04-02-2026, 05:30 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-02-2026, 05:54 PM by Hugh Wallington.)
Chris (Harding) .. you have made some interesting comments about playing keyboards!
https://chellos-keyboard-players-club.co...9#pid32919
As we have moved away from the original Thread (ear players playing mostly the BLACK keys) I will continue my thoughts here.
You said:
Very interesting concept, and yes there is a difference (in the chord inversions you have played) but I'm wondering if we actually notice it when we play, simply because we are not just playing individual notes and nothing else, but the full style backing kicks in so it's less obvious to our ears.
When the full style backing kicks in, one of the PARTS (the one called PAD) usually has a ‘continuous sound’ in it, so is a bit like a ‘left hand voice’. I normally turn PAD ‘OFF’ as whatever instrument they use for it more often than not ‘clashes’ with the one I am using for my Left Hand Voice. Also, the notes played in PAD are programmed in by Yamaha, and as it’s part of the STYLE you get the same ‘repeated’ pattern every few bars. When playing chords, I like to have the sound of the ‘third’ or the ‘7th’ or the ‘root’ as the top note of the chord, as your ear picks up the highest note of any harmony. Also, I can ‘move about’ with that top note to make a little counter-melody.
Click the below to hear how a Left Hand Voice can sound.
I have a STYLE playing (Waltz); and the harmony you hear in the backing is from the two VOICES I have chosen for my Left Hand Voice.
https://app.box.com/s/du8lzstioafp54hgbj7g85892614p15p
Using a Left Hand Voice with the STYLE in this way adds another string to your bow when creating your music.
Listen to the DEMO below .. Beautiful Dreamer.
The first part has just the STYLE as accompaniment.
The rest has a LEFT HAND VOICE (AccompOoh from CHOIR) and the STYLE, playing together.
https://app.box.com/s/1vhqj6gu06pwmqdkvn823xn4p1nhn22d
I often wonder what people listen to when they listen to music. Is it just the melody? When I listen to something its mostly the harmony I listen to. If there is no harmony, or the song doesn’t have the harmony I’m expecting to hear, then I can’t relate to the music.
Below are two very different jazz versions of the same song.
The first has no harmony I can relate to; and the second has all the harmony I’m hoping to hear.
On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Jazz Lag
Swedish Swing Society - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
You said:
If I play a sequence of chords using SINGLE FINGER it's very obvious to the ear that I'm using an auto chord generation as it does sound a little strange if you play only the chords without the backing .. but with the full style backing you seldom notice it!
Your explanations in this Thread would be very interesting if you did a comparison using a full blown style and half way changed from SINGLE FINGER to FINGERED chords. Would the change be as obvious? Great post from you and it opened my eyes to taking to "easy route".
And that is exactly what I shall attempt to do.
When I play Sunny Side Of The Street, these are the chords I play.
VERSE
/C - - - /E7 - - - /F - - - /G7 – G#dim7 - /
/Am7 - - -/D7 - - - /F6 – G7 - / C - - - /
For starters, with SINGLE FINGER Mode you can only play Major, 7th, Minor and Minor 7th chords. After the G7 chord I need a G#dim7 chord. With your SINGLE FINGER Mode I will have to play a G7 twice .. and musically that just does not sound right!
And although Yamaha puts in notes for my Left Hand Voice for the short cut way of forming a chord (so at least it's in harmony), they are not the 'inversions' I use when playing in FINGERED Mode (when you hear the actual notes I play to form the chord). So the difference between listening to a piece being played in FINGERED Mode and SINGLE FINGER Mode is going to sound completely different.
So I'm doing a DEMO recording for you.
My problem?
I said that I have no problem forming any inversion of chords in the keys of C, F and G (and quite a few other chords as well .. including diminished 7th chords .. there are only three!) as I have been playing these for over 70 years. But getting my head round your SINGLE FINGER system of short cut chords is a nightmare. I now know how someone new to playing keyboards feels when they are learning to play chords for the first time.
Click the LINK below to hear the result of what I have put together.
First, played without a STYLE so you can hear the harmony of the chords I am using (particularly the G#dim7 after the G7).
Second .. playing in FINGERED Mode. And these are the chord inversions I am playing.
C – GCE; E7 – G#BDE; F – ACF; G7 – GBDF; G#dim7 - G#BDF; Am7 – ACEG (remember, I have my SPLIT POINT on G, not F#); F6 – ACDF .. surprise, surprise .. my keyboard tells me this chord is Dm7. So that’s OK for SINGLE FINGER Mode!
Third, playing in SINGLE FINGER Mode .. with the G7 being played twice in succession.
https://app.box.com/s/2an4zba71pw3i0wdc5ontos51pfoixh5
Chris .. you said:
Would the change be as obvious?
Well, I reckon the answer is NO .. as there is so much to listen to, detail like the things we have been talking about doesn’t stand out.
Hugh
https://chellos-keyboard-players-club.co...9#pid32919
As we have moved away from the original Thread (ear players playing mostly the BLACK keys) I will continue my thoughts here.
You said:
Very interesting concept, and yes there is a difference (in the chord inversions you have played) but I'm wondering if we actually notice it when we play, simply because we are not just playing individual notes and nothing else, but the full style backing kicks in so it's less obvious to our ears.
When the full style backing kicks in, one of the PARTS (the one called PAD) usually has a ‘continuous sound’ in it, so is a bit like a ‘left hand voice’. I normally turn PAD ‘OFF’ as whatever instrument they use for it more often than not ‘clashes’ with the one I am using for my Left Hand Voice. Also, the notes played in PAD are programmed in by Yamaha, and as it’s part of the STYLE you get the same ‘repeated’ pattern every few bars. When playing chords, I like to have the sound of the ‘third’ or the ‘7th’ or the ‘root’ as the top note of the chord, as your ear picks up the highest note of any harmony. Also, I can ‘move about’ with that top note to make a little counter-melody.
Click the below to hear how a Left Hand Voice can sound.
I have a STYLE playing (Waltz); and the harmony you hear in the backing is from the two VOICES I have chosen for my Left Hand Voice.
https://app.box.com/s/du8lzstioafp54hgbj7g85892614p15p
Using a Left Hand Voice with the STYLE in this way adds another string to your bow when creating your music.
Listen to the DEMO below .. Beautiful Dreamer.
The first part has just the STYLE as accompaniment.
The rest has a LEFT HAND VOICE (AccompOoh from CHOIR) and the STYLE, playing together.
https://app.box.com/s/1vhqj6gu06pwmqdkvn823xn4p1nhn22d
I often wonder what people listen to when they listen to music. Is it just the melody? When I listen to something its mostly the harmony I listen to. If there is no harmony, or the song doesn’t have the harmony I’m expecting to hear, then I can’t relate to the music.
Below are two very different jazz versions of the same song.
The first has no harmony I can relate to; and the second has all the harmony I’m hoping to hear.
On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Jazz Lag
Swedish Swing Society - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
You said:
If I play a sequence of chords using SINGLE FINGER it's very obvious to the ear that I'm using an auto chord generation as it does sound a little strange if you play only the chords without the backing .. but with the full style backing you seldom notice it!
Your explanations in this Thread would be very interesting if you did a comparison using a full blown style and half way changed from SINGLE FINGER to FINGERED chords. Would the change be as obvious? Great post from you and it opened my eyes to taking to "easy route".
And that is exactly what I shall attempt to do.
When I play Sunny Side Of The Street, these are the chords I play.
VERSE
/C - - - /E7 - - - /F - - - /G7 – G#dim7 - /
/Am7 - - -/D7 - - - /F6 – G7 - / C - - - /
For starters, with SINGLE FINGER Mode you can only play Major, 7th, Minor and Minor 7th chords. After the G7 chord I need a G#dim7 chord. With your SINGLE FINGER Mode I will have to play a G7 twice .. and musically that just does not sound right!
And although Yamaha puts in notes for my Left Hand Voice for the short cut way of forming a chord (so at least it's in harmony), they are not the 'inversions' I use when playing in FINGERED Mode (when you hear the actual notes I play to form the chord). So the difference between listening to a piece being played in FINGERED Mode and SINGLE FINGER Mode is going to sound completely different.
So I'm doing a DEMO recording for you.
My problem?
I said that I have no problem forming any inversion of chords in the keys of C, F and G (and quite a few other chords as well .. including diminished 7th chords .. there are only three!) as I have been playing these for over 70 years. But getting my head round your SINGLE FINGER system of short cut chords is a nightmare. I now know how someone new to playing keyboards feels when they are learning to play chords for the first time.
Click the LINK below to hear the result of what I have put together.
First, played without a STYLE so you can hear the harmony of the chords I am using (particularly the G#dim7 after the G7).
Second .. playing in FINGERED Mode. And these are the chord inversions I am playing.
C – GCE; E7 – G#BDE; F – ACF; G7 – GBDF; G#dim7 - G#BDF; Am7 – ACEG (remember, I have my SPLIT POINT on G, not F#); F6 – ACDF .. surprise, surprise .. my keyboard tells me this chord is Dm7. So that’s OK for SINGLE FINGER Mode!
Third, playing in SINGLE FINGER Mode .. with the G7 being played twice in succession.
https://app.box.com/s/2an4zba71pw3i0wdc5ontos51pfoixh5
Chris .. you said:
Would the change be as obvious?
Well, I reckon the answer is NO .. as there is so much to listen to, detail like the things we have been talking about doesn’t stand out.
Hugh
It's all about the music!
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