10-02-2024, 01:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-15-2025, 09:43 PM by Hugh Wallington.)
Changing STYLES as you play through a song
When you play a song, how do you go about changing the STYLE as you play through it? Or do you just stick to the same backing from beginning to end? Most people, once they have made their minds up which Style they are going to use just stick to the same one, and switch between MAIN VARIATION A, B, C, and D. Yamaha have programmed these so that as you move along up the letters the STYLE gets busier and busier.
Here's an example of using the same STYLE right through a piece and changing the STYLE VARIATION as you go along.
Aber Dich gibt's nur einmal für mich • Tyros4
This video has had over 4 million views, and over 10,000 'likes'. Yes, a lovely piece of music to listen to!
But sticking to the same STYLE from the beginning of the song to the end is not always the best way to play something. In the above, if you listen to what the bass player is doing you will not hear much of a change between one variation and another. And listen to what the drummer is doing. He plays a heavy 'off beat' right through the piece from beginning to end. The backing you use should form part of the 'arrangement' of the song, and sometimes this can mean changing the backing completely. You will then get a different bass part, and a different drum beat.
So how do you go about finding other STYLES that may fit parts of your song? Or even decide which STYLE to use in the first place.
**Note**: The whole idea of doing what I am suggesting below is to check through several STYLES quickly, keeping the TEMPO the same. How else would you know if a STYLE would suit the song you are playing?
Set your keyboard up so it is playing a STYLE (you have to have the ACMP ON) and set the TEMPO to what you want. Don't have a LEFT HAND VOICE, don't have the OTS LINK on, and don't play a melody. Just play some chords and listen to what the drummer, the bass player and the backing PARTS are doing. While you are playing some chords, switch the MAIN VARIATION from A, to B, to C, to D and make a mental note of what these are doing.
Important: Don't stop the STYLE from playing. Press a CATEGORY button in the STYLE section, and press the button next to a STYLE you want to try. The STYLE will start playing, not at the 'default' TEMPO showing by the Style Name, but at the TEMPO you have the keyboard set at. At this point you can try out the A, B, C and D VARIATIONS to see what they sound like. Then choose another STYLE in that category and see what that sounds like. Check the A, B, C and D VARIATIONS. Maybe then try a completely different CATEGORY and try a STYLE from that.
Note that I am not 'saving' anything to a Registration Memory at the moment. I am just listening to what these various STYLES sound like, and if any of them would suit the song I am going to play. I know this is the age of technology, but a piece of paper and a pencil wouldn't go amiss to jot down any STYLES that catch your eye (or maybe I should say, catch your ear as listening is the important bit).
I will repeat here, the essence of all this is to keep the keyboard playing while you are changing STYLES and listening. If you stop the style playing then any new styles you choose will revert back to their 'default' TEMPO. Below is a DEMO of doing this. I have set up the keyboard with Danzon from the Category LATIN, at a TEMPO of 128. Then switched to Bossa Nova in the same Category. Next, Country Blues from COUNTRY, followed by Pickin' Swing from the same Category. Then 60's Guitar Pop from POP & ROCK, followed by Bubblegum Pop from the same Category. Then Swingfox from BALLROOM .. and finally Jive from the same Category. Note that by not 'stopping' the STYLE from playing, all these are at the TEMPO of 128 that I chose at the start. For this recording I have kept the MAIN VARIATION on C for all of them.
STYLES from various CATEGORIES, all at a TEMPO of 128
https://app.box.com/s/zmtwx3mgsh35s9chrw96ckjwtg720fvk
**Note:** If your keyboard is switching to the ‘default’ TEMPO every time you change the STYLE, even though you are keeping the keyboard ‘playing’ whilst doing it, then your SETTINGS need changing.
Press the FUNCTION button in MENU.
In the next screen, choose STYLE SETTING / SPLIT POINT / CHORD FINGERING.
This is the screen you get .. and there you have it. In STYLE SETTING, STYLE CHANGE BEHAVIOUR set the TEMPO to HOLD.
Now it will HOLD the TEMPO when you change the STYLE 'on the fly' .. but only when the keyboard is 'playing'. If you STOP the Style playing and then choose another STYLE it will revert back to the 'default' TEMPO.
If you wanted the keyboard to revert back to the 'default' TEMPO every time you chose a different STYLE 'on the fly' then you would have to have that setting on RESET.
They never seem to play a piece using different STYLES in DEMOS on YouTube, and most recordings by keyboard players use the same STYLE for the whole piece. Here's another one that uses the same STYLE right through. Nothing wrong with this as a piece to listen to. I love the changes in voicing, and the way he 'stops' the STYLE at certain points .. and then comes in again. But he is using the same STYLE with all the PARTS right through from beginning to end.
Oh ! Carol cover Tyros 4
Glad to see that he was using his keyboard to record what he was playing. No doubt attached it to the video afterwards. The best way to get such a superb Audio Recording!
Here now is a song I have played using different STYLES to 'Arrange' the piece rather than just play the piece through with one STYLE, switching between VARIATIONS A, B, C and D.
The Young Ones.
This starts with the STYLE 60's Pop Guitar from POP & ROCK. Then it switches to Bubblegum Pop from the same Category for just two bars (that's with the emphasis on the piano on beats 1 & 3) and then back to 60's Pop Guitar. Next, it goes on to 60's Vintage Pop, also from POP & ROCK before going back to the original 60's Pop Guitar STYLE. All three are on MAIN VARIATION C.
An 'Arrangement' of 'The Young Ones' using different STYLES - DEMO
https://app.box.com/s/vxoado3jpa369qkobphstr911l0yrhds
If you want to hear the completed piece, it’s here:
https://app.box.com/s/jip59tz2bbypvd5gillik9yij677jkug
Another song where I have deliberately chosen different Styles for the three renderings of the song. 1. OrchestralBallad from SWING & JAZZ, VARIATION C; 2. EasyListening from SWING & JAZZ, VARIATION C; 3. Swingfox from BALLROOM, VARIATION B.
Slow Boat To China
https://app.box.com/s/lts3uo02djy9bdlp4ufnlg9hjmj8qez6
Hugh
When you play a song, how do you go about changing the STYLE as you play through it? Or do you just stick to the same backing from beginning to end? Most people, once they have made their minds up which Style they are going to use just stick to the same one, and switch between MAIN VARIATION A, B, C, and D. Yamaha have programmed these so that as you move along up the letters the STYLE gets busier and busier.
Here's an example of using the same STYLE right through a piece and changing the STYLE VARIATION as you go along.
Aber Dich gibt's nur einmal für mich • Tyros4
This video has had over 4 million views, and over 10,000 'likes'. Yes, a lovely piece of music to listen to!
But sticking to the same STYLE from the beginning of the song to the end is not always the best way to play something. In the above, if you listen to what the bass player is doing you will not hear much of a change between one variation and another. And listen to what the drummer is doing. He plays a heavy 'off beat' right through the piece from beginning to end. The backing you use should form part of the 'arrangement' of the song, and sometimes this can mean changing the backing completely. You will then get a different bass part, and a different drum beat.
So how do you go about finding other STYLES that may fit parts of your song? Or even decide which STYLE to use in the first place.
**Note**: The whole idea of doing what I am suggesting below is to check through several STYLES quickly, keeping the TEMPO the same. How else would you know if a STYLE would suit the song you are playing?
Set your keyboard up so it is playing a STYLE (you have to have the ACMP ON) and set the TEMPO to what you want. Don't have a LEFT HAND VOICE, don't have the OTS LINK on, and don't play a melody. Just play some chords and listen to what the drummer, the bass player and the backing PARTS are doing. While you are playing some chords, switch the MAIN VARIATION from A, to B, to C, to D and make a mental note of what these are doing.
Important: Don't stop the STYLE from playing. Press a CATEGORY button in the STYLE section, and press the button next to a STYLE you want to try. The STYLE will start playing, not at the 'default' TEMPO showing by the Style Name, but at the TEMPO you have the keyboard set at. At this point you can try out the A, B, C and D VARIATIONS to see what they sound like. Then choose another STYLE in that category and see what that sounds like. Check the A, B, C and D VARIATIONS. Maybe then try a completely different CATEGORY and try a STYLE from that.
Note that I am not 'saving' anything to a Registration Memory at the moment. I am just listening to what these various STYLES sound like, and if any of them would suit the song I am going to play. I know this is the age of technology, but a piece of paper and a pencil wouldn't go amiss to jot down any STYLES that catch your eye (or maybe I should say, catch your ear as listening is the important bit).
I will repeat here, the essence of all this is to keep the keyboard playing while you are changing STYLES and listening. If you stop the style playing then any new styles you choose will revert back to their 'default' TEMPO. Below is a DEMO of doing this. I have set up the keyboard with Danzon from the Category LATIN, at a TEMPO of 128. Then switched to Bossa Nova in the same Category. Next, Country Blues from COUNTRY, followed by Pickin' Swing from the same Category. Then 60's Guitar Pop from POP & ROCK, followed by Bubblegum Pop from the same Category. Then Swingfox from BALLROOM .. and finally Jive from the same Category. Note that by not 'stopping' the STYLE from playing, all these are at the TEMPO of 128 that I chose at the start. For this recording I have kept the MAIN VARIATION on C for all of them.
STYLES from various CATEGORIES, all at a TEMPO of 128
https://app.box.com/s/zmtwx3mgsh35s9chrw96ckjwtg720fvk
**Note:** If your keyboard is switching to the ‘default’ TEMPO every time you change the STYLE, even though you are keeping the keyboard ‘playing’ whilst doing it, then your SETTINGS need changing.
Press the FUNCTION button in MENU.
In the next screen, choose STYLE SETTING / SPLIT POINT / CHORD FINGERING.
This is the screen you get .. and there you have it. In STYLE SETTING, STYLE CHANGE BEHAVIOUR set the TEMPO to HOLD.
Now it will HOLD the TEMPO when you change the STYLE 'on the fly' .. but only when the keyboard is 'playing'. If you STOP the Style playing and then choose another STYLE it will revert back to the 'default' TEMPO.
If you wanted the keyboard to revert back to the 'default' TEMPO every time you chose a different STYLE 'on the fly' then you would have to have that setting on RESET.
They never seem to play a piece using different STYLES in DEMOS on YouTube, and most recordings by keyboard players use the same STYLE for the whole piece. Here's another one that uses the same STYLE right through. Nothing wrong with this as a piece to listen to. I love the changes in voicing, and the way he 'stops' the STYLE at certain points .. and then comes in again. But he is using the same STYLE with all the PARTS right through from beginning to end.
Oh ! Carol cover Tyros 4
Glad to see that he was using his keyboard to record what he was playing. No doubt attached it to the video afterwards. The best way to get such a superb Audio Recording!
Here now is a song I have played using different STYLES to 'Arrange' the piece rather than just play the piece through with one STYLE, switching between VARIATIONS A, B, C and D.
The Young Ones.
This starts with the STYLE 60's Pop Guitar from POP & ROCK. Then it switches to Bubblegum Pop from the same Category for just two bars (that's with the emphasis on the piano on beats 1 & 3) and then back to 60's Pop Guitar. Next, it goes on to 60's Vintage Pop, also from POP & ROCK before going back to the original 60's Pop Guitar STYLE. All three are on MAIN VARIATION C.
An 'Arrangement' of 'The Young Ones' using different STYLES - DEMO
https://app.box.com/s/vxoado3jpa369qkobphstr911l0yrhds
If you want to hear the completed piece, it’s here:
https://app.box.com/s/jip59tz2bbypvd5gillik9yij677jkug
Another song where I have deliberately chosen different Styles for the three renderings of the song. 1. OrchestralBallad from SWING & JAZZ, VARIATION C; 2. EasyListening from SWING & JAZZ, VARIATION C; 3. Swingfox from BALLROOM, VARIATION B.
Slow Boat To China
https://app.box.com/s/lts3uo02djy9bdlp4ufnlg9hjmj8qez6
Hugh
It's all about the music!
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