I'm not a beginner, but I can use your explanation about the PSR SX900. I,ve just bought this keyboard. I think, you must have been a teacher, because you are well able to empathize with the uncertainty that many beginners will experience ( like me). Thank you for your excellent explanation
I am 73yo accordion player in Brooklyn, NY Let me tell you that your channel is professionally done (steady pix ) and you describe every single action in a clear understandable way. There are many other videos out there, but you video is very educational, and and again well done. I too have just bought the SX700 and found your channel after I set the unit up. Good thing I did. Thank you for the great explanation. Like someone said in another view, Yamaha should see your videos and then hire you.
Thank you so much for your supportive comment. My passion is to promote the making of formal, multi part arrangements with appropriate mix and sound editing adjustments for each orchestral part of a performance, as opposed to using interactive features, like "One Touch". When using an interactive playing strategy, in order to produce decent orchestral variety one must be a skilled octopus at pressing buttons. Even without a pedal formal arrangements are easier to play. But most importantly, when using interactive strategies it is not possible to properly make mix and sound editing adjustments. Any successful musician, like Taylor Swift for example, will tell you that in today's world, "It's all in the mix". Many people ask me about how to use obscure interactive features. But one look at my example videos should tell them that I never use such things. Why should I spend time developing skill on a feature that appears on only one model keyboard? A skill that will not apply to another model? The basic workflow for creating formal arrangements as presented in this video is transferable to most other models of arranger keyboards, such as your SX700. Of course you cannot download and use my Registration Bank files. My instrument has voices and accompaniment styles that yours does not have. But the basic workflow for creating arrangements on your SX700 is exactly the same as on my SX900. I once had a Roland BK-9 and arrangements on that model were created in exactly the same way as you see in this video. Anyway, performances published by John Beesley are enough to convince me that making formal arrangements produces performances whose orchestral quality is infinitely better, and simply not possible by using interactive playing strategies. Here are examples: th-cam.com/video/fuMWnv6v7sk/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/-_SrBYGgPS4/w-d-xo.html You have to listen with headphones to fully appreciate. I'm sure you can find many more such examples. Such orchestral quality cannot be achieved using the "One Touch", or any other interactive strategy. Best of luck.
Excellent presentation!! You covered a LOT in order and with great thoroughness and detail. Very well done! I have just bought an SX900, and am very anxious to get it. I have watched several hours of videos on it done by many, including Yamaha employees, but this video was by far the best and most instructive. Yamaha should hire you!!
You are about to receive one of the best arranger keyboards available. It will be an exciting adventure for you. Thank you for the positive feedback on my presentation. My goal was to focus on the general workflow for producing formal arrangements, a workflow that is common to most electronic instruments. For example, your Yamaha's "Registration Banks" on a Roland keyboard is called "User Program Banks", but the concept is the same. Once you learn the strategy on one particular model, you can easily adapt it to any of the others with little difficulty. Indeed, the same strategy can even be applied to completely different electronic musical instruments. Here is me doing so on an electronic accordion (I created this video demonstration when I worked at Roxy's Music Store, which is now out of business). Watch the display change in response to a foot pedal as I sequentially progress through the various orchestral parts of the performance, just like I do in my similar videos for the SX900: th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html It's like driving a car. Learning the general strategy to drive one particular model allows you to drive them all. Best of luck.
This is the ONLY material from whitch i am finally understanding the file and data management on my psr- sx700. None of other works (including original yamaha manuals, documents, downloads etc) Thank You Mr. Castonguay
thanks a lot Leon. i am about in the same boat, a severe lack of physical dexterity, but with an instrument like this , i still can play and make some music, your explanation of the registrations butttons was so very very helpful. a bit of a pity you say you stop, the community needs people like you that are capable of explaining things in a very easy and precise manner, lotsa tutorial vids go way too fast for me. greetings
Sir, I have just bought a PSR SX-900, and fortunately I happened to notice this video while looking for something else. It is so helpful and informative. I feel like I've stumbled upon hidden treasure. It is so clear and so well presented, you must be a teacher by profession. Thank you so much for this video and for the links you have provided. I have subscribed to your channel. Thank you, thank you!
Leon, this was the best presentation and explanation I've seen! Your teaching is sensational! I'm not a beginner, but I've had an SX900 for 8 months. Your "class" helped me a lot! CONGRATULATIONS!! 👏👏👏👍
Thank you for this clear and detailed explanation of the registration sequence process. I’ve been programming registrations into Yamaha arranger workstations for years and found this tutorial extremely helpful in adapting to the SX 900. Really appreciate your sharing Leon! 😊
Wow sir you're like a living audiobook! Thank you so much for the extremely thorough discussion, a great service to all us newbie PSR owners who are mystified by all the buttons (best video I've seen on instrument). I recommend others pull up with a cup of coffee (just keep it away from keyboard)!
I'm happy that as a newbie PSR owner you got to see a presentation of how to properly create formal arrangements as "Registration Banks" on an arranger keyboard. The thing to realize is that the very same playing technique can be employed on most electronic instruments (on a Roland it's called "User Program Banks"). Once you master this technique, all those buttons suddenly seem less mysterious. And of course, as I explain in the video, it's the only way that each of your performances can have access to the entire orchestral capability of your instrument. And yet the technique is really very simple. It even simplifies the playing of performances. As you may have read me write in other comments, I don't actually consider myself to be a musician. My playing skills are limited to beginner level. However, by properly arranging my simple performances I am able to fool family and friends into thinking that I am more a musician than I really am. Just imagine what you can do with it. Best of luck.
Your description of arraingements was very helpful.. i am a new beginner and it’ll help me explore the capabilities of my new yamaha arranger. I cannot express my joy of finding this video and all of the comments below certainly describe the power of your video! Thank You!
Hi Leon. I purchased the SX 700 a few weeks and initially found it quite daunting compared to my old PSR 270 of some twenty years ago. I found this tutorial of yours last week and what a difference it has made me working out arrangements without having to trawl through the manual. You have saved me probably months of time getting to where I am at now. Your way of explaining the workings of the instrument is brilliant. I can’t thank you enough for your time you must have spent in the making of this video. Keep up the good work my friend.
Thanks. I hope my instruction encourages you to take advantage of Registration Banks to formally arrange (orchestrate) your performances. Enjoy your SX700. Quite a step up from your PSR-270. I predict you'll love it.
Thank you Leon. You are a gentleman and this was well explained. Way above my head but if I follow this over and over again I will learn. You’re a great teacher. Thank you sir
I purchased the SX900 last week and after playing and using an E433 for years was pretty intimidated. Reading the manual and watching a few short tutorials left me wondering if I was over my head. I am a fairly accomplished singer, guitar and keyboard player, and having recently retired thought I would get more serious creating, playing and recording. After watching Leon’s video I am feeling very confident that I have purchased the right instrument to achieve these goals. I subscribed to his channel, and hope he keeps making these terrific videos. Thank you Mr. Castonguay for your no frills detailed instructions. Donald G.
I guess Im randomly asking but does anyone know a trick to log back into an Instagram account..? I was stupid lost my password. I love any assistance you can give me.
@Angel Quinn thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now. Seems to take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Excellent video & well edited! Programmability has limited my “music making” with my tyros 4, & now w sx900 I plan to excel! Great work in teaching, Leon!
Just placed an order for the SX900, upgrading from a 770- a big leap for an 83 year old former clarinet/ alto & concert flute player with arthritic finger joints. On the 1st January 2021 I celebrated my day with a luncheon visit from a delightful lady who is ahead of me with her 970, she basically went through much of your tutorial, having just watched yours from start to finish, both lessons have flagged it in my memory cells. I also have music books and USB drives from John Beasley and Strawberry Music. The new KB should be here in a week, the last one in Australia-can’t wait. Have subscribed. 👍🎹🇦🇺🦘 PS, 1st January is not a good day for a birthday, having a twin sister who arrived before me-well.....need I say more!
Congratulations on your purchase of the SX900. I'm only 8 years behind you in age. I'm flattered that an accomplished musician like yourself would find value in my presentation of the basics of using "Registration Memory", especially since you have already seen first hand the work of John Beesley and Strawberry Music. I knew in setting up this channel that I needed to provide a certain amount of instruction, otherwise people unfamiliar with the creation and use of formal arrangements would not know how to use my work. But I don't intend to provide instruction beyond that on other aspects of the instrument. My primary goal is to build up a library of arrangements of beginner level practice pieces that hopefully will make such necessary practice work more entertaining for other music hobbyists like myself.
@@leoncastonguay3997 So much easier to understand and work through your how & why to video, compared to the owners manual, where one is constantley being referred to another page backwards and forwards. You have included some important bits that so many tutorials leave out, assuming that folks already know how to do certain things correctly. Even the factory reset step you explain and show-it took me a while to find that in the user manual. I used to teach a some medical scientific topics years ago, and I always assessed the average level of any new class students so that what I taught was understandable by the majority.
@@ShevillMathers Yes, I know what you mean. It took considerable time and effort for me to finally understand. I'm happy to help others profit from my effort. Best of luck with your new SX900.
@@leoncastonguay3997 Hi Leon, playing a wind instrument-clarinet-flutes etc. is very different to playing one of these keyboards because one has to learn how to switch it on and how to ‘program’ / drive it, my wind instruments playing is no help. However, you have bridged that gap for me and no doubt many other newcomers to these keyboards. You are the ‘missing link’. Thank you for sharing your wonderful presentations. Stay safe and best wishes for 2021.👍😁🎹🎼🇬🇧🇦🇺🦘
@@ShevillMathers For sure you will have to spend some time learning to "drive" your SX900. However, once you overcome that, with your musical talent you will be able to take the keyboard a whole lot further than a technician like me can. I'll most probably be still working on basic practice pieces. Thanks again for your support and best of luck to you.
What a great presentation!. Very logical and calm, but on the same time inspiering and even humurous. (I love your hat) Thank you! Oh and thanks for the tip with the pen. I remembered I have one of those so less fingerprints and grease on the screen.😎
Thanks, at last I can work this out. You took us through it slowly. Not all of us players are 20 and can understand a manufacturers manual, ,we need to see every step played out. Thanks.
Sir! You are awesome and I totally appreciate your video! I just got my SX700 three days ago, and this covers 90% of what I want to do with it at the moment. Thanks so much!
I’ve owned a CVP609 for several years and never really understood the registration process until now. It will do what the SX 900 will do in this regard and I never knew it. Time to totally renew my interest in the instrument. Thank you for a wonderfully clear instruction on the process.
I'm happy you realized how the use of registration banks was the same as on your CVP609. The feature is supported on many electronic instruments. Here's me demonstrating it on an electronic accordion: th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html Unfortunately, manufacturers do not bother explaining the intent of the feature, leaving us to figure it out on our own. Your CVP609 is a wonderful high end instrument. Glad to point you in the right direction to get the most out of it. Best of luck.
Hi Leon .Thank you for your excellent and lively presentation which is very clear .I am an intermediate level Musician from Australia and I am so happy that I found your video today..I find it very helpful.I am new to PSR Sx900 and was getting frustrated trying to learn about Registrations from various videos and the Yamaha Manual..Yours is the best video presentation of all the similar videos I have been searching as the Yamaha Manual did not explain the details like you did. I have subscribed to your channel and will follow your other videos to come . Please keep up the good work.I highly recommend your video to all PSR SX900 players who are looking out for similar videos.Cheers.
I'm glad you found my presentation helpful. But remember, it's not just about the SX900. It's about any arranger keyboard. They all have the same ability to play pedal controlled, multiple part, formal arrangements. The problem with the owner's manual is that although it describes how to save registrations, it doesn't tell you how to organize them such that your performances have access to the full orchestral capabilities of the instrument plus complex arrangements are easy to play. Indeed, they treat the instrument like an old organ where you press various buttons interactively during your performance without any ability to edit each part. Forget about the "One Touch" feature. It will limit you to how Bach played 300 years ago. Very primitive. Play properly orchestrated music and your audiences will be astonished. My goal in this channel was to demonstrate how that is done. Having completed my goal, there is nothing more for me to add. The rest is up to you. Best of luck.
Thank you Leon for this video. I just recently purchased the 700 arranger. I’ve spent a lot of time on you tube trying to find tutorials to help me begin to grasp the potential of this instrument. Your video hit the mark. I now know why it’s called an arranger.lol
Congratulations on your purchase of the SX700. I'm happy to hear that my video helped you realize the true purpose of this type of keyboard. Of course many people use them in a more interactive manner. Some people actually give very impressive performances playing in that manner. However, when they do they are always confronted with certain compromises. The only way to be able to select from the instrument's full orchestral capability in real time for each orchestral part of any of your performances is to create a formal arrangement in registration memory. Plus, and this is most important for a person like me with limited playing skills, creating arrangements greatly reduces the skill required to play the piece. A good example is my arrangement of "Camptown Races". Without the ability to create a pedal controlled formal arrangement, there is no way that I could accomplish such rapid orchestral changes to tempo. Best of luck with your new keyboard.
This video should be mandatory from Yamaha...it is an excellent tutorial for anybody owning a Yamaha PRS X900/700. Even if you are familiar with using your arranger the review is excellent. Obviously, I strongly recommend it. THANK YOU LEON.
Hi Leon, I found this video by chance on uTube, & pleased to say I am now subscribed to your channel. 😊 Can I just say, how well you present your articles & download material for all videos,which I find most learnable. You explain things which in most are very easy to comprehend eg. theory of things Registrations etc. Which brings me to please keep it all up & going with your easy simple listing video’s, and look forward trying to keep up with them all as well & fast as I can .... pity Yamaha don’t explain things in as much detail as you do ! In stead they just refer to not so thick manuals, or go online for advanced manuals too’... “ most frustrating “when you want to go hands on with Video’s. Well done Leon, & now will enjoy my future arrangements with renewed interest.👍👌
@@terenceparker551 Thank you so much for this positive feedback. It's nice to know that what I am doing is appreciated. I agree that the official documentation does not fully explain the purpose of certain features. I'm still trying to understand exactly what a playlist is and why I should use it.
@@terenceparker551 By the way. I understand the basic operation of these instruments because I once worked for a music store and was required to explain such things to customers. However, I myself am not a very skilled player. Indeed, I'm using this channel not only to encourage beginner level hobbyists to use properly created formal arrangements rather than the "One Touch" system, but to force myself to complete the needed practice work in order to become a better player myself. So far I've posted songs that I already knew, or could play with minimal practice. But I'm quickly running out of such easier songs. Hence the pace that I upload new arrangements will slow down a lot. I predict you'll have no trouble keeping up with my posts.
@@leoncastonguay3997 Hi again Leon, Ty for your replies, much appreciated. As yourself I am a keen home hobbyist, & own the Sx900 also hv a Rolland VA-7. But on the SX-900 I do struggle with registrations. Also on my SX. it came with 1800 + playlist songs ! Although cannot see the point of them, when the songs hv no music notation score or lyrics seems if you hv the music book for that song ‘ ( you hv to try to learn.... by Ear, lol Fortunately I do hv several books in the “Songs For Buskers “ series, which cover a lot of genres... well worth a look 👀
It may not be a concise explanation, but it is definitely a clear and precise one... Thank you very much to help me clear my confusion regarding this registration function. Very good video tutorial! Highly recommended! Thumps up please if you, the viewers agree...
Thank you very much for a wonderful presentation, it is one of the best that I have ever watched on youtube. I now understand how to use the registration bank, something that I wasn't fully sure about. The clarity of your presentation is outstanding and your humilty is endearing. Also, the T-shirt is so appropriate 🤣
A repeat from an earlier post. Every time I replay your tutorials, I learn that bit more, impossible to get it right in one run through. You add the small but very important details missing or difficult to get from reading the manual. I have made much better progress by following your wonderful presentations. Keep them coming, I learn so much from your wonderful presentations. 👍🎹🎼🇦🇺🦘
I'm happy that you are mastering the use of "Registration Memory" for creating arrangements of performances with multiple orchestral parts. It is the only playing technique that allows us to conveniently make orchestral choices in real time from the instrument's entire range of possibilities without compromises, as well as allow us to properly adjust the mix of all voices within each part of the performance, which we can never do when using the "One Touch" or other interactive playing techniques. Indeed, any audio professional will tell you that it's not the virtuosity that makes the best performance on a modern instrument like the SX900, it's the mix. Of course the owner's manual will describe how to access different features, like Registration Memory for example, but it will never tell you how to use it in your music. In other words, it will tell you how to access the feature that supports proper formal orchestration on the instrument, but it will never actually tell you how to properly orchestrate. That's really the job of music educators. Unfortunately, most educators are completely unaware of the technique. That's why I am publishing my own simple beginner level arrangements complete with both sheet music and orchestration files, and in the process encouraging others who play better than me to start doing the same. Eventually, the educators may catch on to the value of this playing technique for musicians and hobbyists at all playing levels, and hopefully they will start teaching their students how to do this. Best of luck and I hope the "Multi-Part Orchestration Playing Technique" makes a significant improvement to the quality of your performances.
@@leoncastonguay3997 -I had a visitor yesterday to see and hear my new SX900, (the last one in Oz when I bought it-and it came from a firm in Qld) she has a PSRs-950 and a pretty good Yamaha electric piano. I told her about your video tutorials and said how good they are and she told me that she had met you on various occaisions during visits to the mainland, and was very impressed meeting you. We are in Tasmania, however, she is off to Qld at the end of the week for an extended period of time, I will miss her inspiration and other technical/computer related skills.
@@ShevillMathers I'm happy to hear you like my videos so much. However, I think your friend is mixing me up with Leon Blaher of "Yamaha Music Australia", who appears in the following link: th-cam.com/video/Tqa7x62Zt4I/w-d-xo.html I'm actually located in the USA, in the White Mountains of Northern New Hampshire, and although I seem to have a knack for learning certain features of modern arranger keyboards, I'm only a beginner level music hobbyist. I do not use the "Playlist" feature that Leon Blaher describes in the above video. My approach to playing the instrument is a bit different in that I do not rely on the instrument's database of previously created registrations. Instead, I use Registration Memory Banks to create from scratch my own formal multi part arrangements of particular songs, and then I share those arrangements with other music hobbyists by exchanging Registration Bank Files and sheet music.
Leon, THANK YOU for your detailed explanation. I am new to arrangement and your clear, detailed, step by step instructions are exactly what I was looking for. I am looking at Yamaha PSR SX670. Even though they are different model but since that are both made by Yamaha hopefully the steps are transferrable. Greatly appreciate all that you do!!!
Thanks again Leon for the info. I am at the stage of learning this particular instrument - the artistic side, the technical side. My approach is to figure out how everything works first, then play with the features, then decide what fits into my particular artistic style and skillset. Your video - and discussion - has helped me with a lot of that, and I thank you for the incredible effort you put into it. Cheers.🎼🎶🎹
What a great way of making clear instructions you have. It is a gift. I purchased some of John Beesley's and Strawberry's last year and am having a great time with them. But until I watched this video, it was all a mystery. Thanks for this fantastic instruction video. Even though my instrument is the Tyros 5, it was all clear how to do this.
I'm glad you enjoyed my presentation. I'm especially pleased that you saw that the operation of your Tyros 5 is really the same as my PSR-SX900. It is a common misconception, even amongst professional musicians, that because different model keyboards have some unique features their operation must be different. Perhaps this misconception is a result of instrument manufacturers, in an attempt to compete against other models, always overemphasize features that other models don't have and fail to point out that their basic operation is the same. If I gave you a Roland E-A7 arranger keyboard ( from completely different manufacturer) you'd discover that it has the very the same capability of saving song orchestrations as collections of parts. The only difference is the name of the feature. Roland calls a "Registration Bank" a "User Program Bank". Even other instruments, such as an electronic accordion, use the very same operational concept: th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html Although that instrument does not possess any auto accompaniment, it provides the feature of "User Program Banks" to save multi part song orchestrations.
Thank you for the explanation of how to use the foot-pedal to sequence the registration memory. I have been trying to do it for many months and with your explanation the enigma was solved. Thanks a million!
This was a great tutorial, I do not have the PSR-SX900 but I do have the PSR-S970 and the information in this video helped me learning the steps to do the same in that instrument, even though screens might be some what different but the capability of the two instruments for this purpose is the same, other than PSR-S970 is only capable of two instruments being layered instead of three. Thank you very much Leon.
I commend you for such an excellent, informative presentation. I've owned and enjoyed many of the mid level of Yamaha arranger keyboards, as well as the flagship of the time, Tyros 5. I've sold all of those as I've found the PSR SX900 to be exactly what I need. So I am fairly familiar a lot of your explanation and tutorial. But, as you know, the new introduction of playlist and registrations has been controversial with those who know the previous systems. I've bitten the bullet and have worked on very many registrations just as you instruct, but have been unable to figure out how to sequence the pedals and combine it with the individual song registration. Today, you have certainly provided the key for that as well as many nuances that are so important to getting the most from the keyboard. You say you are a beginner musician, but you are certainly post graduate at the technology aspect of this work flow and a most skilled communicator with this presentation. I want to thank you for your research, experimentation, documentation, and time to put this polished, logical, video available. I look forward to more from you and again many thanks for such dedication to offer clear explanations. All the best to you! Bravo!
Thank you John for your positive feedback. I also have observed and agree with you that the use of simple "Registrations" versus "Registration Banks" is controversial. And quite honestly, I don't know why this is. It's seems pretty obvious to me that if one plays an entire song using a single "Registration" retrieved from some database, like "Music Finder" or its equivalent converted to Playlist format, one is limited to only a few orchestral choices that produce a performance that not only lacks the variety that most performances deserve, but requires that orchestral variety be selected "on the fly", requiring dexterity and accuracy in making front panel selections. Worse, one does not have the ability to use different mix adjustments for the same orchestral choices in different parts within a single performance. And yet, when one listens to symphonic orchestra performances that are still popular with the general public centuries after they were composed, one is presented with hundreds if not thousands of different nuances of different instruments. It has always been my belief that that is one of the important reasons for the continuing appeal of these performances. So why do most keyboard players give this potential up and continue to use simple "Registrations" instead of formally arranged multi part orchestrations in the form of "Registration Banks"? Good question. I've been asking myself this question for years. I've heard a few theories. One reason I've been given by many musicians is a reluctance to save anything on the instrument out of fear of adversely affecting its normal operation. I have little sympathy for this argument. My goodness, can't musicians step up to the plate and learn the basic computer skills that allow them to save their own work? Another reason that many musicians have mentioned to me is that they don't want their performances to appear too automated lest they become accused by audiences of not really playing the instrument. They argue that the audience will think more highly of them if their hands are flying all over the place making different front panel selections throughout the performance. My own opinion on this is that the appeal of formally orchestrated multi part performances will completely outweigh any appearance that the musician is not really playing. I also feel that most general audiences don't really observe and analyze exactly how a musician is calling up different orchestral voices, either by front panel selection or by pedal control, and even if they do notice it, they don't really care. Their judgement of the musician is based more on the sound of the music, not by what they see the musician doing to produce it. The only people who in my experience really care about this are other musicians who are quick to accuse others of some form of fakery. So who should musicians play for? Other musicians or general audiences? One exercise that I recommend to many musicians it to listen to performances of the same piece played using each approach (single "Registration" versus "Registration Bank"). First here is John Beesley playing a version of "Pirates Of The Caribbean" formally orchestrated using "Registration Banks": th-cam.com/video/-_SrBYGgPS4/w-d-xo.html Next we have "JayJarR" playing the same piece using the old "Single Registration" approach: th-cam.com/video/FKxdVg9TZqw/w-d-xo.html "JayJarR" receives many compliments on his playing skill. However, I question the end product, the appeal of the performance to the ear. I feel that the "JayJarR" version is generally lacking in orchestral variety (especially treble voice selections) as well as quality of mix. Refer to any textbook on audio engineering and you'll read in its introductory chapter than for modern electronic instruments, it is the "mix" that is most important to the success of any recording. It is true that I play music only at a beginner level. The fact is, although I have a passion for music and a strong desire to make music myself, I have little talent. Mostly I lack the general motor skills required to take me to a higher level. Perhaps that is the reason why I have tried so hard to take advantage of whatever instrument features would improve the quality of my musical performances as well as make them easier to deliver. But even with that, I have failed to apply these concepts to higher level music for the simple reason that I lack the required musical talent. The best I can do to satisfy my passion for contributing to the music community is to help those who do possess real musical talent, people like yourself, to get the most out of their instrument, and in the process encourage manufacturers to deliver features that more easily permit formal orchestration, which I believe is the direction that the music industry is evolving towards. I don't intend to post any more videos to this channel. I believe that I have done as complete a presentation of the technique of formal orchestration on a modern musical instrument as my skill set permits. In fact, I believe that what I demonstrate here for the SX900 is applicable to almost all electronic instruments. Indeed, here is me using the very same technique but on an electronic accordion: th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html I made that video for Roxy's Music Store when I worked for them, a store that is now closed due to the death of its owner. Anyway, I think that in my various instructional videos I have pretty well beaten the subject of formal orchestration to death, meaning that there is little more for me to say. I think now it's up to musicians to take advantage of the technique if they wish to. I'm happy that my simple channel has helped point you in the direction of taking better advantage of your instrument's full orchestral possibilities in every part of every song that you perform. Best of luck to you. Leon
Thanks, Leon. This was a really delightful video, with a few surprising gems of information that I hadn't heard about yet in other videos (like changing registration bank files with the pedal!).
I have just noticed that this video, which I discovered about a month ago, and which I find to be the very best presentation of how to create, save, recall, and play arrangements on an arranger keyboard, has received a "thumbs down". What kind of fucking idiot would do that? Whoever you are, I hope you are proud of your ignorance. What is presented here in this video is in fact the way everyone should be playing their keyboards for their best performances, not by using the "One Touch" system which limits you to only 4 orchestral choices with no mix adjustment capability of the same choice in different parts of your performance. It is only by properly orchestrating your arrangements into parts saved in different locations within registration banks, as presented in this video, that your performances can not only provide the orchestral variety that your music should have, but the only way that each orchestral part has access to the complete orchestral and editing capabilities of the instrument. And finally this technique makes the actual playing of performances much easier, thus allowing you to produce better performances than you otherwise could. Who wouldn't want that? So, why don't most musicians and music hobbyists take advantage of this? Because most musicians and music hobbyists are lazy, brainless idiots who are not worth listening to.
Thank you for your support Leon. And to anyone else who is struggling with the SX600 to try to build a Playlist, here's a tip that took me a whole day to figure out. I was trying to copy a Playlist item from the downloadable Bonus PSR-SX600 Playlist into my own Playlist. But whenever I tried to play it, I noticed the registered memory was not being loaded. When I went into the Playlist Record Edit window, I saw that the Action "Load Register Memory" was on "Off". There was nothing I could do to change this to one of the available registered memory locations (1 - 8). It was like it was read-only. I searched the Owners manual, the Reference manual, the Internet. Couldn't get past this. So I fell back on trial-and-error: push some buttons, see what happens. I then discovered that I could move the Action "Load Register Memory" from the Off to, say, the "1" position by using - not the arrow buttons or the enter button, as you might expect - but the "+/Yes" button just above the arrow button. Bingo. Worked like a charm. So now I have another little tool in my arsenal when trying to navigate this procedure.
Thank you Frank for sharing your experience trying to manage a Playlist. I myself do not use the Playlist feature. I could be wrong but it seems to me to be a way to retrieve individual register memory configurations that set up the instrument to play particular songs by interactively (on the fly) selecting the Right1 through Right3 treble voices and style control buttons, or by using the "One Touch" settings, as you play, not banks that contain a collection of register memory configurations each one corresponding to an individual part of a song arrangement, register configurations that are organized such that one can conveniently switch from part to part using a pedal. Of course these instruments can be used in many ways. However, I do not like the Playlist playing strategy. It not only restricts the amount of orchestral variety that one can incorporate within an individual song as well as make the arrangement more difficult to play (you have to remember where the different voices are, not to mention the physical dexterity required), but it does not allow you to share your arrangement with another musician such that he can play it exactly as you did. For example, John Beesley (who I mention in my video) publishes his arrangements as "Registration Banks", not Playlists. But even if you don't share your arrangements with other musicians, organizing your arrangements as "Registration Bank Files" makes it easier for you to play each song onstage exactly as you originally intended when you prepared that song in your music room. You simply press the pedal for each orchestral change according to how you arranged it. Each part is played in sequence, you don't have to remember where things are and you don't need to develop the skill of pressing a variety of buttons on the front panel to tempo, without missing a beat. And even more importantly, each part contains specific mix adjustments appropriate for that particular part of the song, adjustments that can be selected from the instrument's entire orchestral capabilities, not from a low number of instrument selections that are more generic. Registration bank files can be easily managed on the instrument or with the aid of a computer by organizing them into folders in USB memory. I see no value to the Playlist feature. Indeed, I see it as a way to set up the instrument such that one plays it in the same manner as an acoustic instrument, like a pipe organ from centuries ago. It fails to take advantage of a modern arranger's most powerful feature, its programmability. Finally, I find the Playlist feature much too complex to be of any use. Saving my song arrangements as Registration Bank Files seems a lot simpler than trying to figure out poorly designed and cryptic procedures as you experienced with the Playlist. Plus the "Registration Bank" approach is a more generic strategy that is usable on other models, thus simplifying the adaptation required when you purchase a new keyboard. Indeed, as I demonstrated in a previous response, the very same playing strategy can be used on completely different instruments, like my electronic accordion.
You must be an professional Instructor, your speak is very clear and easy to understand. Yamaha should hire you for Demo performer Instructor for their product. Excellent Video instruction, Thank you.I subscribed to your channel
I'm glad you realized the similarities. It turns out that most electronic instruments use the very same concepts, although sometimes using different names. Here I am doing it on an electronic accordion: th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html Note that Roxy's Music Store is now out of business. Electronic instruments are like automobiles. Once you learn how to use one, you can use them all. Best of luck.
Hello Léon, First of all best wishes for 2021 from France. Your tutorial is very good and helps me to grow in the Yamaha world with my 900 arranger. Thx
Wow, thanks for this video Leon! I have not bought yet this great instruments but i am intent to do so when i have the money for it. So, in mean time i try to learn some intresting thinks to do. I wish you al good and take care!
Try downloading one of my simple arrangements, like "Lightly Row". It's easy to play, plus you'll see how the arrangement is constructed in Registration Memory. Modify it to different voices and editing features. Change the accompaniment styles. You'll see that it's no more difficult than saving phone numbers in your smartphone. I'm confident that you can make the arrangement sound a lot better. After all, I'm just an amateur at this. Post your improved version in your own TH-cam channel so that others can profit from your effort. Feel free to link to my sheet music. We'll all learn if we work together. Let me know how it works out.
Thank you for spending the time to reply to my question I will look into your web site regularly, as I am home inlock down it will help keep me sain Thank you and keep up the good work
Thank you Leon. A wealth of helpful information. I desperately wanted the SX700 or SX900, but because of the world-wide COVID-related shortages, I could not get my hands on either. So I had to settle for the lesser SX600. But your lesson was still sharply relevant. With the exception of a more button-centered method of operating the non-touch menu, and the provision of only two right-hand layers instead of three, the SX600 is very similar with respect to the Registration Memory function. Oh that it were very similar in sound quality too. Perhaps when the SX700/900 inventory is more abundant I'll have the opportunity to trade-in-trade-up.
Yes, although this video uses the SX900, you are correct in noticing that the very same basic technique of using Registration Banks to orchestrate or arrange songs will be the same on your SX600. Indeed, it's the same on most electronic instruments. On many Roland instruments, like the EA-7 keyboard, the feature is called "User Program Banks", but the concept is exactly the same. Indeed, here is the very same technique being used on a Roland V-Accordion: th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html If you understand my presentation on the SX900, then you should understand exactly what is happening in the above electronic accordion video, even if you do not know how to play accordion. You should also notice that the above electronic accordion video offers download of the "Bank" file representing the arrangement, just as I did in this SX900 video. Realizing how all electronic instruments are designed to support song orchestrations, a technique that I like to call "Saved Multi Part Song Orchestrations/Arrangements", allows you to graduate from using an electronic instrument as if it were an acoustic, picking generic sounds at specific locations as you play, to applying the full range of the instrument's orchestral possibilities (both tone selection and mix adjustment) to every part of every song performance in your repertoire. This is a manner of playing that no acoustic instrument can accomplish. Best of luck with your SX600. Your time on the SX600 will be valuable training for whatever next model you purchase.
Thanks for a great video! My new SX900 is arriving tomorrow to replace my S970. I will incorporate your ideas into my new arrangements. Keep up the good work! I'm now a subscriber.
Tom Bitsas, Best of luck with your new keyboard. Since you have experience on the S970, you are probably a much better player than I am. Please consider publishing your arrangements, thus encouraging others. The more we encourage others, the more successful will be our instrument.
Excellent tutorial!. I own a PSR-S970 and was never quite able to figure out how to use reg memory from their manual. Your presentation was insightful and I hope you make more tutorials on the Yamaha. For example "10 things every PSR SX900 beginning player should know about the instrument" . The tutorials would focus on PSR-SX970 hardware features and capabilities and how to use them (not on musicianship as such).
Super super useful explanation of Yamahas Registrations feature. Such a lovely way of explaining yourself and the procedure. I wonder if you are or were a teacher. Very very nice. Thank you.
Bravo Léon ! I was starting to think that I was the only one in the whole (yamaha musical) world to use the registration memory buttons the way you explain it. I bought the sx 900 last year and very soon I realised the potential of those 8 buttons. I can't play melody and chords at the same time { although I wish I could!} so I use my two hands to play the chords on the whole keyboard and I sing the melody. All my songs are saved that way allowing me to bring versatility in everyone of them. Most of the time 8 buttons are enough but sometimes I wished to have more so I just bought the genos which has 10 buttons. That should be fun! This method makes so much sense to me to "arrange" a song. BUT was I learned from you is how to use a foot pedal to go from from memory 1 to 2 to 3 etc... and for that thank you so much!
Congratulations on your purchase of the Genos. But remember, if you ever arrange a song to have more parts than the number of registration buttons on the instrument, you can use more than one "Registration Bank File" to represent your arrangement. I did that in my example "Camptown Races" arrangement. Although the SX900 has only eight registration buttons, my arrangement consists of fifteen parts. Eight parts are saved in one file and the remaining seven parts are saved in a second file. The instrument is able to switch files at the appropriate time using the pedal. There is no limit to the number of parts your arrangements can have. I explain how to do it in this instruction video. Still, I can appreciate the value of having ten buttons instead of only eight. Best of luck on the Genos.
Hello @purplemoon3816. Are you able to please demonstrate how you create and play your arrangements as I am unable to play melody and chords at the same time and i would like to play chords on the whole keyboard and sing the melody as words of the song. Currently i play chords only with my left hand. Many thanks and all the very best.
Thank you for putting together such well presented tutorial, it was very clear, informative and straight to the point, just perfect. Subscribed in a hope to see more tutorials in the future.
I am interesting your video about sx900. But i also see you are a hamradio amateur. I am Joop PA1JLG from the Netherlands and i am a also the SX900. 73 from the Netherlands.
Awesome video with great detail. You are a great teacher. I don't know if you have done this, but it would be great to follow this video with one of creating playlists with these arrangements for a complete performance...one song after another. Let me know if you have done this.
Thank you for asking this. I have not completed any instruction for creating playlists and for good reason. My purpose in this channel is to demonstrate the one playing strategy where the complete orchestral capability of the instrument is available at the convenience of a single foot pedal to accomplish all orchestral changes in every part of your performances. It is a technique that is common to almost every model of arranger keyboard made by almost every manufacturer. And yet, few musicians use it. Rather than "Formally Arranging" their performances, most musicians instead use interactive techniques, such as the "One Touch" or other such feature, and in the process they have available only a small fraction of the orchestral changes that are possible on the instrument. Not only that, the pressing of buttons on the front panel, as opposed to sequentially pressing a single foot pedal, requires skill that otherwise could be focused on the actual playing. Worse, some desired orchestral changes remain unavailable because they would require too many front panel button selections or worse some menu selections and hence could not be accomplished to tempo on-the-fly while playing. For example, no one can make mix adjustments on-the-fly while playing to tempo. You do make mix adjustments, right? Anyway, I encourage creating arrangements as does John Bessely, who I mention in this video. To make myself clear, I encourage that you formally arrange your performances such that they can be conveniently recalled and played without having to take your fingers off the keys as you make orchestral changes, changes that otherwise would not be possible, and without you having to remember such details in each part of each and every song in your performance repertoire. Imagine trying to play "Camptown Races" as I posted in this channel, a song that requires orchestral changes almost every phrase, without using this technique. There is no person who could accomplish that exact beginner level arrangement interactively by making front panel selections for each and every orchestral change. But of course your question was about how you organize your arrangements such that they can be conveniently recalled. Myself, I have found features like playlists of little use for the reason that my arrangements are already organized as files in USB memory. Simply organize your arrangements in memory such that they can be easily recalled during your onstage performances, as I have demonstrated in this video. Why learn another feature that accomplishes the same thing? If you have a large performance library (perhaps 500 to 1,000 arrangements) and you want to save the effort of finding certain ones when performing onstage, simply copy the ones you want to play into a separate appropriately named folder or separate USB flash drive. Prefix their filenames numerically in the sequence that you want to play them. Still, we all have our own favorite ways of working. Hence you may find the "Playlist" feature valuable. Best of luck.
thanks for the video. Using a registration to assign an intro is interesting. I use intros and endings a lot in my performances on the Korg PA4X. This is a cool way to do some interesting things in ONE song. Kind of like PA5X morphing of styles - same thing! Can you please explain how to hook up the subwoofer and the routing procedure to use both the onboard speakers independent of the Sub?
Best tutorial. I have been looking into many videos and I was not able to find good info, your video is clear and very educational. Love your style. Thank you some Chile
Just watched this video and I must congratulate you on a first class presentation. I currently have an old Technics SX-KN5000, it also has many of the features of the PSR-SX900 particularly in regards to the Registration Memory and the buttons and the way you store and recall the settings. Many thanks Leon, I now have a clearer understanding of how my old machine works, hopefully some day I might be able to afford a Yamaha PSR-SX900 Keyboard. Love your channel, you are a great speaker and presenter so I have subscribed and hope to see some more absolutely riveting videos. All the best to you Leon, take care and i will see you soon.
I'm glad my video was helpful. Your PSR-SX700 will be able to read my "Registration Bank File", however, some of the voices may be different, or possibly silent. Let me know how it works out.
@@leoncastonguay3997 Hi thanks for your reply I have had some silent voices when I have downloaded some expansion packs from PSR Tutorial, I was thinking of getting John Beesley for my keyboard do you think this will work ok Thank you once again for your time
@@Kkianco Thank you for confirming the result of using one of my SX900 arrangements on an SX700 instrument. The reason this occurs is because I am using voices on the SX900 that do not exist on the SX700. Since I do not own an SX700, I have no way of knowing which ones. For me to support the SX700 I would have to create separate arrangements for each instrument. When you purchase from John Beesley make sure that the product that you choose works on the SX700. For example, I purchased his "Classical Magic, Volume #1" and I noticed that his product contains separate arrangements for the SX700 and SX900. So yes, Beesley's "Classical Magic, Volume #1" will work fine on your SX700. However, some of his other products have not been done for the SX700. Read his product descriptions carefully before you buy. Best of luck.
Leon, I know this is a somewhat older video, but the info is still up to date and extremely helpful. As the proud owner of a sx700 I can use the same techniques. However using a pedal for registration sequence I came to an issue I can't resolve. Say I use variation A for step 1. I have to repeat some bars and so I press the pedal again and programmed step 2 as variation A with a fill in. Whatever I do the fill in won't play using the pedal, only if I press the A button the fill in will sound. Switching to another variation like B,C or D the fill in is played but not if you want to repeat the same variation. So if I have a pedal sequence 1,1,2,1,3,4 . step 2 (registration 1) won't do the fill in. Wonder if the SX900 behaves the same and if you have a trick to solve this. Keep them coming I like your style regards, Ruud
Hi Ruud. I'm happy to see that someone is creating formally orchestrated, pedal controlled performances. Although I have not noticed the problem you describe, I wonder if you were to save the set of conditions of "Registration 1" twice, once at "Registration Location #1" and then again at "Registration Location #2". Perhaps then when you switch between them the fill-in will activate? This brings up a good point. Should one switch back and forth between a series of registrations using an out-of-order pedal sequence, as you are doing, or is it better to save the same set of conditions multiple times and use a completely linear (sequential) pedal sequence. Although once in a while I do use out-of-order pedal sequences, for the most part, I prefer saving things multiple times and keeping the pedal sequence sequential. That way, as one develops the performance, small adjustments can be made to parts of the performance that otherwise would be identical. The only times I go back and forth between some limited number of registrations is when I'm absolutely sure I will never want to make small adjustments to them when they are played in different parts of the performance. But most of the time I prefer to keep all options open by saving the same set of conditions multiple times. As I point out in this instructional video, by using multiple "Registration Bank Files", there is no limit to the number of orchestral parts an arrangement can have. Some of the arrangements of John Beesley consist of 30 to 40 parts. Incidentally, although this instructional video is a couple of years old, it will never become "out of date". The concept of saving different orchestral parts of a performance and then switching between them is fundamental to the operation of all models of arranger keyboards. Sure, on one it may be called "Registration Banks", and on another "User Program Banks". I've even seen it called "Performance List". And the details of saving different parts and switching between them may differ slightly. But the idea is always the same. Best of luck.
I'm not a beginner, but I can use your explanation about the PSR SX900. I,ve just bought this keyboard. I think, you must have been a teacher, because you are well able to empathize with the uncertainty that many beginners will experience ( like me). Thank you for your excellent explanation
I am 73yo accordion player in Brooklyn, NY Let me tell you that your channel is professionally done (steady pix ) and you describe every single action in a clear understandable way. There are many other videos out there, but you video is very educational, and and again well done. I too have just bought the SX700 and found your channel after I set the unit up. Good thing I did. Thank you for the great explanation. Like someone said in another view, Yamaha should see your videos and then hire you.
Thank you so much for your supportive comment. My passion is to promote the making of formal, multi part arrangements with appropriate mix and sound editing adjustments for each orchestral part of a performance, as opposed to using interactive features, like "One Touch". When using an interactive playing strategy, in order to produce decent orchestral variety one must be a skilled octopus at pressing buttons. Even without a pedal formal arrangements are easier to play. But most importantly, when using interactive strategies it is not possible to properly make mix and sound editing adjustments. Any successful musician, like Taylor Swift for example, will tell you that in today's world, "It's all in the mix".
Many people ask me about how to use obscure interactive features. But one look at my example videos should tell them that I never use such things. Why should I spend time developing skill on a feature that appears on only one model keyboard? A skill that will not apply to another model? The basic workflow for creating formal arrangements as presented in this video is transferable to most other models of arranger keyboards, such as your SX700. Of course you cannot download and use my Registration Bank files. My instrument has voices and accompaniment styles that yours does not have. But the basic workflow for creating arrangements on your SX700 is exactly the same as on my SX900. I once had a Roland BK-9 and arrangements on that model were created in exactly the same way as you see in this video.
Anyway, performances published by John Beesley are enough to convince me that making formal arrangements produces performances whose orchestral quality is infinitely better, and simply not possible by using interactive playing strategies. Here are examples:
th-cam.com/video/fuMWnv6v7sk/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/-_SrBYGgPS4/w-d-xo.html
You have to listen with headphones to fully appreciate. I'm sure you can find many more such examples. Such orchestral quality cannot be achieved using the "One Touch", or any other interactive strategy.
Best of luck.
Excellent presentation!! You covered a LOT in order and with great thoroughness and detail. Very well done! I have just bought an SX900, and am very anxious to get it. I have watched several hours of videos on it done by many, including Yamaha employees, but this video was by far the best and most instructive. Yamaha should hire you!!
You are about to receive one of the best arranger keyboards available. It will be an exciting adventure for you. Thank you for the positive feedback on my presentation. My goal was to focus on the general workflow for producing formal arrangements, a workflow that is common to most electronic instruments. For example, your Yamaha's "Registration Banks" on a Roland keyboard is called "User Program Banks", but the concept is the same. Once you learn the strategy on one particular model, you can easily adapt it to any of the others with little difficulty. Indeed, the same strategy can even be applied to completely different electronic musical instruments. Here is me doing so on an electronic accordion (I created this video demonstration when I worked at Roxy's Music Store, which is now out of business). Watch the display change in response to a foot pedal as I sequentially progress through the various orchestral parts of the performance, just like I do in my similar videos for the SX900:
th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html
It's like driving a car. Learning the general strategy to drive one particular model allows you to drive them all. Best of luck.
This is the ONLY material from whitch i am finally understanding the file and data management on my psr- sx700. None of other works (including original yamaha manuals, documents, downloads etc) Thank You Mr. Castonguay
Thanks for this awesome tutorial. I have watched this video several times since my SX900 arrived two weeks ago. God bless you!
thanks a lot Leon. i am about in the same boat, a severe lack of physical dexterity, but with an instrument like this , i still can play and
make some music, your explanation of the registrations butttons was so very very helpful. a bit of a pity you say you stop, the community
needs people like you that are capable of explaining things in a very easy and precise manner, lotsa tutorial vids go way too fast for me.
greetings
As a new PSR SX900 owner, I found this wonderfully helpful, especially the use of registrations and pedals. Thank you Mr. Castonguay!
Sir, I have just bought a PSR SX-900, and fortunately I happened to notice this video while looking for something else. It is so helpful and informative. I feel like I've stumbled upon hidden treasure. It is so clear and so well presented, you must be a teacher by profession. Thank you so much for this video and for the links you have provided. I have subscribed to your channel. Thank you, thank you!
Leon, this was the best presentation and explanation I've seen! Your teaching is sensational! I'm not a beginner, but I've had an SX900 for 8 months. Your "class" helped me a lot! CONGRATULATIONS!! 👏👏👏👍
Thank you for this clear and detailed explanation of the registration sequence process. I’ve been programming registrations into Yamaha arranger workstations for years and found this tutorial extremely helpful in adapting to the SX 900. Really appreciate your sharing Leon! 😊
This was quite literally the most informative and yet easy to follow instructional video that I have ever seen on the SX900. Thank you so very much!
I got my sx900 yesterday and this was the first thing I did to learn how to use the registration memory. Helped me a lot! Thank you!
Wow sir you're like a living audiobook! Thank you so much for the extremely thorough discussion, a great service to all us newbie PSR owners who are mystified by all the buttons (best video I've seen on instrument). I recommend others pull up with a cup of coffee (just keep it away from keyboard)!
I'm happy that as a newbie PSR owner you got to see a presentation of how to properly create formal arrangements as "Registration Banks" on an arranger keyboard. The thing to realize is that the very same playing technique can be employed on most electronic instruments (on a Roland it's called "User Program Banks"). Once you master this technique, all those buttons suddenly seem less mysterious. And of course, as I explain in the video, it's the only way that each of your performances can have access to the entire orchestral capability of your instrument. And yet the technique is really very simple. It even simplifies the playing of performances. As you may have read me write in other comments, I don't actually consider myself to be a musician. My playing skills are limited to beginner level. However, by properly arranging my simple performances I am able to fool family and friends into thinking that I am more a musician than I really am. Just imagine what you can do with it. Best of luck.
Can you convert TH-cam song to MIDI. For psr900?
Your description of arraingements was very helpful.. i am a new beginner and it’ll help me explore the capabilities of my new yamaha arranger. I cannot express my joy of finding this video and all of the comments below certainly describe the power of your video! Thank You!
Hi Leon. I purchased the SX 700 a few weeks and initially found it quite daunting compared to my old PSR 270 of some twenty years ago.
I found this tutorial of yours last week and what a difference it has made me working out arrangements without having to trawl through the manual. You have saved me probably months of time getting to where I am at now.
Your way of explaining the workings of the instrument is brilliant.
I can’t thank you enough for your time you must have spent in the making of this video.
Keep up the good work my friend.
Thanks. I hope my instruction encourages you to take advantage of Registration Banks to formally arrange (orchestrate) your performances. Enjoy your SX700. Quite a step up from your PSR-270. I predict you'll love it.
Thank you Leon. You are a gentleman and this was well explained. Way above my head but if I follow this over and over again I will learn. You’re a great teacher. Thank you sir
I purchased the SX900 last week and after playing and using an E433 for years was pretty intimidated.
Reading the manual and watching a few short tutorials left me wondering if I was over my head. I am a fairly accomplished singer, guitar and keyboard player, and having recently retired thought I would get more serious creating, playing and recording. After watching Leon’s video I am feeling very confident that I have purchased the right instrument to achieve these goals. I subscribed to his channel, and hope he keeps making these terrific videos.
Thank you Mr. Castonguay for your no frills detailed instructions. Donald G.
I guess Im randomly asking but does anyone know a trick to log back into an Instagram account..?
I was stupid lost my password. I love any assistance you can give me.
@Lane Edward instablaster :)
@Angel Quinn thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now.
Seems to take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Angel Quinn It worked and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much you saved my ass!
@Lane Edward you are welcome =)
Excellent video & well edited! Programmability has limited my “music making” with my tyros 4, & now w sx900 I plan to excel! Great work in teaching, Leon!
Just placed an order for the SX900, upgrading from a 770- a big leap for an 83 year old former clarinet/ alto & concert flute player with arthritic finger joints. On the 1st January 2021 I celebrated my day with a luncheon visit from a delightful lady who is ahead of me with her 970, she basically went through much of your tutorial, having just watched yours from start to finish, both lessons have flagged it in my memory cells. I also have music books and USB drives from John Beasley and Strawberry Music. The new KB should be here in a week, the last one in Australia-can’t wait. Have subscribed. 👍🎹🇦🇺🦘 PS, 1st January is not a good day for a birthday, having a twin sister who arrived before me-well.....need I say more!
Congratulations on your purchase of the SX900. I'm only 8 years behind you in age. I'm flattered that an accomplished musician like yourself would find value in my presentation of the basics of using "Registration Memory", especially since you have already seen first hand the work of John Beesley and Strawberry Music. I knew in setting up this channel that I needed to provide a certain amount of instruction, otherwise people unfamiliar with the creation and use of formal arrangements would not know how to use my work. But I don't intend to provide instruction beyond that on other aspects of the instrument. My primary goal is to build up a library of arrangements of beginner level practice pieces that hopefully will make such necessary practice work more entertaining for other music hobbyists like myself.
@@leoncastonguay3997 So much easier to understand and work through your how & why to video, compared to the owners manual, where one is constantley being referred to another page backwards and forwards. You have included some important bits that so many tutorials leave out, assuming that folks already know how to do certain things correctly. Even the factory reset step you explain and show-it took me a while to find that in the user manual. I used to teach a some medical scientific topics years ago, and I always assessed the average level of any new class students so that what I taught was understandable by the majority.
@@ShevillMathers Yes, I know what you mean. It took considerable time and effort for me to finally understand. I'm happy to help others profit from my effort. Best of luck with your new SX900.
@@leoncastonguay3997 Hi Leon, playing a wind instrument-clarinet-flutes etc. is very different to playing one of these keyboards because one has to learn how to switch it on and how to ‘program’ / drive it, my wind instruments playing is no help. However, you have bridged that gap for me and no doubt many other newcomers to these keyboards. You are the ‘missing link’. Thank you for sharing your wonderful presentations. Stay safe and best wishes for 2021.👍😁🎹🎼🇬🇧🇦🇺🦘
@@ShevillMathers For sure you will have to spend some time learning to "drive" your SX900. However, once you overcome that, with your musical talent you will be able to take the keyboard a whole lot further than a technician like me can. I'll most probably be still working on basic practice pieces. Thanks again for your support and best of luck to you.
What a great presentation!. Very logical and calm, but on the same time inspiering and even humurous. (I love your hat) Thank you! Oh and thanks for the tip with the pen. I remembered I have one of those so less fingerprints and grease on the screen.😎
Thanks, at last I can work this out.
You took us through it slowly.
Not all of us players are 20 and can understand a manufacturers manual, ,we need to see every step played out.
Thanks.
Sir! You are awesome and I totally appreciate your video! I just got my SX700 three days ago, and this covers 90% of what I want to do with it at the moment. Thanks so much!
Your explanation gives the curious viewer real insights into what an arranger can do!
I’ve owned a CVP609 for several years and never really understood the registration process until now. It will do what the SX 900 will do in this regard and I never knew it. Time to totally renew my interest in the instrument. Thank you for a wonderfully clear instruction on the process.
I'm happy you realized how the use of registration banks was the same as on your CVP609. The feature is supported on many electronic instruments. Here's me demonstrating it on an electronic accordion:
th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html
Unfortunately, manufacturers do not bother explaining the intent of the feature, leaving us to figure it out on our own. Your CVP609 is a wonderful high end instrument. Glad to point you in the right direction to get the most out of it. Best of luck.
Hi Leon .Thank you for your excellent and lively presentation which is very clear .I am an intermediate level Musician from Australia and I am so happy that I found your video today..I find it very helpful.I am new to PSR Sx900 and was getting frustrated trying to learn about Registrations from various videos and the Yamaha Manual..Yours is the best video presentation of all the similar videos I have been searching as the Yamaha Manual did not explain the details like you did.
I have subscribed to your channel and will follow your other videos to come . Please keep up the good work.I highly recommend your video to all PSR SX900 players who are looking out for similar videos.Cheers.
I'm glad you found my presentation helpful. But remember, it's not just about the SX900. It's about any arranger keyboard. They all have the same ability to play pedal controlled, multiple part, formal arrangements. The problem with the owner's manual is that although it describes how to save registrations, it doesn't tell you how to organize them such that your performances have access to the full orchestral capabilities of the instrument plus complex arrangements are easy to play. Indeed, they treat the instrument like an old organ where you press various buttons interactively during your performance without any ability to edit each part. Forget about the "One Touch" feature. It will limit you to how Bach played 300 years ago. Very primitive. Play properly orchestrated music and your audiences will be astonished. My goal in this channel was to demonstrate how that is done. Having completed my goal, there is nothing more for me to add. The rest is up to you. Best of luck.
Thank you Leon for this video.
I just recently purchased the 700 arranger. I’ve spent a lot of time on you tube trying to find tutorials to help me begin to grasp the potential of this instrument.
Your video hit the mark. I now know why it’s called an arranger.lol
Congratulations on your purchase of the SX700. I'm happy to hear that my video helped you realize the true purpose of this type of keyboard. Of course many people use them in a more interactive manner. Some people actually give very impressive performances playing in that manner. However, when they do they are always confronted with certain compromises. The only way to be able to select from the instrument's full orchestral capability in real time for each orchestral part of any of your performances is to create a formal arrangement in registration memory. Plus, and this is most important for a person like me with limited playing skills, creating arrangements greatly reduces the skill required to play the piece. A good example is my arrangement of "Camptown Races". Without the ability to create a pedal controlled formal arrangement, there is no way that I could accomplish such rapid orchestral changes to tempo. Best of luck with your new keyboard.
This video should be mandatory from Yamaha...it is an excellent tutorial for anybody owning a Yamaha PRS X900/700. Even if you are familiar with using your arranger the review is excellent. Obviously, I strongly recommend it. THANK YOU LEON.
Thank you Richard for your support.
Hi Leon,
I found this video by chance on uTube, & pleased to say I am now subscribed to your channel. 😊
Can I just say, how well you present your articles & download material for all videos,which I find most learnable. You explain things which in most are very easy to comprehend eg. theory of things Registrations etc.
Which brings me to please keep it all up & going with your easy simple listing video’s, and look forward trying to keep up with them all as well & fast as I can .... pity Yamaha don’t explain things in as much detail as you do !
In stead they just refer to not so thick manuals, or go online for advanced manuals too’... “ most frustrating “when you want to go hands on with Video’s. Well done Leon, & now will enjoy my future arrangements with renewed interest.👍👌
@@terenceparker551 Thank you so much for this positive feedback. It's nice to know that what I am doing is appreciated. I agree that the official documentation does not fully explain the purpose of certain features. I'm still trying to understand exactly what a playlist is and why I should use it.
@@terenceparker551 By the way. I understand the basic operation of these instruments because I once worked for a music store and was required to explain such things to customers. However, I myself am not a very skilled player. Indeed, I'm using this channel not only to encourage beginner level hobbyists to use properly created formal arrangements rather than the "One Touch" system, but to force myself to complete the needed practice work in order to become a better player myself. So far I've posted songs that I already knew, or could play with minimal practice. But I'm quickly running out of such easier songs. Hence the pace that I upload new arrangements will slow down a lot. I predict you'll have no trouble keeping up with my posts.
@@leoncastonguay3997 Hi again Leon,
Ty for your replies, much appreciated. As yourself I am a keen home hobbyist, & own the Sx900 also hv a Rolland VA-7. But on the SX-900 I do struggle with registrations. Also on my SX. it came with 1800 + playlist songs ! Although cannot see the point of them, when the songs hv no music notation score or lyrics seems if you hv the music book for that song ‘ ( you hv to try to learn.... by Ear, lol
Fortunately I do hv several books in the “Songs For Buskers “ series, which cover a lot of genres... well worth a look 👀
It may not be a concise explanation, but it is definitely a clear and precise one... Thank you very much to help me clear my confusion regarding this registration function. Very good video tutorial! Highly recommended! Thumps up please if you, the viewers agree...
What a great tutorial. Most of this also applies to the SX700 and SX600. Thank you for putting this in plain language for the rest of us.
Thank you very much for a wonderful presentation, it is one of the best that I have ever watched on youtube. I now understand how to use the registration bank, something that I wasn't fully sure about. The clarity of your presentation is outstanding and your humilty is endearing. Also, the T-shirt is so appropriate 🤣
A repeat from an earlier post. Every time I replay your tutorials, I learn that bit more, impossible to get it right in one run through. You add the small but very important details missing or difficult to get from reading the manual. I have made much better progress by following your wonderful presentations. Keep them coming, I learn so much from your wonderful presentations. 👍🎹🎼🇦🇺🦘
I'm happy that you are mastering the use of "Registration Memory" for creating arrangements of performances with multiple orchestral parts. It is the only playing technique that allows us to conveniently make orchestral choices in real time from the instrument's entire range of possibilities without compromises, as well as allow us to properly adjust the mix of all voices within each part of the performance, which we can never do when using the "One Touch" or other interactive playing techniques. Indeed, any audio professional will tell you that it's not the virtuosity that makes the best performance on a modern instrument like the SX900, it's the mix. Of course the owner's manual will describe how to access different features, like Registration Memory for example, but it will never tell you how to use it in your music. In other words, it will tell you how to access the feature that supports proper formal orchestration on the instrument, but it will never actually tell you how to properly orchestrate. That's really the job of music educators. Unfortunately, most educators are completely unaware of the technique. That's why I am publishing my own simple beginner level arrangements complete with both sheet music and orchestration files, and in the process encouraging others who play better than me to start doing the same. Eventually, the educators may catch on to the value of this playing technique for musicians and hobbyists at all playing levels, and hopefully they will start teaching their students how to do this. Best of luck and I hope the "Multi-Part Orchestration Playing Technique" makes a significant improvement to the quality of your performances.
@@leoncastonguay3997 -I had a visitor yesterday to see and hear my new SX900, (the last one in Oz when I bought it-and it came from a firm in Qld) she has a PSRs-950 and a pretty good Yamaha electric piano. I told her about your video tutorials and said how good they are and she told me that she had met you on various occaisions during visits to the mainland, and was very impressed meeting you. We are in Tasmania, however, she is off to Qld at the end of the week for an extended period of time, I will miss her inspiration and other technical/computer related skills.
@@ShevillMathers I'm happy to hear you like my videos so much. However, I think your friend is mixing me up with Leon Blaher of "Yamaha Music Australia", who appears in the following link:
th-cam.com/video/Tqa7x62Zt4I/w-d-xo.html
I'm actually located in the USA, in the White Mountains of Northern New Hampshire, and although I seem to have a knack for learning certain features of modern arranger keyboards, I'm only a beginner level music hobbyist. I do not use the "Playlist" feature that Leon Blaher describes in the above video. My approach to playing the instrument is a bit different in that I do not rely on the instrument's database of previously created registrations. Instead, I use Registration Memory Banks to create from scratch my own formal multi part arrangements of particular songs, and then I share those arrangements with other music hobbyists by exchanging Registration Bank Files and sheet music.
Leon, THANK YOU for your detailed explanation. I am new to arrangement and your clear, detailed, step by step instructions are exactly what I was looking for. I am looking at Yamaha PSR SX670. Even though they are different model but since that are both made by Yamaha hopefully the steps are transferrable. Greatly appreciate all that you do!!!
Thanks again Leon for the info. I am at the stage of learning this particular instrument - the artistic side, the technical side. My approach is to figure out how everything works first, then play with the features, then decide what fits into my particular artistic style and skillset. Your video - and discussion - has helped me with a lot of that, and I thank you for the incredible effort you put into it. Cheers.🎼🎶🎹
Best of luck.
What a great way of making clear instructions you have. It is a gift. I purchased some of John Beesley's and Strawberry's last year and am having a great time with them. But until I watched this video, it was all a mystery. Thanks for this fantastic instruction video. Even though my instrument is the Tyros 5, it was all clear how to do this.
I'm glad you enjoyed my presentation. I'm especially pleased that you saw that the operation of your Tyros 5 is really the same as my PSR-SX900. It is a common misconception, even amongst professional musicians, that because different model keyboards have some unique features their operation must be different. Perhaps this misconception is a result of instrument manufacturers, in an attempt to compete against other models, always overemphasize features that other models don't have and fail to point out that their basic operation is the same. If I gave you a Roland E-A7 arranger keyboard ( from completely different manufacturer) you'd discover that it has the very the same capability of saving song orchestrations as collections of parts. The only difference is the name of the feature. Roland calls a "Registration Bank" a "User Program Bank". Even other instruments, such as an electronic accordion, use the very same operational concept:
th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html
Although that instrument does not possess any auto accompaniment, it provides the feature of "User Program Banks" to save multi part song orchestrations.
Just saw your video. It was very well presented and I learnt a lot from you. Thank you very much for your time.
Excellent stuff! Thanks for doing it multiple times...It has helped me understand the sequence. Cheers!
Thank you for the explanation of how to use the foot-pedal to sequence the registration memory. I have been trying to do it for many months and with your explanation the enigma was solved. Thanks a million!
You're welcome. Best of luck.
As always, a very informative instructional video from Leon.. If I get my SX900 someday, this will be the first video I watch.. Nice Job!
This was a great tutorial, I do not have the PSR-SX900 but I do have the PSR-S970 and the information in this video helped me learning the steps to do the same in that instrument, even though screens might be some what different but the capability of the two instruments for this purpose is the same, other than PSR-S970 is only capable of two instruments being layered instead of three. Thank you very much Leon.
I commend you for such an excellent, informative presentation. I've owned and enjoyed many of the mid level of Yamaha arranger keyboards, as well as the flagship of the time, Tyros 5. I've sold all of those as I've found the PSR SX900 to be exactly what I need. So I am fairly familiar a lot of your explanation and tutorial. But, as you know, the new introduction of playlist and registrations has been controversial with those who know the previous systems. I've bitten the bullet and have worked on very many registrations just as you instruct, but have been unable to figure out how to sequence the pedals and combine it with the individual song registration. Today, you have certainly provided the key for that as well as many nuances that are so important to getting the most from the keyboard. You say you are a beginner musician, but you are certainly post graduate at the technology aspect of this work flow and a most skilled communicator with this presentation. I want to thank you for your research, experimentation, documentation, and time to put this polished, logical, video available. I look forward to more from you and again many thanks for such dedication to offer clear explanations. All the best to you! Bravo!
Thank you John for your positive feedback. I also have observed and agree with you that the use of simple "Registrations" versus "Registration Banks" is controversial. And quite honestly, I don't know why this is. It's seems pretty obvious to me that if one plays an entire song using a single "Registration" retrieved from some database, like "Music Finder" or its equivalent converted to Playlist format, one is limited to only a few orchestral choices that produce a performance that not only lacks the variety that most performances deserve, but requires that orchestral variety be selected "on the fly", requiring dexterity and accuracy in making front panel selections. Worse, one does not have the ability to use different mix adjustments for the same orchestral choices in different parts within a single performance. And yet, when one listens to symphonic orchestra performances that are still popular with the general public centuries after they were composed, one is presented with hundreds if not thousands of different nuances of different instruments. It has always been my belief that that is one of the important reasons for the continuing appeal of these performances. So why do most keyboard players give this potential up and continue to use simple "Registrations" instead of formally arranged multi part orchestrations in the form of "Registration Banks"? Good question. I've been asking myself this question for years. I've heard a few theories. One reason I've been given by many musicians is a reluctance to save anything on the instrument out of fear of adversely affecting its normal operation. I have little sympathy for this argument. My goodness, can't musicians step up to the plate and learn the basic computer skills that allow them to save their own work? Another reason that many musicians have mentioned to me is that they don't want their performances to appear too automated lest they become accused by audiences of not really playing the instrument. They argue that the audience will think more highly of them if their hands are flying all over the place making different front panel selections throughout the performance. My own opinion on this is that the appeal of formally orchestrated multi part performances will completely outweigh any appearance that the musician is not really playing. I also feel that most general audiences don't really observe and analyze exactly how a musician is calling up different orchestral voices, either by front panel selection or by pedal control, and even if they do notice it, they don't really care. Their judgement of the musician is based more on the sound of the music, not by what they see the musician doing to produce it. The only people who in my experience really care about this are other musicians who are quick to accuse others of some form of fakery. So who should musicians play for? Other musicians or general audiences? One exercise that I recommend to many musicians it to listen to performances of the same piece played using each approach (single "Registration" versus "Registration Bank"). First here is John Beesley playing a version of "Pirates Of The Caribbean" formally orchestrated using "Registration Banks":
th-cam.com/video/-_SrBYGgPS4/w-d-xo.html
Next we have "JayJarR" playing the same piece using the old "Single Registration" approach:
th-cam.com/video/FKxdVg9TZqw/w-d-xo.html
"JayJarR" receives many compliments on his playing skill. However, I question the end product, the appeal of the performance to the ear. I feel that the "JayJarR" version is generally lacking in orchestral variety (especially treble voice selections) as well as quality of mix. Refer to any textbook on audio engineering and you'll read in its introductory chapter than for modern electronic instruments, it is the "mix" that is most important to the success of any recording.
It is true that I play music only at a beginner level. The fact is, although I have a passion for music and a strong desire to make music myself, I have little talent. Mostly I lack the general motor skills required to take me to a higher level. Perhaps that is the reason why I have tried so hard to take advantage of whatever instrument features would improve the quality of my musical performances as well as make them easier to deliver. But even with that, I have failed to apply these concepts to higher level music for the simple reason that I lack the required musical talent. The best I can do to satisfy my passion for contributing to the music community is to help those who do possess real musical talent, people like yourself, to get the most out of their instrument, and in the process encourage manufacturers to deliver features that more easily permit formal orchestration, which I believe is the direction that the music industry is evolving towards. I don't intend to post any more videos to this channel. I believe that I have done as complete a presentation of the technique of formal orchestration on a modern musical instrument as my skill set permits. In fact, I believe that what I demonstrate here for the SX900 is applicable to almost all electronic instruments. Indeed, here is me using the very same technique but on an electronic accordion:
th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html
I made that video for Roxy's Music Store when I worked for them, a store that is now closed due to the death of its owner. Anyway, I think that in my various instructional videos I have pretty well beaten the subject of formal orchestration to death, meaning that there is little more for me to say. I think now it's up to musicians to take advantage of the technique if they wish to.
I'm happy that my simple channel has helped point you in the direction of taking better advantage of your instrument's full orchestral possibilities in every part of every song that you perform. Best of luck to you.
Leon
This was a brilliant tutorial, thank you!
Excellent presentation!! You covered and super good /great thoroughness and detail.
6:21 and man I knew this guy was going to teach ! Teach me, teach me teacher !
Thanks, Leon. This was a really delightful video, with a few surprising gems of information that I hadn't heard about yet in other videos (like changing registration bank files with the pedal!).
great stuff - realy inspiring, hope to see more tutorials - many thanks
Thanks Leon, a great help to a newbie like me, much appreciated.
Frank Dublin Ireland
I have just noticed that this video, which I discovered about a month ago, and which I find to be the very best presentation of how to create, save, recall, and play arrangements on an arranger keyboard, has received a "thumbs down". What kind of fucking idiot would do that? Whoever you are, I hope you are proud of your ignorance. What is presented here in this video is in fact the way everyone should be playing their keyboards for their best performances, not by using the "One Touch" system which limits you to only 4 orchestral choices with no mix adjustment capability of the same choice in different parts of your performance. It is only by properly orchestrating your arrangements into parts saved in different locations within registration banks, as presented in this video, that your performances can not only provide the orchestral variety that your music should have, but the only way that each orchestral part has access to the complete orchestral and editing capabilities of the instrument. And finally this technique makes the actual playing of performances much easier, thus allowing you to produce better performances than you otherwise could. Who wouldn't want that? So, why don't most musicians and music hobbyists take advantage of this? Because most musicians and music hobbyists are lazy, brainless idiots who are not worth listening to.
Leon thank you for taking your time to explain step by step I need it. God bless you for sharing you talent.
Thank you for your support Leon. And to anyone else who is struggling with the SX600 to try to build a Playlist, here's a tip that took me a whole day to figure out. I was trying to copy a Playlist item from the downloadable Bonus PSR-SX600 Playlist into my own Playlist. But whenever I tried to play it, I noticed the registered memory was not being loaded. When I went into the Playlist Record Edit window, I saw that the Action "Load Register Memory" was on "Off". There was nothing I could do to change this to one of the available registered memory locations (1 - 8). It was like it was read-only. I searched the Owners manual, the Reference manual, the Internet. Couldn't get past this. So I fell back on trial-and-error: push some buttons, see what happens. I then discovered that I could move the Action "Load Register Memory" from the Off to, say, the "1" position by using - not the arrow buttons or the enter button, as you might expect - but the "+/Yes" button just above the arrow button. Bingo. Worked like a charm. So now I have another little tool in my arsenal when trying to navigate this procedure.
Thank you Frank for sharing your experience trying to manage a Playlist. I myself do not use the Playlist feature. I could be wrong but it seems to me to be a way to retrieve individual register memory configurations that set up the instrument to play particular songs by interactively (on the fly) selecting the Right1 through Right3 treble voices and style control buttons, or by using the "One Touch" settings, as you play, not banks that contain a collection of register memory configurations each one corresponding to an individual part of a song arrangement, register configurations that are organized such that one can conveniently switch from part to part using a pedal. Of course these instruments can be used in many ways. However, I do not like the Playlist playing strategy. It not only restricts the amount of orchestral variety that one can incorporate within an individual song as well as make the arrangement more difficult to play (you have to remember where the different voices are, not to mention the physical dexterity required), but it does not allow you to share your arrangement with another musician such that he can play it exactly as you did. For example, John Beesley (who I mention in my video) publishes his arrangements as "Registration Banks", not Playlists. But even if you don't share your arrangements with other musicians, organizing your arrangements as "Registration Bank Files" makes it easier for you to play each song onstage exactly as you originally intended when you prepared that song in your music room. You simply press the pedal for each orchestral change according to how you arranged it. Each part is played in sequence, you don't have to remember where things are and you don't need to develop the skill of pressing a variety of buttons on the front panel to tempo, without missing a beat. And even more importantly, each part contains specific mix adjustments appropriate for that particular part of the song, adjustments that can be selected from the instrument's entire orchestral capabilities, not from a low number of instrument selections that are more generic. Registration bank files can be easily managed on the instrument or with the aid of a computer by organizing them into folders in USB memory. I see no value to the Playlist feature. Indeed, I see it as a way to set up the instrument such that one plays it in the same manner as an acoustic instrument, like a pipe organ from centuries ago. It fails to take advantage of a modern arranger's most powerful feature, its programmability. Finally, I find the Playlist feature much too complex to be of any use. Saving my song arrangements as Registration Bank Files seems a lot simpler than trying to figure out poorly designed and cryptic procedures as you experienced with the Playlist. Plus the "Registration Bank" approach is a more generic strategy that is usable on other models, thus simplifying the adaptation required when you purchase a new keyboard. Indeed, as I demonstrated in a previous response, the very same playing strategy can be used on completely different instruments, like my electronic accordion.
Amazing Excellent. tutorial. Thankyou and God bless YOU.
You must be an professional Instructor, your speak is very clear and easy to understand. Yamaha should hire you for Demo performer Instructor for their product.
Excellent Video instruction, Thank you.I subscribed to your channel
Thank you so much… i just bought this keyboard and your explanations helps a lot 👍
Despite I have CVP 809, it is a very great and useful lesson and similarities are easily findable, thanks Leon....
I'm glad you realized the similarities. It turns out that most electronic instruments use the very same concepts, although sometimes using different names. Here I am doing it on an electronic accordion:
th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html
Note that Roxy's Music Store is now out of business. Electronic instruments are like automobiles. Once you learn how to use one, you can use them all. Best of luck.
Sir, you should be working for Yamaha. You explained everything with utmost clarity❤
This is an excellent tutorial Leon. Many thanks.
Excellent and clear explanation. Your the Best !!
Hello Léon,
First of all best wishes for 2021 from France.
Your tutorial is very good and helps me to grow in the Yamaha world with my 900 arranger.
Thx
meilleurs souhaits pour la nouvelle année
You are a talented educator. Thank you!
Wow, thanks for this video Leon!
I have not bought yet this great instruments but i am intent to do so when i have the money for it.
So, in mean time i try to learn some intresting thinks to do.
I wish you al good and take care!
Dear Leon, Many thanks for the Explanations for the Register Bank and the Pedal! Thank You
This video was very useful and easy to follow! Thank you!
A very informative and helpful video Leon, as others mentioned I will have to study your video more. Thanks.
Try downloading one of my simple arrangements, like "Lightly Row". It's easy to play, plus you'll see how the arrangement is constructed in Registration Memory. Modify it to different voices and editing features. Change the accompaniment styles. You'll see that it's no more difficult than saving phone numbers in your smartphone. I'm confident that you can make the arrangement sound a lot better. After all, I'm just an amateur at this. Post your improved version in your own TH-cam channel so that others can profit from your effort. Feel free to link to my sheet music. We'll all learn if we work together. Let me know how it works out.
Thank you for spending the time to reply to my question I will look into your web site regularly, as I am home inlock down it will help keep me sain Thank you and keep up the good work
Thank you Leon. A wealth of helpful information. I desperately wanted the SX700 or SX900, but because of the world-wide COVID-related shortages, I could not get my hands on either. So I had to settle for the lesser SX600. But your lesson was still sharply relevant. With the exception of a more button-centered method of operating the non-touch menu, and the provision of only two right-hand layers instead of three, the SX600 is very similar with respect to the Registration Memory function. Oh that it were very similar in sound quality too. Perhaps when the SX700/900 inventory is more abundant I'll have the opportunity to trade-in-trade-up.
Yes, although this video uses the SX900, you are correct in noticing that the very same basic technique of using Registration Banks to orchestrate or arrange songs will be the same on your SX600. Indeed, it's the same on most electronic instruments. On many Roland instruments, like the EA-7 keyboard, the feature is called "User Program Banks", but the concept is exactly the same. Indeed, here is the very same technique being used on a Roland V-Accordion:
th-cam.com/video/1EF1mDEWvbo/w-d-xo.html
If you understand my presentation on the SX900, then you should understand exactly what is happening in the above electronic accordion video, even if you do not know how to play accordion. You should also notice that the above electronic accordion video offers download of the "Bank" file representing the arrangement, just as I did in this SX900 video. Realizing how all electronic instruments are designed to support song orchestrations, a technique that I like to call "Saved Multi Part Song Orchestrations/Arrangements", allows you to graduate from using an electronic instrument as if it were an acoustic, picking generic sounds at specific locations as you play, to applying the full range of the instrument's orchestral possibilities (both tone selection and mix adjustment) to every part of every song performance in your repertoire. This is a manner of playing that no acoustic instrument can accomplish. Best of luck with your SX600. Your time on the SX600 will be valuable training for whatever next model you purchase.
Thanks for a great video! My new SX900 is arriving tomorrow to replace my S970. I will incorporate your ideas into my new arrangements. Keep up the good work! I'm now a subscriber.
Tom Bitsas, Best of luck with your new keyboard. Since you have experience on the S970, you are probably a much better player than I am. Please consider publishing your arrangements, thus encouraging others. The more we encourage others, the more successful will be our instrument.
Very nice presentation! I can now explain to my french xyl... 73’s from F5FLM.
73's and give lots of 88's to your xyl.
73's and give lots of 88's to your xyl.
Amazing video! I really needed this! Thank you Leon, your video is so didactic! Now I will be able to get what I wanted on my new PSR SX900.
Excellent tutorial!. I own a PSR-S970 and was never quite able to figure out how to use reg memory from their manual. Your presentation was insightful and I hope you make more tutorials on the Yamaha. For example "10 things every PSR SX900 beginning player should know about the instrument" . The tutorials would focus on PSR-SX970 hardware features and capabilities and how to use them (not on musicianship as such).
Thank you for the encouragement. You have given me a lot to think about.
Thank you so much for presenting this very useful content. and I love the way you played and presented. 😍
Super super useful explanation of Yamahas Registrations feature. Such a lovely way of explaining yourself and the procedure. I wonder if you are or were a teacher. Very very nice. Thank you.
Bravo Léon ! I was starting to think that I was the only one in the whole (yamaha musical) world to use the registration memory buttons the way you explain it. I bought the sx 900 last year and very soon I realised the potential of those 8 buttons. I can't play melody and chords at the same time { although I wish I could!} so I use my two hands to play the chords on the whole keyboard and I sing the melody. All my songs are saved that way allowing me to bring versatility in everyone of them. Most of the time 8 buttons are enough but sometimes I wished to have more so I just bought the genos which has 10 buttons. That should be fun! This method makes so much sense to me to "arrange" a song. BUT was I learned from you is how to use a foot pedal to go from from memory 1 to 2 to 3 etc... and for that thank you so much!
Congratulations on your purchase of the Genos. But remember, if you ever arrange a song to have more parts than the number of registration buttons on the instrument, you can use more than one "Registration Bank File" to represent your arrangement. I did that in my example "Camptown Races" arrangement. Although the SX900 has only eight registration buttons, my arrangement consists of fifteen parts. Eight parts are saved in one file and the remaining seven parts are saved in a second file. The instrument is able to switch files at the appropriate time using the pedal. There is no limit to the number of parts your arrangements can have. I explain how to do it in this instruction video. Still, I can appreciate the value of having ten buttons instead of only eight. Best of luck on the Genos.
@@leoncastonguay3997 thank you! This is a great tip! 🙂
Hello @purplemoon3816. Are you able to please demonstrate how you create and play your arrangements as I am unable to play melody and chords at the same time and i would like to play chords on the whole keyboard and sing the melody as words of the song. Currently i play chords only with my left hand. Many thanks and all the very best.
This is fantastic, thanks a lot for the great work!
Wow, super impressed with all the information, thank u
I just got sx700 and love your informative presentation. It's Christmas time, can you share how to play Silent Night? Thanks a lot.
Thank you for putting together such well presented tutorial, it was very clear, informative and straight to the point, just perfect. Subscribed in a hope to see more tutorials in the future.
Very good video Leon, enjoyable and love the hat
I am interesting your video about sx900. But i also see you are a hamradio amateur. I am Joop PA1JLG from the Netherlands and i am a also the SX900. 73 from the Netherlands.
Thanks Joop for this QSO via TH-cam. 73 and best of luck with your SX-900.
Awesome video with great detail. You are a great teacher. I don't know if you have done this, but it would be great to follow this video with one of creating playlists with these arrangements for a complete performance...one song after another. Let me know if you have done this.
Thank you for asking this. I have not completed any instruction for creating playlists and for good reason. My purpose in this channel is to demonstrate the one playing strategy where the complete orchestral capability of the instrument is available at the convenience of a single foot pedal to accomplish all orchestral changes in every part of your performances. It is a technique that is common to almost every model of arranger keyboard made by almost every manufacturer. And yet, few musicians use it. Rather than "Formally Arranging" their performances, most musicians instead use interactive techniques, such as the "One Touch" or other such feature, and in the process they have available only a small fraction of the orchestral changes that are possible on the instrument. Not only that, the pressing of buttons on the front panel, as opposed to sequentially pressing a single foot pedal, requires skill that otherwise could be focused on the actual playing. Worse, some desired orchestral changes remain unavailable because they would require too many front panel button selections or worse some menu selections and hence could not be accomplished to tempo on-the-fly while playing. For example, no one can make mix adjustments on-the-fly while playing to tempo. You do make mix adjustments, right? Anyway, I encourage creating arrangements as does John Bessely, who I mention in this video. To make myself clear, I encourage that you formally arrange your performances such that they can be conveniently recalled and played without having to take your fingers off the keys as you make orchestral changes, changes that otherwise would not be possible, and without you having to remember such details in each part of each and every song in your performance repertoire. Imagine trying to play "Camptown Races" as I posted in this channel, a song that requires orchestral changes almost every phrase, without using this technique. There is no person who could accomplish that exact beginner level arrangement interactively by making front panel selections for each and every orchestral change. But of course your question was about how you organize your arrangements such that they can be conveniently recalled. Myself, I have found features like playlists of little use for the reason that my arrangements are already organized as files in USB memory. Simply organize your arrangements in memory such that they can be easily recalled during your onstage performances, as I have demonstrated in this video. Why learn another feature that accomplishes the same thing? If you have a large performance library (perhaps 500 to 1,000 arrangements) and you want to save the effort of finding certain ones when performing onstage, simply copy the ones you want to play into a separate appropriately named folder or separate USB flash drive. Prefix their filenames numerically in the sequence that you want to play them. Still, we all have our own favorite ways of working. Hence you may find the "Playlist" feature valuable. Best of luck.
Thank you Leon,you are an exelent teacher, for you to take time to do this video is amasing,God bless you.
Very well explained I learned something I never thought of doing many thanks
This is really great stuff! Thank you very much. It helped me a lot understanding registrations and the workflow.
Absolutely speachless at your talent !!!!!!
thanks for the video. Using a registration to assign an intro is interesting. I use intros and endings a lot in my performances on the Korg PA4X. This is a cool way to do some interesting things in ONE song. Kind of like PA5X morphing of styles - same thing! Can you please explain how to hook up the subwoofer and the routing procedure to use both the onboard speakers independent of the Sub?
Thank you Sir! Greatest lesson ever learned!
Thank you very much for this video....I now know how to use and save the registration banks!
Excellent explanation... What is the difference between break and auto fill in??
Best tutorial. I have been looking into many videos and I was not able to find good info, your video is clear and very educational. Love your style. Thank you some Chile
I'm happy you found it helpful.
Very explanatory Leon , thank you.
Wonderful knowledge and presentation. 😇
Wonderful work! Subscribed. Thank you, Sir!!!
The best tutorial, thanks a ton dear.
Thanks Leon. Very good info. I also enjoyed your tutorial on the Roland BK7.
My pleasure!
Excellent; interesting . Great job & Thank You Leon !
Jeez ! This is a lot of hard work from you... Be thanked for this 👍❗🙏
Just watched this video and I must congratulate you on a first class presentation.
I currently have an old Technics SX-KN5000, it also has many of the features of the PSR-SX900 particularly in regards to the Registration Memory and the buttons and the way you store and recall the settings.
Many thanks Leon, I now have a clearer understanding of how my old machine works, hopefully some day I might be able to afford a Yamaha PSR-SX900 Keyboard.
Love your channel, you are a great speaker and presenter so I have subscribed and hope to see some more absolutely riveting videos.
All the best to you Leon, take care and i will see you soon.
oh great, some of these old machines are still very very good, only the soundquality is a lil less.
@@wout123100 Yes I quite agree, thanks very much Leon for taking the time to respond.
Hope you and yours are keeping well, keep up the good work.
Great tutorial Leon.
Thank you for your video you have really helped me its great you make it so straightforward, ? I use a psr sx 700 with your down load
I'm glad my video was helpful. Your PSR-SX700 will be able to read my "Registration Bank File", however, some of the voices may be different, or possibly silent. Let me know how it works out.
@@leoncastonguay3997 Hi thanks for your reply I have had some silent voices when I have downloaded some expansion packs from PSR Tutorial, I was thinking of getting John Beesley for my keyboard do you think this will work ok Thank you once again for your time
@@Kkianco Thank you for confirming the result of using one of my SX900 arrangements on an SX700 instrument. The reason this occurs is because I am using voices on the SX900 that do not exist on the SX700. Since I do not own an SX700, I have no way of knowing which ones. For me to support the SX700 I would have to create separate arrangements for each instrument. When you purchase from John Beesley make sure that the product that you choose works on the SX700. For example, I purchased his "Classical Magic, Volume #1" and I noticed that his product contains separate arrangements for the SX700 and SX900. So yes, Beesley's "Classical Magic, Volume #1" will work fine on your SX700. However, some of his other products have not been done for the SX700. Read his product descriptions carefully before you buy. Best of luck.
Wish you Merry Christmas to you and yours. and Happy New Year in 2022.
Leon, I know this is a somewhat older video, but the info is still up to date and extremely helpful. As the proud owner of a sx700 I can use the same techniques. However using a pedal for registration sequence I came to an issue I can't resolve. Say I use variation A for step 1. I have to repeat some bars and so I press the pedal again and programmed step 2 as variation A with a fill in. Whatever I do the fill in won't play using the pedal, only if I press the A button the fill in will sound. Switching to another variation like B,C or D the fill in is played but not if you want to repeat the same variation. So if I have a pedal sequence 1,1,2,1,3,4 . step 2 (registration 1) won't do the fill in. Wonder if the SX900 behaves the same and if you have a trick to solve this.
Keep them coming I like your style
regards, Ruud
Hi Ruud. I'm happy to see that someone is creating formally orchestrated, pedal controlled performances. Although I have not noticed the problem you describe, I wonder if you were to save the set of conditions of "Registration 1" twice, once at "Registration Location #1" and then again at "Registration Location #2". Perhaps then when you switch between them the fill-in will activate? This brings up a good point. Should one switch back and forth between a series of registrations using an out-of-order pedal sequence, as you are doing, or is it better to save the same set of conditions multiple times and use a completely linear (sequential) pedal sequence. Although once in a while I do use out-of-order pedal sequences, for the most part, I prefer saving things multiple times and keeping the pedal sequence sequential. That way, as one develops the performance, small adjustments can be made to parts of the performance that otherwise would be identical. The only times I go back and forth between some limited number of registrations is when I'm absolutely sure I will never want to make small adjustments to them when they are played in different parts of the performance. But most of the time I prefer to keep all options open by saving the same set of conditions multiple times. As I point out in this instructional video, by using multiple "Registration Bank Files", there is no limit to the number of orchestral parts an arrangement can have. Some of the arrangements of John Beesley consist of 30 to 40 parts. Incidentally, although this instructional video is a couple of years old, it will never become "out of date". The concept of saving different orchestral parts of a performance and then switching between them is fundamental to the operation of all models of arranger keyboards. Sure, on one it may be called "Registration Banks", and on another "User Program Banks". I've even seen it called "Performance List". And the details of saving different parts and switching between them may differ slightly. But the idea is always the same. Best of luck.
Excellent Tutorial, Thank you !