Using Electronic Keyboards

( to supplement my main page about Improvising Music )

[ iou – soon this page will have more information ]

colorizing a keyboard:  If you want to colorize a keyboard, the basic process is buying a keyboard ($50-$220 or less or more)* and then colorizing it by using tape or stickers ($8).    {many more DIY Tips}

Below I describe details for one keyboard – Yamaha PSS-E373 – because I sometimes use these for “loaners”, and when buying a keyboard it's a competitive option.  For a few other keyboards, later there will be some info (but not as much) later in the page.

You can...

get User Manuals:  On this page you can download the main Owner's Manual, plus specialized manuals for MIDI Reference, Drum Kit List, Smart Device Connection (for Android, iOS), Computer-related Operations.  You can explore the Owner's Manual.  And sometimes I'll refer to it below, with a “direct link” (like Page 17 that takes you to Page 17 of the 92-page PDF file) if your browser behaves properly;  it does work properly with Chrome for Mac, and hopefully also in your browser.

choose a Voice:  An e373 has hundreds of options.  Search the VOICE list – with ranges for Piano (001), E Piano (008),... – and press VOICE, then enter a number;  e.g. try 114 (for Trumpet), and then others by pressing NO (–) to get 113, or YES (+) for 115, and so on;  or jump to another category (e.g.    /   A few of those I like are 090 (Cello), 104 (Tenor Sax), 116 (Trombone), and 134 (Flute).  You will find many that you like.

use the Functions:  If you continue pressing FUNCTION, you'll see "Transpos" (and also "FUNCTION 001") and then "Tuning" (plus "002") and "Split Pt" and "TouchRes" and "M.Volume" and "M.Octave" (to lower or raise the Voice-pitch) and many more, from 001 to 061.  You can “go backward” – e.g. if you're at 002 (Tuning) and want 001 (Transpos) – by pressing FUNCTION-and-also-NO.  You can adjust each Function by pressing NO or YES, or using the keypad (1234567890) to enter a number.  In the Owner's Manual, Pages 52-55 have Yamaha's “how to use” instructions (like mine, but more complete) and a list of all 61 Functions, with useful information about each one.

change the Key with Transposing:  This lets you "play in C" (the easiest key with colorizing) yet "hear in another key," which is useful when playing along with a video or with a group of other musicians.  ..... {how? with Function 001, as explained – although if you want to use it, you'll figure it out by yourself – January 20.}

change the Touch Response:  [[ This will be written Jan 20, but now you can read Page 18 for adjusting it – Function 004 – so it's level 1,2,3 or is turned off (it's Fixed) with 4. ]]

produce a Split Keyboard:  You can split the keyboard into a left-side and right-side, with each playing a different instrument.   [[ iou – Soon, maybe April 19-21, I'll describe "the buttons to push" to do this, including how to change the split-point (dividing line between left & right) and how to define the instruments you want to play on the left & right.  And you can independently adjust the volume on each side.  /   Here is one idea I'll write about:  I usually adjust the Split-Point (as described on Page 17 of the Owner's Manual) so each side is about 2 1/2 octaves,  so the left-side (29 notes) is C1 thru C2 and C3 to E3, with two full C-to-C octaves, plus a few notes;  and the right-side (32 notes) is F3 thru C4 (the "Middle C") and C5 to C6, so it can play the notes of an F-Chord (FAC) and G-Chord (GBD) starting below C4 (Middle C) plus two full octaves, C4-thru-C5-to-C6. ]]

You also can...

do many other things, and I'll write about a few of them, but not until this weekend, starting [iou] the evening of January 19.  But one thing I will describe now is how you can...

use built-in Chord Progressions:

Although the e373 has programmed-in “songs” that are Chord Progressions (CP's), this feature is optional because instead you can use the CP's of youtube videos.  But the built-in CP's can be convenient, and they're easy to use.  For example,

To play “The 50s Progression” press "SONG" and enter 141, then press START/STOP and (to make it “loop” over & over) A-B REPEAT.  Two kinds of CP's are available,

CP's with only Major Chords:  Two of the CP's use only the main major chords (I,IV,V aka 1,4,5), and they're the first half of an 8-chord progression I recommend);  these two CP's are #133 (it's I-IV-V-IV in a colorized Key of C) and 138 (I-V-IV-V).  For some reason – just a mistake, I think – it doesn't have the more common “second half” CP of (I-IV-V-I) that also is a “standalone” 4-chord progression, and it's missing (I-IV-I-V) that is a third useful “first half” CP.

CP's with a Minor Chord:  Most of the popular CP's have a minor chord.  Of these, two common “50s Progressions” are 141 (I-vi-IV-V, C-Am-F-G, it's the main version) and 140 (I-vi-ii-V, it's a variation).  A “popular cousin” is 136 (I-V-vi-IV, C-G-Am-F).  Two related CP's — with the same four chords as 141 & 136, but in different sequences — are the less-common 135 (I-IV-vi-V) and 142 (I-vi-V-IV).

What are the built-in CP's?  You can see all of them in the 373-Songbook by searching for "192" to find Page 192.  And I've made a table summarizing-and-categorizing the CP's;  it highlights those I think are most musically useful.  But the e373's built-in CP's exclude three that would be musically useful, as explained below.

If you want to play along with a Chord Progression, you can use a built-in CP of e373, but only for some CP's, and only in the Key of C.  Or you can use youtube videos;  many are available for a variety of CP's, in different keys.*  And the videos have musical variety – with differing rhythms, chords & basslines, instrumentation, etc – with most versions being more enjoyable (in my opinion) than the single version in e373.   /   * But having "different keys" often isn't necessary for an e373, because – like other electronic keyboards – it can transpose into other keys.

What's missing?  I describe five common Chord Progressions, but an e373 can play only one version of 50s Progression and one version of its popular cousin.  Therefore a video (or mp3 or in-person group, or another source) is required for (I-IV-V-I, e.g. C-F-G-C) and for 12 Bar Blues because – for some reason – these aren't included among the CP's in e373.  And also — again with omission that is surprising, because it's educationally limiting for a learner, and is musically limiting for a player — it doesn't have any common jazz progression(s) of the form ii-V-I, as in (ii-V-I-I, e.g. Dm-G-C-C).   /   a summary:  Of my “Five Popular Progressions” an e373 has only two (50s Progression, popular cousin) but is missing three (I-IV-V-I, 12 Bar Blues, jazz progressions).

also:  During mid-May, I'll write some instructions for a keyboard that is cheaper – but equally useful for learning & practicing – from Rockjam, their RJ361.

Chord Progressions in Yamaha PSR-E373

Some musically-useful chord progressions (available in keyboards made by Yamaha) are described in my Keyboard Page and are highlighted in the tables below.

• chord progressions in a Yamaha Keyboard:  Much later in the page, Chord Progressions in Yamaha PSR-E373 supplements a brief description of the chord progressions that are “programmed into” some of Yamaha's keyboards, including its e373.  But I've found that using youtube videos is easier, is better and more fun, with a much wider variety of musical styles and chord progressions.

But instead – as summarized above – you may want to play along with videos, especially for 12 Bar Blues because (for some reason that I think is an error in judgment, afaik*) this isn't one of the CP's in Yamaha's e373.     {* But maybe their software-program can only cope with a 4-bar progression, but not 12 bars?  Or maybe they know that blues-videos are easy to find?  I don't know. }

 The songs-with-labels (133, 135, 136, 138, 140, 141, 142) (3, pop, pop, 3, 50s, 50s, pop) are described in my 373-page.

1m 4m 5m b7

1m 4m 7 6

You can (and probably should) ignore everything below here, which will be "fixed" in late March or April.

1 6 4 5 (=141) -- 1 6 2 5 (=140)

rectangles = bars, blocks, /

if bars then "bar" has two meanings (old = measure, new = rectangle), but 2nd meaning is OK (play red bar-rectangle notes during 4-count bar)

1.875 = if 3/8",  .750 .375 .750

1.875 = if 1/4",  .500 .875

  .25     .25     .25

  .25     .25     .25

  ----     ---   

  .50     .38     .25

  .50     .38     .25

1.50   1.25    1.00

EZ-300, 151-162 (Chord Study)[7+4], 163-202 (Chord Progressions)[40]

SOLICH -- transposing - pitch benders - lighted chord-notes? [check manual] [bring ruler, cards]

ALL, penta,

4/miscale, -- 1/mascale, ----- 0/penta(color-bg)

5/michords, 2/machords, 7/mamichords (minor chords in context of major key, M Major)

6/rgbhi ------- 3rgblo ----- 8/rgblohi

1-border between rows ---

    columns dividers (5 columns, 4 rows title + 3 with thick column (sp sp sp) between mi & ma -- thin (sp) between ma & mami

edu-chronological -- major minor maj+min

visually logical ----- minor major maj+min

a1 d2 f2 a2

EE0000 0088FF 33BB00

basic popular -

Am 12bb with Quick Change but no Turnaround https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuzOLlEQfr8