking the experts here, what else can I do to make more rhythms available, understanding that I just can't get into sophisticated "rhythm makers" that I would have to learn over months... Any thoughts? Oh, BTW, "shuffling off to a funeral"??? What the heck??? 😁 That was the farthest thing on my mind... I thought it was a kind of cheerful tune!

I've been working on this song and I THINK it's done, except that the execution sucks and has several errors. It doesn't even have a name (suggestions?) and eventually I have to make the darn video to be uploaded to YouTube. Anyway, since we're among friends, I thought I'd share what I have (after several days of working on and off)... Comments and suggestions are welcome. y.mp3

I agree Sergey and M10538, that anyone, composer or not, should be open and listen to all music, not only our own. I know that I've learned a lot in the last 3 or 4 years by arranging all kinds of songs that I happen to love, many of them from Cuba, but I also learned a lot from learning (by ear) other songs, like Porter, who's so clever with the music, but many others. However, I don't agree that there isn't anything new.... If that were true, we would still be in caves chasing whatever creatures are around. Yes, knowledge builds on prior knowledge, and it is contextual and cumulative. However, each incremental addition adds to our evolving civilization. You're lucky that you have trained and continue to train... It's a bit late for me. And yes, it is great to learn from big-name composers... I get some of that through listening, because I like to listen to all music, although classical requires more concentration and I'm not always in the mood. I also think of my music in my head when I'm composing. I do a lot of recording on my keyboard, add it to my music player, and then listen to it. By listening, I can find ways to improve, change, delete, whatever. And this goes on for days... Sometimes I can hum it in my head and come up with better pacing, etc. Interesting... I know that the keyboard has many voices, but I still like the piano. That's the most complete instrument for me and I like the sound. I've added a layer of strings (subtle) to some songs, but I still prefer the piano.

Watch out is right! I've been a freak all my life, so you're lucky I'm old now! 😁 😀 😁

I'm sure different people do it in different ways... For one thing, the Beatles cooperated, but I don't know how exactly Paul and John worked together... I definitely agree that the best songs have memorable lyrics, which is what made the Gershwins great and so many others I admire so much! Today's songs lack those qualities, but I know I'm generalizing, and there are good things happening out there. Regarding how the culture/language influences the music, I couldn't agree more. That's why I think my songs will always have that "Cuban core" even if not recognized. It's something that marks you early on. I couldn't have been luckier because Cuba is such a music-rich country, and my mother was as passionate about music as I am. I'm glad Debussy wrote his music and don't really care how he got there (only academic interest, if any). Chinese music? Asia is the future, I'm convinced, but it's such a different culture that would take some work...

I see what you're saying about the 3 pairs with different tones... But I miss all those connections of degrees, etc., that I'm sure means a lot more to you than to me... Very pretty!

I never tried to compose when I was learning the guitar as an adolescent, but I can imagine that a lot of guitar composing starts the way you describe. Personally, I don't even think of lyrics or even a subject... I can imagine a "mood", be it sad, happy, celebratory, etc., and go with the music. I only wrote lyrics for very few songs, all in Spanish and only one in English (Dreams and Castles). I found it very hard to write lyrics and I don't enjoy it... I don't really care for poetry either...

Since I really play by ear, and my background in music is very choppy, I only relate to some terms that I've acquired over time. Some stuff is obvious, like major, minor, diminished, etc., but I don't relate to scales or degrees or anything... I know enough to be dangerous, but I cannot relate to what you're talking about... Either way, it was nice listening and I'll listen to it again to see if I can hear those variations.

I don't know the notation too well... I think "i" is the root, "v" is "dominant"? etc. I just go by the sounds... I think that Jazz players use this notation, but I thought you were more in the "classical" mode...

Very nice, Sergey! I like this one the best so far...

Indeed... "Patetique" is my favorite Beethoven sonata, and it's an awesome piece of music. A theme or motif that you mention is the seed of a melodic line, but it has to be developed... How a composer introduces a theme (in so-called "classical music"), plays with it, develops it, and eventually even ends it in a musical climax, is what makes the piece interesting. Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto (my favorite piece of music) is extraordinary. I guess I don't worry about my results being hilarious or not, which is probably what comes with old age. When I was young I wanted to do EVERYTHING, and ended up chasing too many rainbows and stuck with my day job. Looking back, considering all the possible futures, I consider myself very lucky that I stuck with the day job, retired, and now I can dedicate myself to my music without caring about anything else. It's liberating! But never sell yourself short....

PS - That's why I admire American composers of years past, like Gershwin, Porter, Kern, Rodgers, etc., all because of their wonderful melodies...

OK. Here's the thing... I'm NOT a musician, so you should take my opinion with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, I'm a VERY opinionated person, and I hold views close to my heart. Perhaps because of the music that surrounded me from birth is so melodic that it had a powerful impact on what I like and what I don't. Glass is certainly NOT among my preferred composers... In classical music I love the Romantics (Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Grieg, Debussy, etc), although I prefer popular music. Listening to music to me depends on my mood, and I'm not always in the mood to listen to classical music, and it does require close listening, at least for me. But I like melody, because it's what conveys emotion and what influences your reaction to the piece. Sounds can be great, and a lot of the so-called "New Age" music is that way, but I much prefer a solid melody line. And I struggle with it, because I like to compose, and it's not easy to come up with a nice melody that doesn't jar your ears. It's NOT easy! I looked up the movie you mentioned; I never heard of it, but it being Glass would not excite me. But you and others on this forum are far ahead of me in how you use the equipment creatively and I just don't know enough... Confused? Probably.... It's a very disconcerting universe, if you ask me... 😀 BTW, I decided against re-recording my other two "boleros" with lyrics, because I like "Las Tardes Rojas" the best and the other two would be anticlimactic, so I'll leave them alone as I recorded them a while ago. In the meantime, I'm working on another song, but like I said, it's not easy....

Nice sounds, very relaxing! The missing element (my opinion only) is a melody line... To me, a melody line is very important, but of course it depends on what the purpose of the piece is. Sometimes mood music is OK for background, but I like to "listen" to the music, and melody is what makes me feel "complete"...

Very nice!!! Not Satan at all... much in my "laid back" style, which I love... Also, your video is great! How do you do them? And a very dramatic sunrise to come home after a long cruise (I've been to a few of them)!

I doubt you'll hear me singing.... 😮 "Bolero" is a latin rhythm very popular in Cuba, Mexico, and other places in the early part of the 20thC. When I first "rehabilitated" this song from my youth archives, I think I played it too fast because I had not learned yet how to change the accompaniment, so I re-recorded it at a slower pace. I think it flows better... Interesting, because the PX780 has a "bolero" setting, but I used "beguine" instead, which is very similar. This is what I've been saying about the choice of rhythms and how I'd like to have MORE... Thanks for the comments. I like (mostly) softer melodies when I write, but like to listen to different styles. No Jeff Beck for me, though...

"Las Tardes Rojas" is one of my songs with lyrics. It's in Spanish, sorry... I have others in Spanish, but I like this one the best. I hope you enjoy it. I just re-recorded it to my taste. Make sure that "CC" in enabled to see the lyrics. "Dreams and Castles" is my only song with English lyrics. m10538 - This is one of the 3 "boleros" that I'm working with that I mentioned before.

That's very nice, sslyutov... It's rather haunting... Your pieces are more "classical" (an overused word) in structure. I like them.

m10538, you've given me some food for thought... It's been a while since I went through the so-many tones available on the keyboard, so I started going around and playing and there may be something that may work for me. I'll experiment some more and perhaps work on a popular song that's recognizable and see what new tones might sound like... Thanks! Still so much to learn... Presets, that's another feature that I'm not sure how to use...

Thanks a lot, sslyutov! If people only knew how much I enjoy doing this... Sergio

You have a point, and I DO try to experiment... as I learn... For example, in this latest song I "layered" a string sound to the piano. I did that also in "Midnight Waltz", with a heavier sound, maybe too much, I don't know... I just wish I had more rhythms to choose from... I have an old song that is kind of a calypso, so I'll play with it and the vibes and see if it sounds OK. Thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks, m10538! But I LOVE the piano!!! It's my favorite sound, specially when it's well-played (by someone else, of course). I don't have a ton of time (I'm 72.5) and besides, what I really like to do is compose, and the keyboard gives me a lot of flexibility. Where I find limitations, as I mentioned to you before, is in the rhythm factor... Playing the piano by itself, it's difficult for me, or I just don't know enough, so I struggle. The keyboard has a lot of rhythms, but many are so obscure that I couldn't do anything with them, and others are too much alike. I was searching for some way of adding more accompaniments to my keyboard, but the prospect of learning a whole bunch of electronics and stuff to wire it up is too much of a challenge, so I make do. Now, adding tracks is another thing, but I haven't done much (if any) of it. I think i added a bass note once while recording to the PC... I'm not really an arranger, but I can only hope that I could hear my songs properly arranged... Thanks for the comments!

One more time I recast an older song of mine because I thought that it could be improved and this is the result. I deleted the old version from my website www.sergiosongs.com. I hope you enjoy this new version. While playing w/o accompaniment is still something I need to work on, the rhythm track helps me create melodies, etc., and that's really what I like to do. Hopefully my piano techniques will improve with time as I continue to struggle. Anyway, I like the melody but I didn't think that my prior treatment did it justice.