(part 19)
The operating system is fundamentally the same for Tyros/Tyros2/Tyros3, PSR1/2/3000/ S700/S900 series keyboards and CVP200/300/400 Clavinovas.
A Whiter Shade of Pale - A multi-track recording Fig.1 I recently found myself trying to explain to a quite experienced keyboard player how the Ai Fingering mode works. He was attempting to record Procol Harum’s legendary rock anthem ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ and needed to create the obligatory descending bass line. In the end we both decided that an easier (and more accurate) route could be achieved by pre-programming the chords required for the accompaniment using the ‘step-write’ facility (thoughtfully provided on most of the Yamaha keyboard and Clavinova range) before recording the melody parts ‘live’ over the top. When we’d finished we thought the result was so good I thought I’d share it with you... On the PSR-S900 the style selected by Music Finder is the Organ Ballad, Main Variation A. Unfortunately the Preparation OTS-1 setting linked to this provides a guitar as the melody voice - which is not quite what I had in mind It’s exactly a year since we last looked at the step- for this iconic Hammond organ showpiece. Luckily the record feature and in that workshop I showed you how OTS-2 has just the right sound and, by switching the to prepare and create a chord sequence for the accompaniment style variation from [Main A] to [Main ragtime classic ‘The Entertainer’. I don’t really want to B], things begin to sound as they ought. go back in detail over the ground we covered then - because I’m sure those who need to are perfectly I adjusted the tempo a little too. The original Music capable of seeking out the April/May 2008 edition of Finder setting sets the speed of the accompaniment at Yamaha Club Magazine for themselves. If your 78 b.p.m. but I prefer this just a little slower at 75 b.p.m. magazine is missing (presumed lost, borrowed or If you’d like to check out the Procol Harum version stolen) you’ll be able to download the workshop from there’s a link to You Tube from the Yamaha Club the Club’s website where you’ll find a copy stored in website where you can see (and hear) Procol Harum’s the archive. original ‘Whiter Shade’ video. It’s worth a visit - if only Go to [Members Area] - [Archive] - and look for to get a feel for the piece. Keyboard Performer Series 3 - Archive 0041. Having made all the changes I want to, I store the complete registration setting in the Registration Finding an appropriate style and the sound... Memory. As always I head straight for the Music Finder list. I’m Note: I also edited the Music Finder record for ‘A keyboard workshop often successful in locating the tune I want here but Whiter Shade...’ . From now on my preferences for today, with a song as popular as A Whiter Shade Of style variation, OTS setting and tempo will be called up Pale, I’m more than usually confident of finding the title whenever the title is selected. As this plays no part in in the list. the current exercise, however, I’ll have to leave you to When you call up the Music Finder record (fig.1) - by find out how to do it yourself - but, should you want to scrolling down the list to highlight the title and do the same, the procedure for editing and creating pressing [Enter] - an accompaniment style is selected new records is covered on the Yamaha Club’s tutorial together with one of the OTS settings associated with it. DVD ‘Getting Started - Exploring Music Finder’.
12 APRIL / MAY 2009 The chords (creating an event list) the notes you want. Whilst experts such as James Sargeant I always like to write down an ‘event list’ of the chords I’ll and Richard Bower make the use of Ai look easy I’ve never need - before I start to enter them in the step-write program. managed to feel completely at home with the system. It’s nothing grand. I just jot down the chords in the order that My theory is that, by recording the chords in step-time, I’ll they are to be played, together with an indication of how have time to work out the best inversion of each chord to get many beats each chord lasts for. the correct result - before committing it to the recording. I use the ‘Fingered On Bass’ fingering mode to enter the Here is my event list for A Whiter Shade... chords into the program. For me this offers the easiest I make a note of the chord (e.g. ‘Cm’), and the bass note if it solution because all I have to do is make sure the bass note is not the normal root of the chord (e.g. /Bb). This is followed I want is at the bottom of each chord I play. by the chord’s duration (e.g. :2). I select the Fingered On Bass mode by pressing [Direct A chord written, therefore, in my event list as [Cm/Eb:2] tells Access] followed by the [ACMP] button. This calls up the me that I should enter a Cminor chord on an Eb bass for the Chord Fingering page where a list of the various types is duration of two beats. displayed (fig.2).
In an attempt to make the sequence a little easier for your eyes to follow I’ve arranged the chords in groups of eight beats, and coloured each alternate line...
Intro: [C:8 Intro 3]
Organ Solo section: [C:2] [C/B:2] [Am:2] [Am/G:2] [F:2] [F/E:2] [Dm:2] [Dm/C:2] [G:2] [G/F:2] [Em:2] [G7/D:2] [C:1] [C/E:1] [F:2] [G:2] [F/A:1] [G7/B:1]
Verse 1 (“We skipped the light fandango...”) [C:2] [C/B:2] [Am:2] [Am/G:2] Fig.2: A description of the Fingering Type you select is provided in the display. [F:2] [F/E:2] [Dm:2] [Dm/C:½] [Dm:½] [Dm/E:½] [Dm/F:½] [G:2] [G/F:2] [Em:2] [G7/F:½] [G7:½] [G7/A:½] [G7/B:½] If I am to successfully play chords such as C/Bb with the Bb [C:2] [C/B:2] [Am:2] [Em/G:1] [Em/F:½] [Em/E:½] at the bottom of the chord I’ll need more room in the chord section of the keyboard - and this is achieved by moving the [F:2] [F/E:2] [Dm:2] [Dm/C:½] [Dm:½] [Dm/E:½] [Dm/F:½] split point. [G:2] [G/F:2] [Em:2] [G7/F:½] [G7:½] [G7/A:½] [G7/B:½] [C:2] [C/B:2] [Am:2] [Em/G:1] [Em/F:½] [Em:½] [F:2] [F/E:2] [Dm:2] [G:2] [C:2] [C/B:2] [Am:2] [C/G:1] [C/F:½] [C/E:½] [F:2] [F/E:2] [Dm:2] [Dm/C:½] [Dm/D:½] [Dm/E:½] [Dm/F:½] [G:2] [G/F:2] [Em:2] [G7/D:2] [C:1] [C/D:½] [C/E:½] [F:1] [F/G:½] [F/A:½]
Link to verse 2 [C:1] [C/B:½] [C/A:½] [G7:½] [G7/F:½] [G7/E:½] [G7/D½]
Verse 2 (“She said there is no reason...”) Repeat both ‘Organ Solo’ and ‘Verse 1’ sections.
Ending Fig.3: Moving the split point higher up the keyboard gives me more room to play ‘on-bass’ chords. [C:2 Ending 1]
You can move the split point as high up the keyboard as you Playing ‘on-bass’ chords like because you’ll only use this setting during the There are a great many ‘on bass’ chords in this sequence programming of the chords. The setting illustrated in fig.3 (e.g. C/B) where the bass note is not the root note of the should give me plenty of room to play any inversion of the chord. In live performance Yamaha’s Ai Fingering mode can chords I’ll need for ‘Whiter Shade...’. help you ‘force’ the accompaniment style’s bass part to play
APRIL / MAY 2009 13 Entering the chords in the program 4 I enter the chords from the event list one by one, Now is a good time to re-read my workshop article making sure the correct duration is selected for from last year. If you’ve already got the gist of it you’ll each chord - and that the bass note is the bottom know that the step-write chord sequencer is part of the note of each chord. keyboard’s Song Creator function. To access it... Examples of how to play ‘on-bbass’ chords: 1 Press [Function] - [Digital Record Menu] - [Song Chord C...... C, E, G (Root position C chord on a C bass) Creator] - then tab to the Chord page in the Song Chord C/B...... B, C, E, G (Root position C chord on a B bass) Creator display. Chord Am...... A, C, E (Root position Am chord on an A bass)
Fig.4 Chord Am/G.. G, A, C, E (Root position Am chord on an G bass)
Chord Dm...... D, F, A (Root position Dm chord on a D bass)
Chord Dm/C.. C, D, F, A (Root position Dm chord on a C bass) 5 When all the chords have been entered I press the [Exit] button to return to the Chord page (fig.6) where I select [Save]...
Fig.6
In readiness to follow my ‘event list’ (outlined on the previous page) I’d already pressed the [Intro 3] button on the panel - and, as you can see in fig.4, this is entered into the program. Don’t worry if you didn’t do this - it’s easily added later. You should also see the name of the style - Organ Ballad - at bar position 001 at the top of the screen. 2 Now we’re ready to add the chords, so press the 6 And give the song a name (fig.7). [Step Rec] button... Fig.6 Fig.5
Intro 3 is eight bars long
½ beat (eighth) 7 Then press [OK] to save it on the Song ‘User’ page. bar/beat counter 1 beat (quarter bar) 2 beats (half bar) Until next time... 4 beats (full bar) And that’s where it must stay until the next time we keyboard workshop meet when we’ll add section changes, fills and, if And... if you didn’t already press the [Intro 3] there’s time, start to record some extra parts over the button, do so now. accompaniment. 3 The display (fig.5) shows that Intro 3 is eight bars I hope you manage to complete this part of the long - so I select the 4-beat (full bar) chord duration workshop successfully. If you get completely lost, and play a C major chord eight times. The bar counter email [email protected] and he’ll send you a at the bottom of the screen registers each entry copy of the ’Stage 1’ file so you can join with me again and, when I’ve finished, indicates that bar 9 is next... next time when we’ll continue the theme...
14 APRIL / MAY 2009