Chord loops

tbaroghel

Hi All,
I think the planned functions for this website/tool are great, potentially making it an elegant one-stop-shop solution to Yamaha keyboard owners. Especially the 'direct to keyboard' style feature.
What I would like to see added, though, is a way to manage the 'chord loops' one can use in the newer/advanced models (SX9xx, Genos and Genos 2 if I am correct).
From what I know (which is not a lot), chord loops are but a simplified type of midi file with only the chords, and I do not know about the chord banks, which are probably not that complex.
Among the features I think of would be:

creating collections of chord banks/loops to upload/download (e.g. 'generic' twelve bar blues, II-VI-I, etc.)
'attaching' dedicated loops to songs (maybe in trunks to overcome potential copyright ?)
+
a grid-like tool to create/edit loops and banks, with proper cut/paste/insert/delete (the sketch of such a program, crude but functional, was once shared on the now defunct PSR forum).

What do you think ? I feel like, if we wait for Yamaha to make it, we'd better get a good chair !
I have moderate programming talents (Visual Basic was my thing 😏) but If I might be of any help in that project, I can be counted on.
Thanks,
Thierry

StylePlayer

Yeah this is a good idea. I always wanted to have some sort of supporting materials attached to each style that would let me play the songs right away (I am not among the lucky ones who play by ear).

Only I am currently not fully understanding the value that the chord looper brings to the table, maybe you can elaborate how do you use it? Do you use it to just play a song with one hand? Or you use it to play complex melodies with both hands? Or maybe you use it just as a reminder to see what chords this song has?

If I try to imagine the most perfect solution for me, it would be if I could download a style together with corresponding registrations made specifically for playing this song, and then see the proper sheet music on my keyboard's screen along with chords and marks when to switch the style sections/registrations. This is what XF file format could offer I think, and that's the direction I wanted to explore.

I was thinking of achieving this gradually in stages:

At first support user contributed chords for a song to be displayed on a site as a visual guide. This also would require coming up with some expanded chord notation format that not only lists chords but also their duration (or build some visual chord editor).
Then allow downloading these chord progressions in XF format to be seen on keyboard's screen. Can also alternatively download them in a chord looper format at this point
Then for each individual style expand this chord notation further with marks for when to switch to a different style section (Main A/B/Break etc). Ideally at this point we also would be storing not only styles but whole registrations for each song, so you download a pack of style+registrations+xf (+chord looper)
Then can expand to having full featured user contributed sheet music. This is where we need to start worrying about copyright, as chord progressions are not copyrighted, but lyrics and melodies are. I think there are ways around it potentially (looking at hooktheory approach), but it is too far away to worry about for now.

That's how I see it, maybe we will get more eyes on this idea and figure out the best approach moving forward. It's a complex task but I am really interested in tackling it.

tbaroghel

Thanks for your reply.

'Chord Looper' was the feature that made me choose the SX900 over the SX700. I find it really handy (😁) in several circumstances, such as:

recording chord loops first and then play more easily the right hand over it - I am not the best at combining fast chord changes with melody, as my main instrument used to be saxophone, obviously a monophonic piece. That does not mean that my left hand stays idle: playing with the variations, fills, modstick, real-time faders, etc. is also much easier
recording a loop and comfortably trying out various styles with it, to judge and decide before using a given one in a recording or a performance.

Regards, from Paris,

StylePlayer

tbaroghel I see, so you are using it as an assistant to make it easier to play.

Lets say if a song has different chords for intro, verse, and chorus, how would you use a chord looper? Would you put each section chords into own bank and then switch registrations on the fly? Or you would put the whole chord sequence from the beginning to the end into a chord looper and let it play all at once?

tbaroghel

In this case I would create a single Bank containing 3 loops (one for intro, one for verse and one for chorus). The Yamaha format allows ths (up to 8 loops in a singla bank if I am right). This way, each song corresponds to a bank.

Getting the whole song in a single loop is doable as well, but you sometimes feel prisoner of your structure (the ending comes and you would like just another chorus !).

In the yamaha keyboards with Chord Looper, it's easy to recall (load) one bank and go from one loop to another in the same bank. It is also easy to associate a loop to a registration item, so various loops get associated (and started automatically) as you move from one registration entry to the other (using a pedal !)

tbaroghel

Here is a link for the specialists. It describes the simple nature of Chord Loop files.[https://sandsoftwaresound.net/step-edit-chord-looper/]
Best
T

StylePlayer

tbaroghel Awesome, thank you! If you get a chance, can you please also attach a few chord loop file samples to an email and send it to contact@styleplayer.io so I can see their insides.

To be honest, I can't promise a chord looper will be supported anytime soon, at first we need to support user entered chords, and that's alone quite a task, but I will keep a chord looper in mind.

If anyone got any more suggestions regarding how to integrate the chord looper support into the site feel free to post your thoughts here.

Xavier PRUYS

StylePlayer If anyone got any more suggestions regarding how to integrate the chord looper support into the site feel free to post your thoughts here.

Hi!
I have an SX900
This model has a Chord loops function, but I never use it. I think it's an unnecessary function in higher synthesizer models.
I think Chord loops are for beginners or for learning the right hand part.
Although!
It's very easy to record the necessary chords in a synthesizer and then play along with this recording, looping it. But in a recording you can record Intro, Fill In and Ending. Chord loops don't have this option.
P.S. Everything I wrote is just my personal opinion.
Thank you.

tbaroghel

Xavier PRUYS You do not use the chord looper feature; I get it. Whether you do not like it, do not need it or do not understand it: it does not matter. What does matter is that because YOU do not use it does not make it USELESS ... I am pretty sure that your car has more seats that what you (and your passengers) usually use, yet you bough it and another family might use all the seats everyday: see what I mean ?
Best
T