Topic: new Style Creator video tutorial for SX900/700

[p$manK32]

New Style Creator video tutorial out for SX900/700. Cool. Leigh Wilbraham’s tutorials are easy to follow.

https://youtu.be/2pT-foIIT8k?si=CP_TGs5NHkM8qFQY

[BogdanH]

Hmmm.. it's obvious that the author of the video knows how to create a style. But I see this video more a "see how I'm doing it" rather than "how you should start". What I'm saying is, he forgot how it is being a newbie and so I ask myself, how many newbies will actually start creating styles after watching this video.
Ok, maybe video is not meant for newbies... but if that's the case, for who is it then?

Just my opinion,
Bogdan

[p$manK32]

Bogdan,
I think the video is definitely for Style Creator newbies. He did a similar video in the past with Genos. I think Leigh is just getting the viewer’s feet wet, ie. getting us familiar with the interface, menu tabs, making a simple rhythm, offering some tips & tricks, rather than real advice on how to approach making a style. I had been modifying styles in Style Creator but this video has given me some tips to begin to making one from initialization. But the point you raise does make me realize that there are very few out there who will explain for beginning arrangers how to really approach making a style, as that involves a lot more music composition concepts that may not be practical to teach, especially in a video.

Rich

[Bill]

Hmmm.. it's obvious that the author of the video knows how to create a style. But I see this video more a "see how I'm doing it" rather than "how you should start".

Hi Bogdan

Who is to say “How it should be done”. At least he is trying to encourage people to have a go. 
Bill

[p$manK32]

At least he is trying to encourage people to have a go. 

Agree, and this video can help at least build 4 variations from scratch. I think his brief demo of how to create an intro is where a person’s songwriting abilities (or lack of) comes into play. Many probably can’t intuitively create something like that from scratch.

[Divemaster]

Hi Bogdan

Who is to say “How it should be done”. At least he is trying to encourage people to have a go. 
Bill

I think Bill makes a very good point here.

I would suggest that a very high proportion of us arranger players aren't professional musicians, never will be and will never even want to do anything except Play their keyboards for enjoyment.

So anything that promotes interest for us is good.
Tuition is interesting, but make it too technical, too over the top, too boring, and it just turns people turn off. That's why Lee's clips are watchable and interesting.

Sure, we can bog ourselves down with mind numbing correctness, but why? Why would we bother? We're just playing for enjoyment. That's our level and we're quite happy at that level.

I might just try making a style, using this interesting tutorial, but it's no big deal if it doesn't work out, or suit anyone else. You could say that of most styles anyway.

Just a bit more knowledge... Which surely is good.

Keith

[BogdanH]

I didn't say "how it should be done", I said "how you should start". Let me clarify what I mean...

First, a beginner would never start creating a style from scratch by using four bars! Usually a beginner doesn't even know when and why to use more than one bar. Remember, we can play any song with a style that has only one bar (great to start with), but that's not the case if style has four bars.
Besides that, if Variation-A has four bars, who says all variations will also need four bars (as suggested in video)? -newbie needs explanations.

Second, SFF section in Style Creator isn't even mentioned in video. Without that being even basically explained, it's impossible to make a style that does exactly what we want -which is the whole point of custom style creation.
Because author decided to show generic style creation, it isn't really important how notes will be interpreted at changing chords. However for style that's more song specific, that's crucial! -yes, we usually want to make a style for certain song.
There's more, but I'll leave at that...

Again, I don't criticize that video (which is enjoyable to watch). I'm only saying that it's definitely not meant for beginners.

Bogdan

[p$manK32]

Bogdan,

Thanks for expanding on your critique. I agree the number of bars explanation was glossed over and at one point he said something like “4 bars is the most popular to use” whatever that means. So I like your 1 bar suggestion. We should keep in mind his intention in the video was to get the feet wet and not include tons of detail in the amount of time he wanted to spend. I’ll be watching the video several more times.

There were a few interesting points he made. One was he said to play a Cmaj7 chord during Style Creator channel recording (like Pad) instead of C because the “computer will fill in the gaps better” for chord recognition. I had not heard this before and will experiment with it. Another one was he showed you can temporarily exit Style Creator without saving so that you can fully audition with your chord progressions, then as long as you don’t choose another style, you can go back into Style Creator and continue working.

Rich

[BogdanH]

hi Rich,

... We should keep in mind his intention in the video was to get the feet wet and not include tons of detail in the amount of time he wanted to spend.
...

You're right. Even to explain basics in a way that a beginner can understand, it would require much longer video or better, several shorter chapters. But then, it's not easy to make a good tutorial.

There were a few interesting points he made. One was he said to play a Cmaj7 chord during Style Creator channel recording (like Pad) instead of C because the “computer will fill in the gaps better” for chord recognition.

I admit I missed that and so I have no idea what he meant... I mean, Cmaj7 is default setting for every channel anyway. Maybe because it's seen as universal chord that in "most cases" gives expected results in styles.
However, I see "computer will fill in the gaps better" a bit misleading. Cmaj7 is in no way better than other chords -which chord we choose depends entirely on our need.
I think that's one of the things that would require separate video chapter

For those who may think "if you know better, then why don't you make a tutorial.." -I agree with you 

Greetings,
Bogdan

[Bill]

Another video, this time on Genos 2

https://youtu.be/Tr96nBhGpXs?si=QLBUVEbZvyDV7LRd

Bill

[p$manK32]

I just joined his Genos Club. I like it so far. Fresh content like high quality styles, a great strings voice pack, registrations, tips etc. with SX900 compatible files.

[dlepera]

Folks,,

 If I may, let me jump in on this discussion.  Let me set the stage here first of all. I am a "NEWBIE: to style creation.  I have had my SX700 from the day I registered(Dec 2020) on this great forum.  Had no idea what an arranger was or how to use it. To cut to the chase after all this time and everyone's support, I have just completed the "pad creation" and now starting to move to the next and very complex level which is "style creation".  I play  by ear, can't read a single note, but can make my SX700 with all the existing, styles, pads, midi's and great functionality, sing and dance the way that I want, evolving day after day and expanding the beautiful sounds and music which this keyboard is intended to do.   

   The major draw back that I have today is finding styles for those songs that I really enjoy and would like to play. Many that do not exist on this forum so I have to improvise and find something that strikes my particular fancy and for the most part I do and some songs sound even better "To Me" than the originals. They are my creation and give me my musical enjoyment and appreciation of my keyboard, not to mentions those that I play for as well.

   So with that said, I am looking for anything that I can find on style creator so that I can really start to understand more, really appreciate and even "maybe" create styles for my own personal needs that can bring more music to my ears!

   So when I viewed the utube(s) that has been commented, I think that Boghan hit the nail on the head when he said it is not really for a newbie. My personal view and opinion on this subject post.

  While I suppose it's a great video with a wealth of information, it is what I consider a "high school" level tutorial.  I was still lost throughout most of it and that does not do the author justice for his time and effort put into the tutorial with his goal to educate someone like me. We are not all teachers and for many of experienced people experience can sometimes be our downfall if we can not  take many steps back and get down to basics first and then evolve to the level that we think others really do understand. Of course that depends on the audience that the video is intended for.  We assume perhaps more than we should with a higher expectation of the audience.   The same is true from my perspective again on the second video later in this post. After everything that I saw in the videos , I don't think I am too much ahead and still in the dark.

   Now, I did find something on Utube that I think would be of greater value for a "newbie" at least it was for me and allowed me to progress forward with some comfort and better understanding on this subject.  This is a multi-part tutorial which teaches in my opinion at a "Secondary school' level and not "High school"

   Check this out, there are three parts to this tutorial, teaches more at a basic level with less assumptions. This gives me more of a drive to want to learn the next steps. Let's not talk beats yet, while an understanding of them is an integral part of the style creator, let's first under stand the menus, terminology  and functionality. 

 I see this like someone teaching me to drive a car much better than I drive it today. Yes you can start it, press the brake, pump the gas pedal and turn on electronics, """woopie"""", your happy and ready to go right? Wrong!!!.. You were not told that it is a standard shift car and you have no idea of how to use the clutch pedal in conjunction with the gear shifter and accelerator. Not like the automatic that you are used too. Anyway I don't want to sound like I am rambling on.

   With all due respect here to the authors, your efforts to education us/me is very much appreciated along with your good intensions, but setting the stage for the audience can add a greater value to the performance.

https://www.google.com/search?q=yamaha+style+creation+totorial+part+1&sca_esv=aebe26f82b518f17&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C1CHBD_enCA839CA839&ei=TcIIZoW2Neq3ptQP-4GoqAk&ved=0ahUKEwjFkOO2sp2FAxXqm4kEHfsACpUQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=yamaha+style+creation+totorial+part+1&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiJXlhbWFoYSBzdHlsZSBjcmVhdGlvbiB0b3RvcmlhbCBwYXJ0IDEyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBEjKJVDkCVjTDnABeAGQAQCYAW6gAdQEqgEDMi40uAEDyAEA-AEBmAIDoALmAcICChAAGEcY1gQYsAOYAwDiAwUSATEgQIgGAZAGBZIHAzEuMqAHohk&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:61b78e2f,vid:rTs5mqxy8TY,st:0

     Regards dom