Korg Forums

[Minneapolis Musician]

Do you play live on your arranger as a solo act? Have you played professionally that way?

If so, can you offer tips on how much to play live, versus how much you play via midi tracks or MP3s?

Does the audience know how much you are actually playing in real time? They see you at a keyboard with your hands moving and a microphone you are singing into.

But: what makes them excited that it is "live" vs canned??

I think they have to see you playing the instrument.

But if I am playing chords with my left hand, soloing fills with my right hand, triggering drum fills and band variations with my left hand and chord memory, AND singing, boy...it can get busy and nervousness can make me screw up.

I'd like to "lighten the load" but I don't want to lose the live feeling and seem like karaoke.

What has your experience been?
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Synth song of mine: https://www.reverbnation.com/glenngalen/song/21469847-searching-and-believing-synth-beat

PA4x harmonies, Beach Boys song: https://youtu.be/3drsnU6j8Po?t=3m25s


All songs: http://www.reverbnation.com/GlennGalen

[duby2]

Soon as people see one piano player and they hear drums base trumpets violins guitars they know it's fake or karaoke..

You could try to educate your audience that you use a drum machine and a vocal harmonizer but they won't understand probably.

I always start off with three or four solo piano songs so the audience knows that I really play piano.. Then I slowly move in to nice and easy styles.. I try to get the audience to like me and that I move into more difficult areas.. I guess it all depends on your audience...



Songs like margaritaville or brown eye girl or happy birthday or jazz or basic rock songs,,,they would be all live using styles ,,songs that are more difficult like .. Copacabana or old town road ,or big orchestrations, songs like this would sound better with karaoke track in my opinion....
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The Gold Standard OS 2.2
Pa4X, Pa 1000, Pa3x, Pa800, Pa80, i3

[Minneapolis Musician]

Those are some good points.

My history is playing acoustic guitar live and singing standing at a mike. People see you playing. Thus it feels live. I have played audiences up to several hundred people that way.

So yes, if they hear a complex band but see one person it feels "canned" and recorded.

Perhaps it is better to keep the rhythm and backup more simple and less obtrusive. More as an "atmosphere" that is felt, but does not take attention from the performer.
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Synth song of mine: https://www.reverbnation.com/glenngalen/song/21469847-searching-and-believing-synth-beat

PA4x harmonies, Beach Boys song: https://youtu.be/3drsnU6j8Po?t=3m25s


All songs: http://www.reverbnation.com/GlennGalen

[mintjamman]

That’s a interesting set of questions and will I am sure bring forth a number of views and opinions all right in their own way. My own view is that there’s no right or wrong way to perform gigs and what works for one might not work for others. For myself I play both solo with my Pa4x and in a three piece again with the Pa4x and another board in that latter situation.

It’s commonplace nowadays to hear performers working with backing tracks in one format or another and from your local bar to City Arena you will find performers working with tracks and it’s how modern music production has progressed through technology, financial and artistic constraints.

As well as playing out myself I see lots of talented acts working with tracks and who pull crowds into their gigs. I don’t think you can draw a comparison with such performers as being karaoke performers to my mind that’s something entirely different. The trick is to let people see you can play and get a balance with your arrangements so they are not too big.

For instance our three piece consists of keys, lead guitar and acoustic guitar with three vocals. I tend to use homespun midi files which provide Bass, Drums, percussion where required, odd string and brass lines and we play the rest. After a few songs the backing just merges into what we do live and the audience are not worried about what’s going on with the band but just enjoy the songs, working this way gives us the ability to play a diverse music pad which would be far more difficult if we had more members in the band let alone finding players who could play the material and venues who could pay for a larger band. So for us utilizing backing tracks enhances what we do and it works for us.

When I work solo I tend to stay away from big arrangements that sound like a 18 Piece band and use a smaller band for my backing, I strip the styles down and tend to use count in’s and my own intros played live when in style mode, I use both style play and song play for solo work and people tend to accept that you are a solo artist playing the gig hopefully with songs they know and like.

I personally would rather see these type of acts than a solo singer using backing tracks which is more like karaoke imho.

Keep it as live as you can, interact with your audience, and relax and enjoy the gig !
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[Aripearlmusic]

I dont use any mp3s or midis that haven't been added into a style. One man band is very standard at jewish weddings and quite frankly gets a better mix than most bands do when the goal is to have a smooth mix rather than use the most realistic sounds possible. Most often they add a guitar, saxaphone, and choir and the singer is not the one man band. I find a drummer with a programmed beat sounds bad unless the drummer is a session drummer who always plays with a click. Adding a percussionist gives an incredible live feel also. The biggest gig ive been on was about 50 pieces including a full string and horn section, 2 guitarists, percussion, 12 member mens choir and 10 member kids choir and yes with no drummer. That's obviously not the norm. Always use a song list, choose the keys beforehand, and put as much effort as possible into having the best mix you can and remember your audience is the people off stage not on so keep it interesting but simple and relatable.
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Ari Pearl Music
@AriPearlMusic

[Eduardo_Arg]

Hi Friends:

I think there is no restriction about using MP3, WAV or MIDI files, the only important thing is doing well.-
Keyboardist in difference with other musicians have a chance to mix with our solo / combi sounds sequences (coming from arpeggiators or using filters in our created sounds), this way we can produce hugh sound, that in most cases we are not playing.- We have only ten fingers, thats a limit to produce hugh ambient, but fortunately since Triton we can use a bunch of sources to get it.-
Just an example great musicians (no mather his/her name) uses sequences during it solo playing, especifically when you have a Kronos / Karma.-
In PA4x, you can do the same, perhaps in a more complex way, but the result is the same (for example shotting pads).- That all right.- I do offen, and as i said lots of musicians do during live.-
So don't feel bad to get the music as you want using MP3 or MIDI files.- I agree with anybody who performs good music using any type of sources.
Criticize musiciasn that use thes resources is not justice, otherway, a singer must not use harmonizers like TC, Boss, etc., or bassist must not use moog pedals, or guitar player must nos use duplicators, etc. etc.-
The only important thing is that final sounding is perfect.-
Just that.-
With regards.
Eduardo
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Korg Kronos 2 88 - Korg PA4x 76 - Roland Fantom 08 - Korg N1R Sound Module - Korg 05RW Sound Module - Roland UM550 Edirol Midi Patchbay Amp pair SWR California Blonde II

[jpires]

For Me you have to make a name for your self as a musician/ keyboardist.
Once you done that people wouldn't pay attention to what is been played.
They just want to listen to a good music. The reason why I say it is: I play in a 6 piece band for many years all our fans know me for the type of Keyboardist I am, when I play by my self they know I'm not playing all those instruments" Bass, Guitar, sax etc.
I don't use MP3's just Styles, some times I invite people from the audience to sing along with me. Duby2 have a good point
JP

[Eduardo_Arg]

Hi Jpires:

Perhaps you are the best keyboardist in the world, so surely you must put near with me "musician/keyboardist" keyboardist like Rick Wakeman, just as an example.-
One thing is use any keyboard as a karaoke machine, and other, is use the resources it provides to perform your music.-
In my band i'm the keyboardist, and in some specific songs i must shoot i synth arpeggios i've created to get a final hugh sound in parallel with my piano sound.- Do you think this action is outlaw for a keyboardist ???
If people like what you play, thats the matter you must take in count.-
Regards.
Eduardo
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Korg Kronos 2 88 - Korg PA4x 76 - Roland Fantom 08 - Korg N1R Sound Module - Korg 05RW Sound Module - Roland UM550 Edirol Midi Patchbay Amp pair SWR California Blonde II

[Minneapolis Musician]

I wonder at what point people lose the feeling of hearing a live performance?

When do they lose the admiration and appreciation of the performer and start to think he is just singing to a recording?

They cannot see your hands on a keyboard like they can a guitar player.

I guess you can sit sideways, and have a camera and a screen projector of your hands on the keys as you play.
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Synth song of mine: https://www.reverbnation.com/glenngalen/song/21469847-searching-and-believing-synth-beat

PA4x harmonies, Beach Boys song: https://youtu.be/3drsnU6j8Po?t=3m25s


All songs: http://www.reverbnation.com/GlennGalen

[pa4x_user]

Very interesting thread.

Duby said “I always start off with three or four solo piano songs so the audience knows that I really play piano.. Then I slowly move in to nice and easy styles.. I try to get the audience to like me and that I move into more difficult areas.. I guess it all depends on your audience... “ which I thought was a great way of approaching things.

One thing I have learned - I have a few MP3’s which i produced from midis. In my opinion, they don’t sound as clear or bright as the midi file, and of course you lose the flexibility to fine tune the instrument mix or reassign instruments. I am going to go back to using the midis themselves.

Phil
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