sergio Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 OK. I added a new "thing" to this one (m10538 suggestion), so let me know what you think. Boy, I tossed this song around a LOT, but I like the final product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m10538 Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 The "thing" would be the accordion I suppose, sounds good. Everything sounds good except...once again the rhythm. You say you like it Sergio and that's all that matters, of course, but I hear an odd off beat percussion thing in there, anybody else hear that? Have you been able to download new rhythms into your keyboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 3, 2018 Author Share Posted October 3, 2018 Yeah, the accordion. I really like the sound... It really sounds like those Parisian accordionists (I had that in mind), and it's fun to work with it, so I may do more experimentation. I still like the clean sound of the piano, perhaps a bit of strings on top, but not much. Regarding the rhythm, I plead ignorance. It takes me a while to sync the melody in my head with the mechanical rhythm of the keyboard, and I sometimes fall behind or ahead. Also, there's a "rhythm editor" in my PX780, which allows me to change the various components of the accompaniment, from bass to percussion. I play with that a bit if (once I'm pretty good with the song in its totality), by listening to the various recordings, I decide to lower the volume of some drum or whatever. But I'm not very good at this and I sure could use some help with that stuff. You can even select various patterns and stuff and I just haven't played with it enough. Priorities. And no, I haven't pursued the rhythm problem... There's already so much in the keyboard that I really should try other rhythms from what's there already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m10538 Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 I can't remember whether you said you didn't like just playing solo piano or not, but I remember that one you put here on this forum was my favorite of yours. Feel free to "go solo" and drop the accompaniment once in a while! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 3, 2018 Author Share Posted October 3, 2018 Believe me, I struggle with that... And I appreciate the comment. I'm not a pianist, or at least I don't think I play "solo" as good as I'd like to... It's hard for me to figure out to create the rhythm "solo" with the left hand, since I use the right for the melody and harmony. Some of my early songs I play solo, but my technique was not very good, I think. The rhythm, whichever I pick, I find that it "inspires" a melody... I just play chords and notes and sometimes I find a "riff" (?) that I like and eventually it grows into a whole piece. And it helps me with the left hand issue... I know I should do better, but the rhythm accompaniment is kind of a very helpful tool for me with my priorities (I like composing). I'll keep trying, though, because I agree with your suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jokeyman123 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Very pretty. Nice melody-reminiscent of a Parisian style tune, especially with the accordion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 Thanks, Jokeyman123! I was soooo pleased with the accordion sound from the keyboard that I'm thinking of either writing something in that mood or maybe arrange "La Vie en Rose", which is a personal favorite... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 m10538, I was thinking about the "solo" playing issue, and I added a page to my website called "Archive", and I posted audio files of a couple of the songs that I eventually arranged with the auto-accompaniment. I agree with you that I have to work on this... Anyway, one song, "Samba #1" is really an OLD clip from the 70s, when I had fire in my belly.... I could NEVER play like that again, but I tried to do it as much justice as possible when I added the rhythm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m10538 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Yeowza, fire in the belly?! I gots to check that out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 Never mind.... Here it is... Samba - Directions #1.mp3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m10538 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 I just listened to all 5 and they're all completely perfect. I don't know what in the world you think is wrong with you're solo playing! I prefer it WAY more than the accompaniment versions. Most of those accompaniments sound goofy to me. My suggestion: post the solo versions first, then if you have to "mess it up" with accompaniment...go ahead. C'mon people, am I right?! You think there's something wrong with this dude's solo playing?!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 Well, thanks a lot! I'm very self-critical, and I hate all the arpeggios that I use (unconsciously) and they get boring to me. The accompaniment gives me freedom (as I see it) to at least explore with the right hand and adjusting the harmonies with the left chords... I don't know, it just worked for me. When I listen to someone like Beegie Adair play the piano, THAT'S how I would LOVE to play, but never will... She's just extraordinary (for my ears). I will try harder to take your advice, because you are right, that playing solo is important, and I think I'm getting better (a bit) in my techniques. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m10538 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Never heard of Beegie Adair, checked out her "It Had To Be You" on YouTube. Ooo, that's pretty smooth! Smoother than Sergio?!! I suppose you won't accept it with you're overly demanding self criticism, but I say you play as good as her. So there!😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 Oh, no, no way..... I just get transported somewhere in the cosmos when I hear her play... Not all songs, of course, but so many of them... What I like about her most is her command of the chords... she just seems to "float" from key to key to key in a very unique way. I'm sorry, I'm not worthy! 😮 BTW, I added a couple more files to the archive... Evening.mp3 Gitana.mp3 El Final.mp3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m10538 Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Yup, more perfection, I'll pick Evening as my favorite of the three. Turning these into tunes with accompaniment is NOT NECESSARY! I was imagining what accompaniment versions would sound like as they played:💩. No way man, not for me anyway! I'll make the request again for double uploads, the solo piano one (or whatever instrument) and the accompaniment one. If that's not toooo much trouble, old man! (ha ha! I'm younger than you are! nah nah!)😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 5, 2018 Author Share Posted October 5, 2018 You know, I was listening last night to some of my songs, in particular paying attention to your comments on the rhythm. I agree that it can be distracting, but I think that using the rhythm editor, which I know how to use only superficially, I could filter out some of the (specially) annoying drums... I have to work on that. Thanks for the comments, BTW. I completely agree that using the accompaniment changes the song's mood and stuff... I tried to find the rhythm available on the keyboard that "best fits" what I had in mind, but I agree that it's a compromise at best. I have to digest all of that... But one thing... My "objective" in all of this is really very inconsequential... I just wanted to preserve all that work that I did years ago, and also to regain my piano chops, now that I'm retired and plenty of time on my hands. I love what I do, but I have no "ulterior" motive (meaning $$$), but I want to show my songs in the best way I can. I think that the accompaniment makes the song richer.... Maybe eliminate the distracting drums, I don't know, I have to explore.. Here's a song from Pink Martini that I listened to last night. It has all the melodic lines and chord changes that are part of ME; that's the stuff I grew up with. But the arrangement is so complex and beautiful that I could never even try... Lo Dudo.wma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m10538 Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Lo Dudo doesn't sound that complicated, I'm sure you could do that. Btw, that song reminds me of Linda Ronstadt's Canciones de Mi Padre. I've got that album in my phone and a playlist on my YouTube channel. If you haven't heard those songs before I bet you'll like them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergio Posted October 5, 2018 Author Share Posted October 5, 2018 True, the MELODY I can do, and I enjoy arranging songs that I like, interpreted in my own way, which may not be the "standard". But what I could never do are the arrangements in the file I uploaded... This group is soooo good, and their arrangements are fantastic (my opinion). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaunaflynn Posted November 24, 2023 Share Posted November 24, 2023 On 10/3/2018 at 8:57 PM, sergio said: OK. I added a new "thing" to this one (m10538 suggestion), so let me know what you think. Boy, I tossed this song around a LOT, but I like the final product. I am not sure if it's just my rig or the accordion part is really faint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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