PSR Tutorial Forum
PSR Keyboards (11 Boards) => PSR-SX900/SX700/SX600 => Topic started by: scannie on April 25, 2023, 08:48:30 AM
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I’m interested in the PSR-SX700 or PSR-SX900.
I see there is also an alternative from Korg (PA-700 / PA-1000)
It seems Yamaha is very populair.
More YouTube videos.
But also more active users on a forum like this.
Why is Yamaha more populair?
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Why is Yamaha more populair?
Ask someone on the street, which is better: Yamaha or Korg? And answer will be "what is Korg?" The thing is, Yamaha is just bigger and more known brand: instruments, audio equipment, ..heck, even motorcycles, and is on market since ever.
When we start looking for arranger keyboard, then we usually try to make a safe decision and so we decide for brand that we trust more.. for the brand is generally seen as "you can't go wrong with it" -and so, majority decides for Yamaha. And now it comes.. once you decide for certain brand (and you're happy with), then there are 90% chances that next time, you will decide for the same brand again. In sense, why changing?.. why taking a risk? -it's just how our mind works :)
Bogdan
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About 30 years ago I came into contact with Korg.
After that with no keyboard anymore.
My brain says Korg is a brand higher in familiarity and quality in this area.
That is at odds with what I see now.
I played on the PSR-SX900 for a short time.
What disappointed me was the sound quality of the loudspeakers.
With headphones the sound was fine.
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What disappointed me was the sound quality of the loudspeakers...
I'm surprised you say that. Those who know me, can confirm that I'm not known as "Yammie fan" as I tend to be quite critical. But when we talk about built-in speakers, I think no keyboard has better sound than SX900. And if that's not good enough for you, then you would simply need to get external monitors -no matter what brand/model keyboard you decide for.
It is important to know, that built-in speakers aren't meant for bigger audience. They are built-in for convenience and usually good enough for practicing and home playing.
Just my opinion,
Bogdan
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I'm not a critical about the sound quality, but I expected a better sound.
In particular the bass sounds did not go low, but giving them a 'boom boom' effect.
I assess the sound in a home situation with the volume low / normal for practice.
I am really hesitating between these 4 models.
And I am also wondering if the extra price between PSR-SX700 and PSR-SX900 is worth the money.
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..In particular the bass sounds did not go low, but giving them a 'boom boom' effect.
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There's an Compressor/Equalizer built in, where you can set the sound more to your taste (by default it's set to flat =neutral). It does make a change using it -if your expectations are reasonable.
...And I am also wondering if the extra price between PSR-SX700 and PSR-SX900 is worth the money.
-maybe you check this (https://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/topic,66058.0.html) thread.
Bogdan
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Hey Scannie :
Only the ( potential ) buyer is " the decision maker. "
He/she will always follow his own " instinct " .
We are a big Yamaha family here.
All of us will advise you to go for a Yamaha arranger ( for many, many reasons ). ;)
Yamaha 's products are all very reliable. One of the main reasons why they are the worldwide arranger market leader for more than 2 decades.
BUT ... it is up to you.
Good luck !
Best wishes, JH
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I'm not a critical about the sound quality, but I expected a better sound.
In particular the bass sounds did not go low, but giving them a 'boom boom' effect.
I assess the sound in a home situation with the volume low / normal for practice.
I am really hesitating between these 4 models.
And I am also wondering if the extra price between PSR-SX700 and PSR-SX900 is worth the money.
There are several very good YouTube videos that go into all the details of the PSR-SX700 and PSR-SX900. They will help you to decide where to spend your money. I won't comment on Korgs, because I don't know anything about them.
Bottom line is this.
How much do you want to pay to get the quality of music that you're looking for?
Are you a Home Player, or a stage or other performer.....or maybe wanting to go that route?
I own an SX700 (in fact I own 2 of them). I find it to be the most satisfying keyboard to play, and it has PLENTY of sound, and the advantage of being able to be loaded with pretty well endless other Yamaha styles, registrations and voices from many other instruments and sources, including from this great site. Just don't load everything at once!
Why did I NOT choose the PSR-SX900? I am fortunate enough to be able to buy either, or even both, or even a Genos, but the SX700 does everything that I could wish for. Spending more doesn't always equate with getting better. I'm a home player, so don't need all the bells and whistles that a professional would find advantageous. think about that carefully, and before rushing to the bank.
ALL keyboards with built in speakers will provide good levels of sound, and the speakers on both SX models are more than adequate for home playing, or even for playing in a reasonable sized room or hall in my opinion. Obviously, if you want to fall out bigtime with your neighbours, then you can always hook them up to Yamaha or other amplified speakers, and make a **** of a LOT of noise. I find mine absolutely adequate, and with decent headphones, the sound is excellent. But if you're going to perform, then be prepared to buy bigger speakers and get your wallet out. You can spend more on speakers than on a keyboard quite easily.
Chasing perfect sound can work out VERY expensive. Factor that into your buying decision.....I never have done, because I look after my hearing and believe me, tinnitus is not something you want to get! The SX700 and SX900 have enough sound..Period.
YAMAHA make very very good instruments. Become a full member of the PSR Forums, and you'll get the full benefits of this site.
You will enjoy the many subjects that come up for discussion, and get help to understand your new keyboard which can be invaluable.
Plus the benefits of years of experience from many Yamaha players.
Finally.....Be brutally honest with yourself. How good a player are you? Ask yourself that twice.
Will you get any benefit from buying a much more expensive arranger keyboard than you actually need? Sure, it's always nice to have the best, but have you got the time and more importantly, the personal effort to get to learn it, because there's a lot to take on board. Be honest with yourself.
Always do the equation. Is it NEED or WANT?
NO instrument will automatically make you play better, but having a good keyboard will certainly inspire you to become one.
I can only speak for myself, but for me the PSR-SX700 is without doubt, the finest keyboard on the market at the moment, at a price that is both affordable, and adequate for my purpose.
As I always say......The CHOICE is yours. You're the man spending the money!
Keith
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Hey Keith :
Well said ... a super analysis and nothing but the truth.
Thanks for your time and for your valid arguments.
Best wishes, JH
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Anything in the PSR range and the two Korgs you mention are good keyboards, all equally capable of producing nice music. The sound potential from all of them is very good, although the internal speakers are a compromise, but easily improved at a price. Headphones are best way to hear the potential.
Final choice is very personal, price vs features. I don't think higher price or more features is necessarily regime of better players. Hobbyists are often the biggest chasers of features and the idea of having the latest and greatest.
Mike
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I see a lot of videos on YouTube.
Of course you can’t answer for a specific song.
But general, most played songs on YouTube use standard styles?
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If that is a question, the answer is I wouldn’t know, and probably no- one else does either. If it is someone demonstrating the keyboard the chances are it's an onboard style. Some are, some aren't, some might even be midi file accompaniment. Unless the person tells us what style is used it’s not always easy to tell the source. And not something most of us think about.
Mike
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I am really hesitating between these 4 models.
And I am also wondering if the extra price between PSR-SX700 and PSR-SX900 is worth the money.
Hi scannie,
I hope all is well.
I happen to own the SX900, Pa1000 & Pa700 and they are certainly all very good keyboards indeed. It really is down to what you need from them as for example, if you're looking for in depth editing options and features then I would say the Korg would probably suite better. If you're looking for something to pick up play that has an appealing fun factor to it from straight out of the box then the SX series is superb. Yamaha tends to have quite a number of famous songs in their styles and if you know the songs well then it's even more of a bonus! Korg has a few as well but not as many.
You asked why Yamaha is more popular and I think Yamaha cleverly design their keyboards to really attract people to play music from any level. If you get an SX keyboard and go through the intro's of the styles, you will be absolutely blown away by them, some of them are songs in themselves so there is a huge attraction there. Yamaha also make keyboards across many ranges right down to the beginner models for the very young, I don't think there's many other brands that cater for these ranges apart from Casio, again very clever because when you start to improve and want to improve your instrument you will always think of Yamaha first.
With all that being said, there are things on Korg that I really like that I don't think are matched by any other brand, for example, the outstanding amount of unplugged styles that are so beautiful to play anything you want along. Korg also have great intros in their styles too. I really like the drums of the Korg.
I would say if you like the sound of both equally, then maybe look at what features you'd want, that should push you towards making your choice.
Just to add, if you’re looking at YouTube videos to help then I’d look for videos from Jeremy See who’s done many great overviews between Korg & Yamaha, especially in the keyboards you’re interested in.
All the best,
Danny.
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Essentially only you can make that choice. Which arranger meets you needs, what features you require or are actually going to use.
Everyone has there own opinion of which make is best, but it’s best your own choice.
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Good day.
From my point of view, choosing an arranger depends a lot on what you want from it. For me, the Yamaha ecosystem is much easier in the learning aspect.
A few years ago, I tried to change and bought a Korg i5, which was very difficult for me to use, being an arranger that many would have found very easy to use.
In my case, I'm looking for ease a lot, especially because of timing issues, having voices that can give styles more life, and I think Yamaha has that. At Korg you have to do too many edits and adapt to giving your system a lot more time. Apart from everything, I play in musical groups from time to time, and that is where I would lean more towards Korg, however, there I use both my SX900 and the iM1 app, and with that I have plenty and that's enough.
But as they say, everyone has their tastes, I'll stay with Yamaha.
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After a lot of reading but also the information and advice in this topic I decided to choose for Yamaha.
I'm not the technical person that create instruments with a lot of adjustments and settings.
I think I follow your advice for the model too, then it will be the PSR-SX700.
I'm living in The Netherlands.
A shop gives the option to sell a PSR-SX700 package.
It includes a PSR-SX700 of course.
But also:
Playlist EXTRA 1100 pcs
Playlist NL/BE (Dutch / Belgium) 560 pcs
Yamaha Bonus Playlist 462 spes in one total-file insteaf of 9 folders
Some REGISTRATION banks for practice
Christmasstyles SX700
Hits der Lage Landen - 64 REGISTRATIONS Dutch / Belgium
96 Songs EURO PACK
96 Songs PLATINUM PACK
32 Piano Styles (from Arpeggio til Piano Beguine, from Piano Rag til Piano Blues)
4 x Austria Styles Wals/Polka
Extra Styles geconverteerd from Ketron, Gem, Roland etc..
MULTI PAD examples
Registrationbank Eminent/Elka/no click/Sustain/Legacy Strings/Right&Left
2 x Dutch Musette-accordeon sounds (Kermisklanten/Jordaansound)
John Woodhouse-sound
4 x Wersi Organ Sounds (Klaus Wunderlich, Franz Lambert, Spectra)
4 x Yamaha Voice & Style Expansion Packs (Western Europe, Church&Christmas, Entertainer of Latin, Dance of Celtic)
It will be installed via YEM (I don't know what YEM is).
Export Instrument info need to be uploaded.
This package cost 120 euro.
Is it worth this price?
I don't know the prices for extras like this.
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In my humble opinion, If you want the best sound quality on the market buy a Yamaha arranger, if you want more possibilities in terms of sound design, sampling, style creation, better keys (Aftertouch) or if you want to use the keyboard with VST instruments buy the Korg, it also has great voices and styles.
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Seems reasonable for $120, most of it is about saving you the time and effort to locate, download and install rather than what it costs. Whether you want all this and if it’s worth it to you, only you can decide. YEM is the Yamaha Expansion Manager, the tool that enables the import of some of the files.
Mike
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Hi Scannie
I'm glad that you have decided on your choice of keyboard, and that it will come, already loaded with quite a good selection of extras.
The best advice I can now give you is to download the Reference manual from the Yamaha SX700/900 website. This does NOT come with the keyboard, but you will need it.
You will get your User manual with your keyboard.
Spend time reading them, and learn how to use the keyboard.
Enjoy, have fun, and take it at a pace that you are comfortable with.... You'll soon be making amazing music !
Keith
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I thank you for all the advice.
This helped me a lot in making my choices.
Now the more surprising for you guys :)
I am a beginner in this field who can't read musical notes yet can hardly play music.
However, I am very motivated and have been intending to get into this for years. It will be a long road to be able to play well. I am 56 years old and then it is more difficult than someone who grew up with it. It is not a competition, I want to play for my own enjoyment.
With the PSR-SX700 I then have a keyboard that I can slope forward with.
More expensive models are overkill for me.
I am curious how long it will take before I can play a nice piece. Of course, that also depends on how much time you spend on it.
I hope I don't get into this hobby too late.
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Hi Scannie,
when I was thinking about buying new keyboard (SX700 in my case), I got a couple of advices:
1. Yamaha has better voices of acoustic instruments, Korg is better for electronic music
2. Yamaha is ready made keyboard out of box, the other need some tweaks to be as good (it needs experience in this field)
3. Yamaha has the widest choice of voices and styles available (free or paid)
As for the additional package for 120 €, look first at Yamaha page. There you can download many packages with voices and styles from all over the world completely free. On planetkeyboard. com there are many different styles for reasonable price. Then you can decide if you need to pay those 120 € more.
P. S.
Those 4 Yamaha voice and styles packs you mentioned above, are free from Yamaha page.
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hi scannie,
Keith (divemaster) gave a good advice: download Owner's manual (https://id.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/1/1279261/psrsx900_en_om_b0.pdf) and Reference manual (https://usa.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/7/1279207/psrsx900_en_rm_b0.pdf), and go trough it. Don't let technical terms scare you and don't try to remember everything what's in there. More important is, that you know it's there -so when you need particular info, you know where to find it.
About 120€ pack.. I wouldn't buy it. Two reasons why not: A -at beginning you won't know what to do with it, B -you can get most of that for free on internet (at Yamaha and this forum). I think that money is better spend by buying some keyboard cover, good keyboard stand, etc.
Age really plays no role on when you should start with keyboard playing.. ok, one is for sure: you won't become Beethoven :)
Reading musical notes... In my opinion, most important thing is good hearing and sense for music (rhythm) -without having that, you can't play music. That is, you can play good music without knowing how to read notes.
But here it comes... knowing to read notes (at least at basic level) does help at learning new music pieces. And believe me, if you're passionate enough, over the time you will learn just enough (been there, done that).
How long does it take till you play a nice piece? Seriously, that only depends on your talent (not age). I think one can play a nice simple melody after a week or two... that won't be a "piece", though :)
I think you decision for SX700 is right: is very capable keyboard for the money and unofficial support (this forum) can be of big benefit. Just get it -the rest depends on you.
Bogdan
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The Yamaha arrangers have many tools to make it possible to produce “recognizable” music in a short time. But you will have to learn some basics about music. You can access some courses on the internet. People with a good ear for music will have an advantage as they can probably pick out tunes by themselves, but even then they need to learn about musical notation, chords, how to play them. And of course you need to get familiar with how the arranger works, what does what etc. in fact you need to start by learning the basics of the keyboard operation. How to select a voice, style, tempo. Then try to learn simple chords and melody.
All of this is not trivial to do by yourself from a standing start. It was no surprise to find you had no previous musical experience, it was obvious from your Left Hand Right Hand post. If you can find someone to give personal lessons that is competent on an arranger, that will be well worth the money. Maybe the store you buy from can point you in the right direction.
There are many people starting with only very basic musical knowledge that learn to produce decent music on an arranger in months. Maybe they took some lessons as a kid, maybe they messed with another instrument like a guitar. But starting from completely nothing can be intimidating. Being honest, most people like yourself starting from nothing, see the arranger demonstrated, think that doesn’t look too hard, and then find it much, much harder than they realized and give up. So investing in lessons might be the best money you can spend, and protect the money you already invested in the keyboard. Otherwise I predict it will end up in a cupboard somewhere, then dumped!
As I say, there are courses on the internet, but nothing beats a knowledgeable teacher in a personal one to one. So keep your expectations reasonable and find a teacher.
As for the $120, Bogdan is right, it may be months (or never) before any of it is useful to you, but depends what $120 means to you.
Mike
BTW - it is possible to find a teacher on the internet that does personal lessons via zoom. That might be the best way to find someone who both teaches and is competent on arrangers. Nobody I can think of better than Andy on this website. Brilliant player, experienced teacher, arranger designer.
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Hi Guys :
All Korg owners believe both arrangers ( PA 700 and PA1000, from 2017 ) will be replaced by their successors soon. Available in 2024 ?
Korg's first priority now is to update their new high end arranger PA5X. Apparently not an easy task.
Korg promised this particular update would be available in June, July 2023. Wait and see.
The newest Korg ( PA5X ) software might be applicable for their 700 and 1000 successors ... who knows ?
Hope all our time and efforts might be useful and helpful for Scannie to make the right decision ...
Will he be convinced to go for an SX model ? Time will tell.
Take care, JH
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Today it I ordered the PSR-SX700 keyboard.
I downloaded the manual, study has started :)
What strikes me when I watch the YouTube videos is that almost no one reads the musical notes.
How do you play songs, with or without sheet music on paper?
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C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S, Scannie ! :)
Enjoy your SX700.
Best regards, JH
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What strikes me when I watch the YouTube videos is that almost no one reads the musical notes.
How do you play songs, with or without sheet music on paper?
For (popular) songs that majority of us play, musical notes aren't really needed after we learned how to play particular song. That is, notes can be helpful when we learn how to play certain music/song. If it's some complex music piece, then musical notes might still be needed while we play. But not to read every key that we need to press.. notes serve more as an overview (of what comes next).
Playing comes with practicing.. and it will happen, over the time you will forget how to play some song (even you remember the melody). That's why it can be useful if you make some notices about how to play it: what style is being used, what chords are used, chord sequence, etc. -make a cheat paper which will later remind you on how to play.
And.. just take it easy ;)
Bogdan
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Well done Scannie.
I hope that you will be DELIGHTED with your new keyboard.
Playing will come with time, and learning will take time.
Never get frustrated that you aren't understanding things. We are all here to help you.
Whereabouts are you? Let us know, there just may be another keyboard player or somebody not too far from you who could guide you through the first steps.
You've mentioned that people who play on YouTube don't use sheet music, but of course many of them are professional musicians or very talented players.
Most people are home players, we help each other.
I'm 76, and still have loads to learn.
Take your time. It Will be worth it. Enjoy your musical journey.
Keith.
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After a lot of reading but also the information and advice in this topic I decided to choose for Yamaha.
I'm not the technical person that create instruments with a lot of adjustments and settings.
I think I follow your advice for the model too, then it will be the PSR-SX700.
I'm living in The Netherlands.
if you are not that technical then i think you made a great choice choosing the yamaha keyboard. It's much easier to operate then a korg keyboard.
I live in holland too and every tuesday evening we have an online keyboard meeting on discord where we give workshops and answering questions of how to use the keyboards people have. And in that group only 5 persons are using a korg pa5x and the rest of them are using yamaha tyros and genos models (so there are a lot more yamaha users). Considering the questions in those meetings I can say that the persons with a korg keyboard has more difficult questions then the yamaha keyboard players.
I also own a yamaha genos and korg pa5x, and they are really different and in my opinion also for different type of players. If you like to play songs from the 60 till 2000 then the yamaha has a lot of styles available which are song specific. The korg doesn't really have a lot of styles in that area, korg has more generic styles and also ranges more to the songs you hear nowadays. Also the styles are more sparse on a korg , it's more like you play with a live band where the yamaha shines in creating a more CD like final product. Both are great, but it serves a different kind of audience in my opinion.
Feature wise the korg outshines the yamaha keyboards in my opinon. I know that a lot of people will probably hate me for saying this on this forum, but it's simply a fact and not a bad thing for yamaha. The fact that some things are missing on a yamaha means that it's also easier to operate and that the things that it can do, it can do most of the times a lot better than on a korg.
But if you are looking for extra things like a synthesizer on board that you can program on the keyboard itself, things like wave sequencing, Matrix programming and 16 channel mute control through buttons for performances, lot's of effects (and i mean a lot!), seamless sound transitions between keyboard sets of 4 layers, styles up till 16 channels at the same time instead of the usual 8, removing the vocals in realtime from backing tracks, and lots more, that is where korg is more advanced, but the downside is that it's also a lot more complicated and it takes time to learn all these things.
So i love both keyboards and will always have them next to eachother here, they both shines in there own area with their strong and weak points.
But for non technical persons i would always recommend to go for yamaha, it's much easier to learn.
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You have been asking questions about the keyboard capabilities, but to be brutally honest, none of it really matters to you. Learning to play is your primary challenge and will absorb all of your time regardless of the keyboard functionality.
This website is good for the ‘how to’ on the keyboard functions, but not the place to learn to play. Don’t underestimate this. The arranger makes it miles easier compared to conventional piano, but it’s still a huge challenge for a 56 year old starting from ground zero.
Mike
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You have been asking questions about the keyboard capabilities, but to be brutally honest, none of it really matters to you. Learning to play is your primary challenge and will absorb all of your time regardless of the keyboard functionality.
I agree, I don't start to study and use all options. The primary part is playing and learning songs. First the melody part and later also the chords.
I start, of course, with simple songs. What I'm wondering, how do I find the right style for a song I have in mind?
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There is a list of recommendations for well known songs included on the keyboard on a function called the playlist. Start by looking there.
You can also ask here, but to use a style you have to be able to understand and read chord notation, play those chords, stay in time. To play the melody you will have to learn how to read a staff and where to find those notes on the keyboard.
I think that you need to start looking for a beginners course on the web, or buy some music books for beginners. If you really have no previous knowledge of music notation or instruments, you will be starting at the 'Three Blind Mice' level.
Mike
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I agree, I don't start to study and use all options. The primary part is playing and learning songs. First the melody part and later also the chords.
I start, of course, with simple songs. What I'm wondering, how do I find the right style for a song I have in mind?
Mike in the previous post gave an excellent explanation of how you can start to find songs to play along, but I just wanted to add something as well that I mentioned in my previous post and that when you select a style, check out intro2 and intro3 specifically where it should give you an indication of what the song would be, some styles are very obvious but some not so until you hear the intro because there are some styles could be played with multiple famous songs and some of the styles have it split where the first 2 variations are one song and the last two variations are of another which blends in very nicely if you want to play two songs together. You just need to experiment a bit, you'll be surprised at how many songs you will recognise.
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Thanks again for all information.
For the first steps I think the flowkey app is a good option.
Recommended by Yamaha.
When I register the keyboard at the Yamaha website, the first three months are free of charge.
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Hi Scannie :
For many years I am a guitar player and I started first to learn my finger settings for the chords on the keyboard, 30 years ago.
You can find all chord information on the Internet and/or YouTube.
But you have to do what is convient for you : start with your left ( chord settings ) or right hand ( melody ). Up to you.
Often a lot of popular songs are based on 3 chords only.
Have fun, JH
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Too late, but yes, the PA1000 speakers are impressive. Massive bass, but still quite clear (not as clear as the PSRSX900 speakers, but close enough, and with incredible bass response). The sx700 speakers are pretty good, not as thick and bassy (same goes with the PA700 speakers, which are a little warmer than the Yamaha speakers but not as clear, take your pick).
The big thing is the flexibility. A very loyal Korg customer purchased the PA900 and then the PA1000, but is disappointed after all this time Korg has no Chinese pack (I told him a decade ago historically they only have Middle Eastern and Indian sample packs, I didn't expect that to change anytime soon) so he just sits there, frustrated that his favourite brand of arrangers doesn't have a China pack, whereas Yamaha has now released 5 of them.
I' d be happy with a PSRsx700. Flexible enough. Plus the 400mb of sample expansion is *larger* than the PA1000's 320mb (and even the 320mb is kind of moot if you don't want Indian or M.E.)
Mark
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Scannie
You will find this book worth while to get started:
https://kupdf.net/download/complete-keyboard-player-1pdf_59883ab0dc0d60e845300d1a_pdf
There is a very good course on chords on our web site:
https://psrtutorial.com/music/chords.html
As well these lessons will be useful
https://psrtutorial.com/lessons/index.html
Regards
Ed B
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Too late, but yes, the PA1000 speakers are impressive. Massive bass, but still quite clear (not as clear as the PSRSX900 speakers, but close enough, and with incredible bass response).
Mark
Hello Mark, I have both and I think the Pa1000 sounds very detailed and clear to me, not right out of the box, but after dabbling with the EQ then the amplification comes alive and like a different instrument!
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Hi Danny :
It is not easy to say which arranger has the best speakers, sound quality, ease in use etc. :P
In order to make correct comparisons one needs technical data too, IMHO.
Most arranger players ( like me ) here have tools like ears, eyes, quality impressions, ease of use, personal brand preferences, personal knowledge & experience and last but not least a budget to compare and to judge the features of an arranger keyboard.
For the time being it looks like there are 3 important arranger manufacturers / competitors : Yamaha, Korg and Ketron.
They all have piano keys but with a different OS.
All three companies have their pros and cons but one brand is not better or worse than the other, IMO.
It is up to the enduser to make her/his final choice.
In this forum most endusers ( 99% ? ) are Yamaha arranger customers.
I am one of them and it will not be easy to convince me to go for another brand.
For more than 25 years I am a Yamaha arranger player.
Yamaha arrangers are very reliable, affordable, ease in use etc. and ... up to now ... never let me down.
Best regards, JH
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Hi Danny :
It is not easy to say which arranger has the best speakers, sound quality, ease in use etc. :P
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your reply. Just to note, I wasn't comparing or even suggesting which was better (also, one of the best ways to tell the quality of an instrument ideally is through external amplification and not really through the internal speakers, using good quality headphones is another way as well), but I was just saying that the Pa1000 amplification can be significantly & vastly improved if you turn on the equaliser function in the Audio menu because by default it's turned off and sounds quite flat without it. I didn't know this was even a thing until I stumbled across it as I thought at first the Pa1000 sounded dull through the built in speakers, but not anymore thankfully.
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Wow, I never thought of that (equalizer function) when owning the PA 1000. Maybe that’s why I sold it for sounding dull and lifeless.
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Hi :
Not mentioned in the manual ?
Did Korg never inform their PA1000 dealers and endusers ?
::)
JH
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Hi :
Not mentioned in the manual ?
Did Korg never inform their PA1000 dealers and endusers ?
::)
JH
Hi Jeff,
Yes, on page 509 of the manual.
But just like many people (including me), I didn't check the manual, but it's in there so I wouldn't be quick to blame Korg for our human nature!
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Hey Danny :
In the past I made the same " mistake " by not reading the manual.
I have to admit reading a manual is not my hobby either.🤪
I have received my new Korg synth last wednesday and it takes me one week ( at least ) to learn how a synth is functioning.
Without the manual it is almost impossible to " understand " how to use a synth. Totally different than an arranger.
Take care, JH
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Hi Jeff,
Yes, on page 509 of the manual.
But just like many people (including me), I didn't check the manual, but it's in there so I wouldn't be quick to blame Korg for our human nature!
Check the PA5X Danny if you haven't already, it has a mastering section comprising a full EQ similar to the Genos Master EQ (plus a full visual display) plus processing on the Bass, Treble and Stereo and volume which is fully customisable if you want to use it to create big sounds of a type you might hear in cinemas. It also has a "finalizer" to shape the overall style sounds via EQ and Filters.
The manual talks about gluing and blending among other things, which will take some time to understand it all- but it would be a pity to miss out on these effects ;) ;) ;)
John
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Hello Mark, I have both and I think the Pa1000 sounds very detailed and clear to me, not right out of the box, but after dabbling with the EQ then the amplification comes alive and like a different instrument!
Oh I agree; just that side by side the sx900 speakers are even clearer to me -- keep in mind I can still hear up to 19khz; when I was younger we tested and I could hear up to 21khz in my teens, so your mileage may vary. My friend who purchased the Korg, and is a die hard Korg fan; he can't hear above 13khz (and he's 7 years younger than me :P). So to him there's no difference in clarity.
But there's no beating the incredible bass response of the PA1000. *Both are the peak of on-board speakers* and I absolutely love the speakers on both.
You want technical specs? ok the PA1000 is only 2 amplifiers vs 4, which as Bogdan and I discussed before, does noticeably increase clarity *as long as the crossover points are optimized* (I've heard when they weren't, and it's not pretty)
Mark
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Today I received my PSR-SX700 , second hand, but in new condition.
As an absolute beginner I'm searching for the best method to learn play music.
I thinks about to use midi files and mute the melody.
When I can play the melody, I can mute the chords to play these too.
Is this a good idea, or are there better recommendations?
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If you like it, why not. :)
Melody and chords are both important to get a nice result, right ?
JH
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The best method is with a good teacher. The second best is a good on line course.
Playing along with midi files is a practice option, rather than a learning tool.
Mike
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I try to find a style for a song that I have in mind.
I tried to use the suggestion from Mikf There is a list of recommendations for well known songs included on the keyboard on a function called the playlist. Start by looking there.
But when I select that option, it shows only 6 songs.
Do I need to download a list first?
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You can download extra playlists from the Yamaha download site. You must use these
from a USB stick which must register USB1 on your keyboard.
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Hi Scannie.
You need to check out the main homesite index.
Under the headings at the top are quite literally tens of thousands of downloads that you can use on your SX700.
I see you mention Playlists, and MIDI. They are different.
At it's most basic
A playlist gives you a long list of songs, from which you choose a suggested accompaniment for what you want to play. It does NOT play the song for you. You have to do that.
MIDI files however, will play a song for you, and you can play along with it. I think that's what you wanted, so go through the MIDI files and download the ones you like onto a USB stick.
Take a look.
Hope that helps.
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I understand the difference between a playlist and midi.
I want to learn the melody of a song (Elvis Presley, always on my mind) via midi.
Muting the melody is an option.
Next step is to find a style and play the song by myselves and adding the chords.
But then I need to find out if there is a style for this song.
That is the function of the playlist when I understand it correctly.
The platylist database is empty (6 factory items only).
Suggestions are welcome :)
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Should you not be learning how to read music first? Some people can learn to play melodies by ear, but most read the notes from music. I don't think playing along with a midi as a total beginner will be very easy.
Mike
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You are right, I have to learn that too.
I want use music notes, to learn reading it and find the correct notes on the keyboard.
In this case the melody notes for the Elvis Presley song.
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I try to find a style for a song that I have in mind.
I tried to use the suggestion from Mikf But when I select that option, it shows only 6 songs.
Do I need to download a list first?
Hi again Scannie
Ok. So you want a playlist. I'd suggest that you download the Playlist for the Tyros 5 which has a very good selection of Songs on it (around 2000 in total) including Always on my mind, which is the one you say you want.
So follow this.
Go to the HOME PAGE of the PSR website . The HOMEPAGE, not the forum. If you're in the forum there's a direct link to it on the top right of the page called PSR Tutorial Support. Click on this.
Now look along the top of the page and click on the tab called STYLES.
Scroll down to where it says OTHER FILES and click on it
Under this you will find MUSIC FINDER FILES.
Now, go right down the page until you see two boxes shaded blue with dark blue headers.
In the bottom box carefully click on Tyros5.mfd (not tyros 5 txt).
This will now download to your PC.
Copy this file to a Memory Stick.
Now go to your SX, and put the memory stick into the usb slot.
Press the Expansion User button to the left of your screen, then press USB1
You can now see the contents of your USB drive.
Click on the tyros.mfd file and you will get a window telling you that the keyboard needs to convert the files to use on your SX. Press Yes and the conversion will commence.
It takes about 6 minutes, so be patient.
Once finished you will get a message to tell you that it has been done, and that to use it you should have your OTS Link button lit whilst using it. This is next to your ACMP button .
Now.....you will have 2 files One has a magnifying glass next to it. The other looks like a file. It's the second one you need.
Press it, and then press the Playlist button and you will see that you now have the whole playlist from Tyros 5.
Select the song you want using either the arrow keys or the scroll wheel, and press on it, and then press LOAD (bottom right of the screen) and the keyboard will set up a style (registration) suitable for your song. You will see a green tick next to the song you have chosen.
Press Acmp, Ots link and Auto fill in. Select an introduction... Maybe 2, and a Variation say 2, and then press the Synch Start button.
Now, as soon as you play a chord with your left hand, your music will start.
Then......Over to you.
Happy playing.
Keith
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Tyros 5 did not have a Play list. It was a music finder which is quite different.
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That means the explanation from Keith doesn’t work on a PSR-SX700?
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I can assure you that it does Eileen.
I have playlists from pretty well all of the Tyros models and from other more recent instruments, all converted from MFD files exactly as I have described. Be interesting to know if the SX900 doesn't do it, although I can't think why it wouldn't?
Maybe it doesn't work on the SX900, but it certainly does on the SX700.
Keith
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Hi Eileen
Just nipped down to get my morning cuppa so I checked and I have all the Tyros Playlists apart from Tyros 1. Converted just as I have described.
These are converted from the original MFD files just as I have described.
Kindest regards
Keith.
:)
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If you haven't seen this Scannie.
I HAVE an SX700 .... Yes... It works just fine. Just follow the instructions I have sent you.
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Hi again Scannie
Now go to your SX, and put the memory stick into the usb slot.
Press the Expansion User button to the left of your screen, then press USB1
You can now see the contents of your USB drive.
Keith
I tried this and it works fine, just with one change. I had to press Playlist button on the right of the screen and then USB1. By pressing Expansion/User button I couldn't see that mfd file.
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Great!
Glad you've got it. Now get down to some learning.
Any problems we are all here to help you.
Keith
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In saying that Tyros 5 did not have playlist but Music finder instead I did not say that they could not be converted to Play list on newer keyboards. Of course they can not be used in the same way as you did on Tyros and it can be a chore scrolling down all the files to find the one you want.
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Hi Eileen.
Crossed wires obviously and I'm glad that Scannie has been able to work it out.
He's a complete novice, and I'm just trying to get him up and running, although I think he will benefit from some lessons.
No intention to be 'smart' as I know how very respected you are on the forums, and indeed helped me out when I bought mine. So please put it down to my eagerness to help this new member. I would never wish to offend.
Kind regards
Keith.
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Hi Divemaster,
it was me - Lacko - who successfully tried your advice on tyros5 conversion. As for scannie, we have to wait until he will post his answer.
But I have a question. When looking into that from tyros5 converted .tsv file, there is interesting file structure, like C:/REGIST/Tyros5MF/xxxx.....rgt Does really exist that Tyros5MF directory in SX700 with all corresponding registrations? Was it created during conversion?
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Hi Lacko
Sorry for the confusion.... I'm 76 and my eyesight is not good.
YES... As part of the conversion, the SX automatically creates Registration files for the whole playlist.
So you can access those by pressing the 2 Registration bank buttons together. Makes searching much easier.
You don't have to limit yourself to one playlist. You can have several.
Hope that helps.
Keith
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Just as a matter of interest, and returning to the nub of the thread, - is there anyone here on the forum who bought an arranger late in life with absolutely no previous musical knowledge and actually stuck with it long enough to play, without going to one to one lessons, and didn’t give up?
By absolutely no musical knowledge I include ….never went to lessons while young even on a completely different instrument, never dabbled with another instrument, never was able to pick out a tune on a piano, never played even a little a bit but not well and a long time ago …….
If that is you and you succeeded, maybe sharing how you did it might help the OP.
Mike
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Good point Mike, and although I can both read music and use a rather strange alphabetical note system after breaking 4 fingers due to various growing up accidents, I will run this past you.
When I was young, we had a beaten up old foot bellows operated Harmonium given to us by a neighbour.
I used to play that completely by ear, and get some really decent music out of it.
But then came 'lessons' and my teacher Mr Payne literally beat that out of me. I HAD to play from handwritten music and if I got a note wrong, I got whacked on the fingers with a ruler! See my performer page for the cruelty this guy meted out.
As a result I quite literally forgot how to play by ear.
If our op CAN play by ear, then I hope he succeeds, but as I sure you know, learning on an arranger is probably gonna be one **** of a learning curve.
But I hope we can all encourage him... Determination can be a wonderful thing.
Keith.
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Hi Mike,
I think I fall under that category. Though I did take piano lessons when I was young, I eventually quit. I played in an orchestra when I was in school, I eventually stopped when I went to college. So I have some musical background but kinda reset myself to zero every time. 2017 is when I started dabbling on the arranger side with the S770. I forgot how to read musical notes so I would be lost if one was given to me, but I do read chords. I am basically a rhythm player, give me the chords and a sample of the song and I can try to replicate it. Now I have the SX900. On sundays I started a while back playing for a church as a synth/pads player reading off chords. Acmp wise, I record for a program that airs every tuesday for a youtube channel. My keyboard basically gets used every week.
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hi Mike,
I'm not sure I fall into your category... so just in short:
When I was about 9 or 10 years old, parents bought me "toy accordion" which I was quite crazy about. Ok, keys weren't really on the right pitch, but I managed to play some simple children songs which I learned by ear. As my parents probably "smelled talent", they sent me to accordion music school, which I attended for about two years -just enough to learn reading notes and being able to play some more "serious" music. Finally, at age of twelve I lost interest and totally quit.
I bought some keyboard (also kinda toy) more than three decades later.. just for fun. However I was too busy, so I gave it away after few months.
My first keyboard was PSR-S670 which I bough sometime in 2019. Yes, I did remember how to read (basic) music notation, although that wasn't really of some help at beginning. And so my personal opinion is: having "sense for music" (and decent hearing) is crucial -ability to read notes can't substitute that. It's like... one can read french text, but he doesn't understand it :) But it's also true: to improve, it helps a lot if we start learning musical notes.. actually one can't avoid that.
Now I'm 64... So yes, if motivated enough, I do believe one can learn playing "nice" music without having musical education.
But... many expect the learning will come by itself, because they think it comes down to pushing the right button. Those usually quit after few months, I guess.
Bogdan
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Hi Keith,
Thank lot for your help.
I tried but it went wrong.
You wrote In the bottom box carefully click on Tyros5.mfd (not tyros 5 txt).
When I download this file, the name is Tyros5MF.mfd, but I think it's the correct file.
But I can't see it in the SX700.
When I press the playlist button on the right side, it shows 6 items (factory default I think).
But after pressing list (add record) on the display the user map shows SX700 MF NL&BE and SX700_MFW
The USB1 map is empty
The Expansion shows 12 names, but the Tyros5MD.mfd isn't shown here too.
Where do I go wrong?
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Hi Scannie
I think I can see what's gone wrong.....If not you'll have to delete the file from the USB and start again.
But try this.
Go to the screen where you can see the 6 preset songs that came with your SX700.
At the top of that screen it says SAMPLE
Press on the word SAMPLE
You will then have the option of choosing between PRESET or USER Press USER followed by USB1.
You should now see the Tyros file in your list.
Press on that file, and then press Playlist.
That should give you the information you need.
Keith.
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Divemaster,
Question: When I converted the big Tyros MFD file on my SX900 last week it appeared to save automatically to my User memory. I’m not sure I was given a choice to save the new Playlist file onto the USB drive. Is that possible? I don’t know much space the new playlist takes up in User.
Rich
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Hi Rich.
The quick answer is that I don't know, because the file structure could be different on the SX900
I have an SX 700 and it saves direct to the USB stick. That's all I know.... Sorry.
I hardly use the User drive. It's easier, and I think safer to move stuff round on the pc with usb sticks.
I've only once ever connected my old Tyros direct to a pc and it blew the Tyros usb socket making it useless.... I ain't trying it again..I will never directly connect a pc to my lovely SX..
Keith
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Thank Keith. I had deleted the MFD playlist from my User, but wiil do the loading process again and will try to notice if USB shows up as a save option. Maybe I missed it.
Rich
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I had a PA 4X for about a year.
Truth is I liked the PA 4X keybed better than any Yamaha keybed I had played including Genos.
I stayed with Genos, sold my PA 4X.
Why?
I’m a country music player. I want the smooth sound of a lap steel. Got that in the aloha steel of Yamaha
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@Keith: yes, you found out what went wrong.
Now it works, thanks a lot!!
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Hi Scannie
Glad you got it working.
Take time to learn about your new keyboard
and learn some basic chords.
Keith
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So I am that beginner with no music experience, though I have long had the intention to do something with it. Once I could borrow a Tyros 2 from someone, but didn't do much with it. The motivation was too low and I did not see how to start.
When I gave it back, the intention to do something with it started again. Now I finally bought the PSR-SX700. Due to lack of time not yet been able to spend much time on it.
The motivation is high, but on the other hand you do not want to do endless finger exercises.
There are apps like flowkey to learn songs, but that is only the beginning part of a song.
I want to follow the method below:
Use a midi file with a simple melody.
Turn off the melody from this and play it yourself.
Then use a style instead of midi and learn to play the chords together with the melody.
There is also a YouTube channel with music lessons for pianos. There are of course also chords. That will also get me started.
I compare it to learning a foreign language. In the beginning it's boring, learning words. But once you'll understand and talk some, it's fun.
Indeed, I wonder if I am not too old (56 years old) to start. But I do it for my own pleasure. So don't have to perform with it.
I do wonder to what extent it is possible to play directly from sheet music at some point. So read a note and without having to search for the key find it.
Suggestions always welcome :)
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So I am that beginner with no music experience, though I have long had the intention to do something with it. Once I could borrow a Tyros 2 from someone, but didn't do much with it. The motivation was too low and I did not see how to start.
When I gave it back, the intention to do something with it started again. Now I finally bought the PSR-SX700. Due to lack of time not yet been able to spend much time on it.
The motivation is high, but on the other hand you do not want to do endless finger exercises.
There are apps like flowkey to learn songs, but that is only the beginning part of a song.
I want to follow the method below:
Use a midi file with a simple melody.
Turn off the melody from this and play it yourself.
Then use a style instead of midi and learn to play the chords together with the melody.
There is also a YouTube channel with music lessons for pianos. There are of course also chords. That will also get me started.
I compare it to learning a foreign language. In the beginning it's boring, learning words. But once you'll understand and talk some, it's fun.
Indeed, I wonder if I am not too old (56 years old) to start. But I do it for my own pleasure. So don't have to perform with it.
I do wonder to what extent it is possible to play directly from sheet music at some point. So read a note and without having to search for the key find it.
Suggestions always welcome :)
you are definitely not to old, it just takes dedication to learn these things.
Based on your story I would suggest to take a look to the platforms online that will guide you on your first steps. I didn't like Flowkey, but there are two other platforms that I found really good.
I would suggest to take a look at https://yousician.com/piano . you can start for free over there and it will learn you how to play melodies and chords without the need to learn how to read scoresheets (you can switch yousician to scoresheet mode if you want, but that is a little bit harder).
If you want to focus more on scoresheet reading, then I can highly advice https://pianomarvel.com/ for that. I have a subscription on pianomarvel and it's very good and helps you a lot, it's more like having a private piano teacher.
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I want to follow the method below:
Use a midi file with a simple melody.
Turn off the melody from this and play it yourself.
Then use a style instead of midi and learn to play the chords together with the melody.
I compare it to learning a foreign language.
Hi Scannie,
yes, it is like learning a foreign language. You can take a couple of lessons from language teacher to get some basic words, phrases and other knowledges and then study on your own by listening radio and reading books. Or you can go without any preparation to a country where that language is spoken. There is MIDI all around you and you can try to play your melody.
Sorry, if this is inconvenient for you, but this is just my view.
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Hi Scannie :
I have uploaded all chords for you, if you might be interested. ;)
https://wetransfer.com/downloads/a033fc534b2e0df6170ce0915867253d20230512074353/7874a4b7b0821ea25b743945d124ce3d20230512080314/afcd07
All chord images are there. International language. :D
My above link is 5 days valid yet.
Have fun, JH
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Hi Scannie
The best advice I can give you is to learn at your own pace, and in a way that suits YOU.
Ok, so it will take time, and it will also take effort.
So you're 56.? That shouldn't be a hurdle. I'm 76 and still learning. Ask questions, get answers.
Encourage yourself to do better every time you play.
Learn something new every week.
Just enjoy yourself. Life is too short to be worried about dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's.
Make music..... That's all that matters.
Keith
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hi scannie,
If you have read my previous posts, then you sure noticed that my intention was to encourage you. On the other hand, you need to be realistic with your expectations.
..Due to lack of time not yet been able to spend much time on it...
-no idea how much "much time" is, but that can be a big problem! If you really are motivated, then you find "enough" time.. and if you can't do that, then you better forget the whole thing.
..The motivation is high, but on the other hand you do not want to do endless finger exercises....
-that makes me sceptical. You say you're motivated, but at the same time you say "you do not want to". Without even starting, how can you determine how much exercises you need?
As I (and some others) mentioned before, age is not that big problem for learning to play -it's the attitude. It souds to me like you were saying "if I can't learn playing in two weeks, then it means I'm too old".
There's no shortcut to learn playing faster and so forget styles and midis -start learning playing piano only instead. Can you sing or whistle a simple melody? If answer is no, then you should find another hobby, I think. Point being, you need to find out which keys to press on keyboard to get that melody. That's learning phase, which is followed by a lot of practicing. Luckily we have Youtube nowadays, so you don't need to learn reading notes (at least not yet).
Let's take famous Lara's theme (http://) for example (main part starts at 38sec in video). Of course you aren't able to play it that way and so you need to find simplified version: this one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBQBEOYS7Sw) for example. Learn it.. practice and practice.. and once you play it fluid, you can start thinking about using style. What I am saying is, style (acompanion) is meant to be used for finished song, which you need to learn first.
When I play (practice) on keyboard, 90% of the time I play piano only. Sometimes it's only for half an hour or can also be 2-3 hours.. but it's mostly piano only. Usually I play simple random melodies (like Lara's theme) that I've heard somewhere. Not only I enjoy that, but that's also the only way to make your fingers feel at home on your keyboard -which is crucial.
And if there's a melody that really "moves me", then I decide to make a style for it. If you take a look at my videos (in signature below), then you can realize that all of them are pretty basic melodies that anyone can play. That is, I don't play "masterpieces" to impress others -I play for me.
Bogdan
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Hey Bogdan :
Making music, starting from scratch is not easy, I guess. ???
Many people are very enthusiastic in the early beginning.
After a while the motivation has completely disappeared. It happens to 90% of beginners.
At my present age ( 75 ), after approx. 60 years making music, I am still learning every day.
The more I learn the more I realize how much I still have to learn. ;)
Why ? The answer is quite simple for me : making music is my passion. I'm addicted to it ... :)
All of us are different ... it is what it is.
All the best, JH
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Very true Jeff... we never end learning.
And it's really not about how good we get at playing -it's more about enjoying the hobby.
I think arranger keyboards can be quite deceiving for many, because they give an illusion of "everyone can do it"... which is far from truth. There's one thing that I already mentioned somewhere at the beginning of this thread: one just need to have "sense for music". It's something we just can't get with practicing -that sense is either there, or it's not.
Greetings,
Bogdan
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Bogdan is largely right in what he says. The reason it’s hard to play along with a style or midi is that they don’t stop for you to catch up. No matter how slow you play them, you will still not be able to play in time when learning. Playing piano lets you go at your pace, including frequent stops to find the correct note.
And how will you find that melody - if you can pick it out by ear then you don’t need a midi. If you can’t, you have to learn the basics of reading music, then pick out the melody from a simple music sheet. In short, what is the midi adding?
When you get half way able to do this, then you need to start learning how to read simple chords, what notes make up these chords, then how to find those notes on the keyboard, and how to change chords quickly.
All this adds up to endless repetition until it becomes mostly intuitive. Scales and arpeggios are a good way of teaching your hands where these notes are. You can call that endless repetition exercises or something else, but you will be doing it, - or you will fail to progress. In which case the new keyboard will find its way to that same cupboard as the Tyros, within a year.
Mike
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Hi Guys :
From now on it is up to Scannie and find out what he really wants and expects.
If I were Scannie and I should be seriously motivated, like he says, I would follow one of mikf's wise advices and look for " a good arranger teacher " asap ( see Internet : teachers on line e.g. ) ... but .. who am I ...
to tell him what he has to do ? ;)
Amen.
All the best, JH
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Agree with all that's been said.
Being 'comfortable' when you sit down to play, and knowing where the notes are without looking down from the music is key.
I remember the first time I played a full sized organ. My tutor compared playing the pedals to driving a car. Do you, as a car driver, ever look at the pedals? No of course not. But this was a car with 36 pedals... and I was 11 years young.... But learn it I did. Constant practice, heeling and toeing, using the swell and coupler stop buttons etc .... So yes.... Being comfortable with notes and chords is a must for modern arrangers. Learning and constant practice is essential.
But the one thing that I could do.... Play by ear.... I cannot do any more.... Because it was instilled in my head that it was not acceptable /wrong. So I know from personal experience that a bad teacher is worse than useless. It kills the enthusiasm quicker than anything else.
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Scannie
You will find this book worth while to get started:
https://kupdf.net/download/complete-keyboard-player-1pdf_59883ab0dc0d60e845300d1a_pdf
There is a very good course on chords on our web site:
https://psrtutorial.com/music/chords.html
As well these lessons will be useful
https://psrtutorial.com/lessons/index.html
Regards
Ed B
Hi Scannie the post by Ed B is perfect, as you don't read music yet, also you could look at EZ play books that have the name of the note typed on the note, you could put a note sticker on the keys of your keyboard so you can find then easier, and correspond with the music. Unfortunately there is no quick way of learning music I been doing it for 58 years and I'm still learning until my lights go out.
IMHO playing along with midi's is not the answer at beginner stage, your timing has to be spot on and you need to keep up with it, and don't expect to play like Klaus Wunderlich within a year unless you gifted. Mike suggested get some arranger lessons, that is good advice, and it would be better if those lessons were one to one face to face, why you may ask? the reason is to make you accountable so you will have to put the time in to impress your tutor other wise it's likely your find an excuse not to practice then your keyboard will gather dust, as you say it is like learning a foreign language, you still need to practice and put in the time to get the right words in the right order, you don't want to order jellied eel's when you want roast chicken.
Here is my version of Always on my mind, that you want to play no midi was used just an onboard style - I read music and I probably took several takes to get it to this standard, You need to walk before you can run
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRCtts2zdlo
Congratulations on getting your new keyboard and enjoy it the way you want to, we started at the same place but at different times in our lives and make the most of your musical journey
Del
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If you are looking to learn to play the piano quickly use this teacher.
https://www.youtube.com/user/pianoguytv
This Guy teaches you how to read music BUT better still also by EAR.
Using an arranger you only need to focus on your RIGHT hand. You can use the simple Chord method with your LEFT hand. You could later learn the full chord (but you won't need to really).
I watched this Guy for a couple of years off and on (on a PBS tv station). Purchased a simple arranger keyboard and within 45 mins was playing the thing after watching this Guy example the C scale.
If you want his "Play Piano in a Flash" book, PM for it.
Just sayin' ... His video lessons worked for me.
I was 53 at the time.
Drake
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I'm 76 years old, and here's my quick story. Many years ago I took organ lessons and learned to read music enough to get by. As the years passed I lost interest for a while. My old Cassio CD470 keyboard was placed in a cupboard where it stayed for years. I've always loved piano, the Cassio had a great piano tone. I guess the desire to play again still haunted me, however, I lost the use of my right hand, wrist, and fingers, for my playing days were over. With just my left hand I now had to adapt and get by as best as possible. While listening to piano performers on Utube, I came across a player with only a left hand. Oh boy, could he play! what a challenge would it be to play like him. I set myself this challenge, I was determined to play again, I knew it would take patience and hours of practice, but I was determined to work at it. I still practice for an hour or more each day, 5 years on I can play reasonably well, mainly slow tunes, but with small improvements over time. I will not give up, yes I find it difficult but I'm making progress.
No matter how difficult it may seem to learn to play and read music, you will succeed if you have the willpower and patience, to make it happen, and in time you'll become proficient. Just stick at it.
Kind Regards Dupe
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Hey Dupe :
WOW ! 💪
I am very impressed by your story.☝️☝️☝️
Thank you so much for sharing it here.
You made my day !🤓
Best wishes, JH
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But so far not a single person as started from absolute zero. They had played another instrument, dabbled in lessons when young etc.
One of the reasons I asked the question is that I am not sure I have actually come across anyone starting very late in life, from absolute zero, who stuck at it long enough to be successful. I think the explanation for that is that if you have a musical inclination you will have tried at some point before. Maybe gave up for whatever reason. The arranger has been your second try much later in life, and its easy play technique combined with some previous experience, and musical inclination, however little, allowed you to succeed this time round.
Maybe Scannie can be a first.
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hi Mike,
I see your point and you're most probably right: joy for music playing doesn't come all of sudden at older age. It's inside us since our childhood.. or it's not. And if it is, then there's very big probability, that we already had contact with some instrument way back... because we just "needed to do it".
So, what are the chances for someone older, who starts at zero? Yes, probably quite slim. Not because of age, I think. The question is, is there that particular "I just need to play" force?.. or is only "I would like to play" wish.
Regardless, it's worth to try -because it's a great hobby.
Bogdan
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It will not be easy ( as I said before ) but ... one never knows. :)
Hopefully Scannie will keep us posted how S is progressing.
S seems to be very motivated and motivation can lead to miracles.
Time will tell ... I hope S will be successful. :D
All the best, JH
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Meanwhile, many responses to the fact that I have no music experience whatsoever.
Indeed, I also believe 90% quit. I did the same myself when I had the Tyros 2 on loan. I thought I could play quickly then.
Now I am different. Every time I hear certain music I want to play it.
I know it's not an easy road.
The keyboard has many options and settings. But I consciously do not use them. I want to concentrate on playing music and not explore all the possibilities of the keyboard. By now I am studying the basics of music.
I also really appreciate your support.
Want to explore yousician further.
And only learn one piece of music via midi.
I am away from home for a week now but will get started after that.
I want to belong to the 10% and of course I will keep you informed.
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Hi Scannie, I found this link for you, It's for "Android" not sure if it's available on Windows or IOS, I have an old Android tablet and used this piano/ trainer on it. It allows you to learn musical notes by entering the piano keys on your touchscreen as the notes appear. The idea is to hit the correct piano key each time a music note appears on your screen. The app gives you a score, for each note you hit correctly matching the music note. If that all makes sense. Anyway here is the link. https://m.apkpure.com/virtual-piano-trainer/com.odt.PianoNoteCoach. Will help you 100% it worked for me.
BTW I also have an SX700
Keep on playing, and it will eventually all begin to happen.
Kind Regards Dupe
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One month later....I am still enjoying the keyboard :) and positively motivated.
After all your support and good advice contributed to that.
Things are progressing with (very) small steps. Am practicing only with playing the melody. All options that this keyboard has I do not use (yet).
I have a collection of midi and have extracted simple music from it. I am trying to learn the melody.
For some songs it's easy to find the correct keys.
But I have one midi song and can't find the melody on my keyboard.
It seems they used notes which aren't available on my keyboard :-*
I wonder if that is the right way to go. Or should I read the notes from sheet music and find the keys blind?
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hello scannie,
There are tools for midi files that show you which keys are needed to be pressed. For example Piano from above (https://piano-from-above.software.informer.com/) (free) looks like this:
(https://img.informer.com/screenshots/5319/5319105_1.jpg)
Only you know which learning method is the easiest for you...
...Or should I read the notes from sheet music and find the keys blind?
You can't learn new song by trying to play blind. It's not the goal to play blind.. playing blind comes by itself after a LOT of practicing and after you already know how to play particular song -and even then you will need to peek on keybed occasionally.
Bogdan
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For those of you still wanting a comparison between the Yamaha and the Korg arranger boards, I had the PA 1000 and absolutely loved it. However, wanting to buy another mid-range arranger board, I choose the SX 700 or 900.
With the PA 1000 I couldn’t believe how rich and deep the onboard speakers were, the quality of the styles made me feel like I had top Notch studio players on call, and the front panel guitar and vocal Controls were phenomenal, with volume knobs, mute effects, etc.
However I was extremely disappointed with the action, it just felt loose and lousy, having AT was nice but in no way made up for the subpar action. And while it has incredible editing of the sounds and styles, it was just too complicated for me, ended up wasting a lot of time just learning the system and never really getting up to speed.
I have heard the sx700 and 900 are very user-friendly, and for me that’s vital. And the chord looping capability of the SX 900 is a great feature.
Having recently bought the Yamaha EW425, I’m very disappointed with the sound quality, it feels like most of the sounds are two layers so you’re either being soft-moderate or moderate-loud, totally unacceptable.
So I am in the market at for a new arranger Board, or any board that gives me decent on board speakers, decent quality sounds, and preferably 76 keys, but I know that’s a tall order, esp needing to keep the price down to $1k to 1.5k. Am also considering the Yamaha CK – 61. Any suggestions?
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PSR-SX 700 or SX 900 will do all you need.
Check the specs on both to decide what you need, or don't.
Once you've worked with them you'll be hooked.
They are both fabulous arranger keyboards.
Keith
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The PA1000 has absolutely amazing speakers, yes, particularly the bass response. If you can afford the PSRsx900, the speakers aren't quite as bassy (but close) but even a smidge clearer (4 amplifiers vs 2 to drive 4 speakers). But if you're not looking at arranger functions, yes the CX61 is a pleasant surprise on the built in speakers. Not as great as these 2 arrangers, but surprisingly good for 'hidden' speakers. And the CX has very nice piano and organ sounds.
Alas, neither the sx700 nor sx900 is at the $1100 mark, although the sx700 does come in close to $1500 usd (not even close in $cdn though)
Mark
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hello Randyman,
As Mark mentioned (above), with a price set to $1000-1500, you don't really have that much choices right now (keyboard market is quite dry these days)... and as you already had Pa1000 in past, I think you'll probably be disappointed with everything that you can get for that money -unless you are prepared to make big compromises.
I never had Korg (I only know what I could read and heard on internet), so I can hardly compare it with Yamaha. You say Pa1000 was complicated to use?.. so the question is what is better: not being confused because there just aren't that many options, or having a lot of options and simply not use all of them? Yes, I've heard that Pa1000 (and below) don't have that good keybed... but then, that's true for PSR-SX too -I guess that's the price we pay thing.
I'm surprised that you bough EW425 after having Pa1000 and so I'm not surprised that you are disappointed. And after you were very pleased with Pa1000 sound, you mention CK61, which has "hidden" speakers and is in general totally different keyboard category. In short, I'm not sure what you are looking for.
Still, my advice would be, get Medeli AKX10 (https://www.americanmusical.com/medeli-akx10-61-key-arranger-keyboard-workstation/p/MEDAKX10) -feature wise it's between PSR-SX700 and SX900 (and you save a lot of money) or Yamaha PSR-SX600 (https://www.americanmusical.com/yamaha-psrsx600-61-key-arranger-keyboard/p/YAM-PSRSX600-LIST) -if worth, Medeli would be my 1st choice.
Bogdan
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Depends on priorities, but don’t ignore the DGX, it is a great price, and maybe the best value keyboard in the market. It has a much better keyboard and most arranger features. Not maybe the full range of features but most nonetheless a good overall choice for many.
Mike