Topic: Search for modern styles for e.g. Soul-Jazz/Funk/Smooth-Jazz/Jazz-Rock

[Improvisor]

Hello, I make music since many years. I have 3 workstations: an very old Yamaha PSR-9000, 1 Yamaha Motif XS-8 and 1 Yamaha Montage 8.
Mainly I produce soundtracks. But to mix up my soundtracks I need also some music belongs to Soul-Jazz, Smooth-Jazz, Funk and Jazz-Rock like e.g. George Benson, Peter White, Pat Metheny, Earth Wind & Fire, Lee Ritenour.
I produce all my music "live": improvising on accompaniment/chords and solo instruments. Afterwards I cut of the best out of my recordings. This works for me pretty good, cause I don't want to play songs or don't make new cover versions.
It should be my own music. Important: I don't make entertainer music and have no need for e.g. songs. I need only styles to play free my own improvised music.

I downloaded meanwhile over the years all styles from the prstutorial page, which I use with the Giglad software, where I can revoice every instruments with hundrets of several VST instruments.

If I go through all the styles in psrtutorial it is easy to find out, that on the end there are only 50-80 different styles even there are thousands of styles accessible; it is always the the same since over 20 years.
Also e.g. all the Genos styles depends a lot on my old PSR-9000 styles. There is nothing new. It is always typical "wedding music" for entertainers.
And style names which includes e.g. Funk, Smooth-Jazz, Hip-Hop, Soul, Fusion are not the real genres which stays for. There is a big misunderstandig of the real genres behind ;-)

I tried to work with midi and multi midi files to convert them into styles to get my genres. But this doesn't work, cause all the midi files depends on whole songs and on the end of not adjustable chords, cause they a playing chord sequences of the whole song.

Do you have recommandations, who is producing and providing REAL Soul-Jazz, Smooth-Jazz, Funk, Jazz-Rock, Soul styles?

[EileenL]

Have you tried listening to some on the Yamaha Music Sort site. They have a lot of new styles there.

[Improvisor]

Have you tried listening to some on the Yamaha Music Sort site. They have a lot of new styles there.

Yes, I checked them all via Google

[pjd]

Hi Improvisor --

I had similar frustrations. So, I produced and converted some styles using content from Yamaha keyboards that are oriented toward contemporary music (funk, soul, jazz).

Please give these a try. They're free. 

http://sandsoftwaresound.net/motif-styles-for-your-arranger/
http://sandsoftwaresound.net/free-djx-ii-styles-version-2/

The MOTIF styles are based on the funkier MOTIF performances.

The DJX II styles are converted from DJX II patterns. They behave like "DJ styles", having the chord progression cooked in. These styles follow the root note, but not the chord type.

I have another collection in the works. It seems like there is always another shiny object to chase... 

All the best -- pj

Music technology blog: sandsoftwaresound.net

[Improvisor]

I had similar frustrations. So, I produced and converted some styles using content from Yamaha keyboards that are oriented toward contemporary music (funk, soul, jazz).

I have another collection in the works. It seems like there is always another shiny object to chase... 

Hi @pjd, thanks for the links. I already known them and downloaded 2 both named sets :-)
Cause I have two Yamaha Workstations (Montage 8, Motif XS8) I already know the provides styles.

When think about Smooth-Jazz or Soul-Jazz or Jazz-Rock or Soul or Fusion/Jazz-Rock...what Artits/Bands do you think about?

I think e.g. about Lee Ritenour, Peter White, Fourplay, Ramsey Lewis, Santana (instrumental titles), Roy Ayers, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Earth Wind & Fire, Euge Groove, Shakatak,Rodney Franklin, Pat Metheny, Mezzoforte......

On which collection to you actual work?

[Improvisor]

The DJX II styles are converted from DJX II patterns. They behave like "DJ styles", having the chord progression cooked in. These styles follow the root note, but not the chord type.

I gave this style library DJX II a second "trial" in revoicing the tracks in Giglad. YES....there are great styles in your collection :-)

Many thanks!

[pjd]

Hi --

I'm glad those styles are helping you.

As to working with the styles, I just use styles for practice, experiments, etc. As to playing, I normally play against MIDI or audio backing tracks.

WRT artists, I've listened to all of those artists from time to time. I would attach my list of registrations, but this site doesn't allow upload of .TXT. (Ridiculous.) There's Herbie, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Cannonball, Herbie Mann, Ramsey Lewis and a slew of soul/jazz artists. I just love the stuff. I like far out early fusion like Julian Priester and Mahavishnu, too.

Then there are the jazzier forms of downtempo. I'd like to move in that direction.

Hope this helps -- pj

[Improvisor]

As to working with the styles, I just use styles for practice, experiments, etc. As to playing, I normally play against MIDI or audio backing tracks.

Hi, I also tried it with MIDI and backing tracks. I'm miss here the opportunity to play/improvise completely free with my "own" chords/melodies.
This is the reason why I work actual with styles.
Working with your styles means there to "cut of" the fixed melody tracks. Even improvising wouldn't be possible.

Do you have experience with Multitrack MiDI files or backing tracks, where I can use my own chords and improvise my "own" melodies?
What I would prevent is playing through fixed "songs". I don't want to produce cover versions ;-)

[pjd]

Do you have experience with Multitrack MiDI files or backing tracks, where I can use my own chords and improvise my "own" melodies?

By their very nature, MIDI song files are static in so far as the content cannot be modified in real-time, i.e., cannot follow improvised chords as you play them, change sections, etc. Most MIDI sequencers are linear and play-back from beginning to end.

Yamaha styles are actually standard MIDI files (SMF) with the addition of sections (chunks) for OTS and transposition rules.  Rename the extension to .MID and they can be opened in a DAW. Each main section of a style is essentially a MIDI loop which is transposed (and/or re-arranged) to follow improvised chords. The sections are indicated by MIDI markers.

As to melody in a MIDI file, simply turn off the melody track.  Pretty much what I do when I play along.

I don't see an easy or direct way to have this kind of control over an audio backing track. Best one can do is use Ableton Live, but it's not the same as playing an arranger (of course).

Might want to search around for jazz composition programs which generate accompaniment on-the-fly.

All the best -- pj

[pjd]

Working with your styles means there to "cut of" the fixed melody tracks. Even improvising wouldn't be possible.

My Motif styles don't have melody parts. The DJX II styles are converted from Yamaha's patterns. Some tracks in the DJX II styles border on melody. If a part (track) gets in the way, I suggest muting it.

-- pj