Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences - Complete Book Review

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(More customer reviews)After trying and reviewing several books containing the necessary information for scales, chords, etc, I have chosen this book as my preferred one for my piano students. It's clearly understood, and should be a necessary resource to have on hand for even the casual pianist.

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Scale, chord, arpeggio and cadence studies in all major and minor keys presented in a convenient two-page format. Includes an in-depth 12 page explanation that leads to complete understanding of the fundamentals of major and minor scales, chords, arpeggios and cadences plus a clear explanation of scale degrees and a two-page guide to fingering the scales and arpeggios. In addition, several ''enrichment options'' are provided with exercises such as harmonizing scales, accelerating scales expanding scales and much more!These excellent all-inclusive books teach scales, chords, arpeggios, and cadences at three different levels. The FIRST bookaccommodates the learning pace of younger students such as those in Alfred's Basic, Level 2. The BASIC book is slightly more in-depth, presenting scales, chords, arpeggios, and cadence studies in all the major and minor keys. The COMPLETE book features everything in the BASIC book, plus extra features like a 12-page explanation that leads to complete understanding of the fundamentals of major and minor scales, chords, arpeggios, and cadences; a clear explanation of scale degrees; and a two-page guide to fingering the scales and arpeggios

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Yamaha FC5 Sustain Foot Switch Review

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(More customer reviews)This pedal works fine, it came standard with my Yamaha DGX620. As I use it on carpet, it slides around way too much. Not sure how it would be on a hardwood floor or maybe with a rubber mat, but I will be upgrading it to a bigger pedal. Nothing more annoying than when you're playing a beautiful song and have to fiddle with your feet to move the pedal back to where you need it! Plus, if you're used to using a standard piano pedal, it does feel different. But, the advantage is it lessens foot/leg fatigue as you don't need to have your foot off the floor, you can literally use your toe to press it.

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A compact version of the FC4, the FC5 performs similar to an acoustic piano's sustain pedal providing expression and feeling to any performance. The FC5 can also be used as a hands-free on/off switch for activating effects or even recording. Works with any keyboard utilizing a sustain pedal with a 1/4" connector.

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Image-Line Software Image-line Fl Studio 9 Fruity Edition V.1 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great program. I was very excited to get it. When it came, I locked myself in my home office with some headphones and lost all track of time. I was up until the middle of the night creating beats and building a new song.
I found the interface pretty easy and the manual is great if you have a question. The multitude of file formats it supports and is able to create is outstanding, and the interpolation system is practically flawless. The built-in sounds and effects are really good. I, personally, love FL Studio, and I recommend it to anyone who's a new producer or interested in music production.

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FL Studio is a full-featured, open architecture, music production environment. FL Studio is designed for creative freedom. FL Studio Fruity Edition frees your creative mind. You can choose your preferred workflow; compose using the step-sequencer or piano roll. Create in pattern or track mode, then arrange your ideas in the Playlist. The Playlist presents timeline as a virtual canvas where each Playlist track can hold score or automation events.

FL Studio Fruity Edition is aimed at composers who need Piano roll for complex melodies and to record/play chords. Fruity Edition adds access to the lower, Pattern Block, area of the Playlist for complex and lengthy arranging/sequencing. It is also great for percussion programming, simple melodies, bass-lines, riffs etc. You can record and play a single pattern, of up to 64 steps. Each pattern can be comprised of an unlimited number of instruments (samples, native and VST instruments). The instruments in the pattern can be routed to the mixer for effects processing on a per-instrument or grouped basis.
Instruments
Make Virtually any Sound FL9 includes over 30 software synthesizers covering acoustic/synthetic bass, electric guitar, multi-sampler tools including piano & strings, general sample playback and beat-slicing (With Rex 1 & 2 support).
Synthesis Techniques Span subtractive, modelling, FM, RM, granular and additive. With the addition of FL SynthMaker you can further create & share your own FL instruments, effects & MIDI control dashboards without the need to write basic code.
Open Plugin Standards FL Studio supports all PC industry plugin instrument standards including VSTi (1/2), DXi(1/2), Buzz and Rewire. This means you can sequence with your favorite plugins and applications.
Sequencing Compose and record your musical performances and ideas in the most logical way.
Pattern or Track Sequencing You choose, record your musical performances and ideas in the most logical way. FL Studio 9 can simultaneously function as a pattern and track based sequencer. Reuse patterns as Pattern Clips in the Playlist or record song-length sequences, as desired.
Step Sequencer or Piano Roll Scoring tools include FL Studio's legendary Step-sequencer, one of the most advanced Piano rolls in any software studio, event and multipoint automation envelopes. FL Studio supports MIDI input, standard controller compatibility, and the ability to simultaneously control multiple instrument channels from separate controllers.
Arranging FL Studio allows you to do what you want where and when you want.
Determine Your Own Project Design In FL Studio 9, you decide how your project will be laid out. Unlike the competition, FL9's Playlist is a totally flexible and virtually unbounded workspace where Note Pattern, Audio and Automation data can be arranged and edited to suit your creative ideas and preferred workflow.
Mixing & Mastering FL Studio provides all the tools you need to produce your tracks to high professional standards.
The Mixer FL9 includes a superb 104 track stereo track mixer that is about precision, control and flexibility. The mixer's tracks each hold up to 8 effects (VST, DX or FL's proprietary format). To create sub-mixes or mixing chains of almost unlimited complexity, each mixer track can be routed to any other mixer track, one of 4 dedicated 'send' channels and or the Master track.Sends provide the ability to sidechain inputs to multi-input effects plugins. Finally, each of the mixer tracks can be routed to any output on your audio interface, now that's flexibility.
Effects What about effects? FL Studio includes more than 40 effects spanning maximization, limiting, compression, delay, distortion, equalization (graphic & parametric), filtering, phasing, flanging, chorus, vocoding and reverb. These have you covered for the creative broad-brush effects, through to the minutia of the mastering process.
Open Plugin Standards FL Studio supports all PC industry plugin effect standards including VST (1/2), DX(1/2), Buzz and Rewire. This means you can mix with your favorite plugins and applications.
FL Studio Fruity Edition includes:
Program or record 999 separate 'loop' patterns into the step-sequencer.
Enter beats or monophonic notes on each instrument Channel (unlimited Channels).
Enter velocity, pan, modulation, pitch and note-start offset per-note.
Each 'loop' pattern can play an unlimited number of instruments & samples.
Route and mix Channels through any number of the 104 Mixer tracks and add effects such as delay, reverb, flanging chorusing, EQ etc.
Play back or render a single pattern at a time of up to 64 steps.
Render to wav, mp3 or ogg format.
External MIDI control and recording.
Unlimited number of instrument Channels.
Supports unlimited VST & DX plugin instruments.
Used as VST instrument in another host e.g. Cubase, Sonar, Logic, etc.
Used as a ReWire & VST client or host.
4 to 64 notes in the Step Sequencer per pattern (up to 999 patterns).
FL Direct Wave (player only).
Instruments - TS404, 3OSC, Autogun, Channel Sampler, BooBass, Beepmap, Plucked, Fruit Kick, Chrome ,FPC, WaveTraveller, Dashboard, KB Controller, Fruity Vibrator, Midi Out, FL Slayer, FL Keys, Granuliser.
Effects - Delay, Delay Bank, Equo, Flangus, Love Philter, Vocoder, Parametric EQ & EQ2, Multiband Compressor, Spectroman, Stereo Enhancer, Wave Candy, Wave Shaper, Soundgoodizer, Simsynth Live synthesizer instrument, Drumsynth Live percussion synthesizer, DX10 FM synthesizer, Wasp & Wasp XT synthesizers, FL Direct Wave (player).
Import/Export WAV, MP3, OGG & MIDI.
Piano typing keyboard.
ASIO support (for low latency).
Lifetime free updates to Fruity Edition by download (using the included 49$ cash card).
Piano roll allowing chords and note-slides.
Playlist (Pattern Block) arranging.
Full automation of all enabled parameters (as Event Automation).
Internal controllers as a modulation source.

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Melodica 37 Keys Keyboard with hard case - Green Review

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(More customer reviews)this was just what i wanted with no dissapointments---delivery was fast and the product is great---cross between a harmonica and accordian

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This melodica is easy to learn and fun to play! Perfect melodica for student beginners.*Includes:Mouthpiece, Extension hose, Plastic Hard case

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Akai MPK 49 Controller Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First of all, the pads DO suck. MPC's are known for their pads so you'd think Akai would at least be able to put the same type of pad/contact design on their MPK line. Instead they put a bunch of pads with no play that feel like buttons and make the keyboard housing vibrate when you pound them. On top of that they placed the contacts so far away it's damn near impossible to get 127 velocity on the pads without going Full Level. Even my LPD8 feels better than this thing. And even though they look like the MPC1000 pads, the 1000 pads are twice as thick as the ones here. I would have loved for them to have put the 1000 pads on this. At least then I'd be able to play back a chopped loop without feeling like I'm dialing a phone number.
The best part of the controller is the control surface. The transport keys, knobs, and sliders feel great. The LCD screen looks great.
Something unique about the controller is that it has built in MIDI settings that mimic classic MPC functions (16 level, MPC swing, note repeat). Too bad the pads keep you from fully enjoying these features.
The keys are decent but slightly noisy because they vibrate on release. The controller is also one of the few 49 key controllers out there with aftertouch. I prefer the lever-like feel of the Axiom when it comes to using aftertouch but the keys here are not a dealbreaker.
There's also a simple arpeggiator you can use. It's fairly simple in that there are only 5 settings you can use to separate notes in a chord. If you've used a more sophisticated arp (like the one on a Yamaha KX8), you'll be disappointed though.
The MPK is a good controller but Akai could have done way better than this. If you're using this for the keys and control surface it's a decent investment. But if you're thinking of buying this for the pads so you can drum and play back chopped loops, get an MPD instead.

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More than just a USB/MIDI controller, the Akai MPK49 USB/MIDI Controller Keyboard helps you maximize your musical ideas on-stage or in the studio. It combines a high-quality, 49-key, semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch and 12 genuine MPC drum pads. It also offers 48 total accessible pads via 4 pad banks, and you can control up to 72 different parameters via 24 assignable Q-Link knobs, faders, and buttons as well as optional footswitches.

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Yamaha NP-V80 76-key Piaggero Keyboard Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a professional keyboard player. I needed something light to take to practice and small solo gigs, but it needed to have at least 76 keys. My 88-key weighted controller is a lot to move, and 61 keys aren't sufficient for classical music. Generally speaking, the only choices for 76-key unweighted keyboards are workstations costing well over $2000. I don't need another workstation, just a workhorse for use in-between stage shows. The Piaggero, then, seemed to be my dream come true. It didn't quite meet my needs, though.
First of all, it lacks MIDI ports. Some of the cheapest $99 keyboards have MIDI IN and OUT ports. Yes, it does have "USB" MIDI, but that is no good on the road. You can't connect to other keyboards and sound modules. It also doesn't have proper Line Out ports. If you want to connect to an amplifier, you're forced to use the headphone out. That method introduces more noise into the signal. Another missing feature involves the USB to Device port. Try as I might, I can't load standard MIDI files from this connection. I can save and load my own performances recorded on this keyboard, and even convert them to SMF format, but I can't get it to recognize Internet-downloaded MIDI's or MIDI files of my own creation. My old Yamaha PSR-S700 had no trouble with this. Another problem, and it may be unique to the one I received, is that the speakers buzz terribly when I play the D 14 half steps above middle C. The display could also be better; It's not very detailed or informative. Thankfully, it's much better than the NP-30's lack of one.
The sound quality falls short for a keyboard that's trying to emulate a piano. Supposedly, paying $70 extra for the NP-V80 over the NP-V60 gets you the Live! stereo-sampled Grand Piano. I've heard that sample. This isn't it. The Piaggero grand doesn't sound any different to me than the default piano on the $159 Yamaha PSR-E323. It is very harsh. It's very difficult to get an expressive performance from this patch. The dynamic levels just aren't there. I guess this is a limitation imposed when you're trying to save money on components and use as little sample memory as possible. The name Piaggero is a portmanteau of the Italian words for "piano" and "light", yet my ears are not fooled into believing I am playing a piano at all.
This keyboard does have a few redeeming qualities. It is very light. It's the first electronic keyboard I know of that has 76 keys, runs off of batteries, has a full sound set (more than just Piano, E.Piano, Organ, and Strings), and plays through built-in speakers. It even has a real display and not just blinking red lights. The keys themselves are pretty good. Better than your average portable, but there are better soft-feel actions out there. The Piaggero isn't really a bad keyboard, I just can't see what it was made for. The Yamaha Portable Grand YPG-235 is almost the same instrument, just with a little more bulk/weight and a beige finish. I don't understand why Yamaha removes valuable features from their keyboards. Maybe it's to prevent professionals from being steered to the cheaper products. They missed a great opportunity, though. The Piaggero could have been an amazing keyboard had it not been crippled so dramatically. Maybe it's not a total stinker, but Yamaha knows they aren't giving you the best they have to offer.

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In both design and playability, Yamaha Piaggero embodies the almost lyrical combination of 'piano' and 'leggero' - Italian for 'light' - that constitutes its name. Piaggero provides go-anywhere portability and style while also delivering Yamaha's legendary piano touch & tone. Whether you're taking up piano for the first time or recapturing your musical passion, the Piaggero offers easy-going piano fun. To recreate the playability of an acoustic piano, Piaggero features Yamaha's own Graded Soft Touch keyboard, giving keys in the lower octave a heavier touch than those in the upper octaves. Along with superb grand piano sound, Piaggero features a number of popular instrument Voices, such as organ and strings, recorded using Yamaha's AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) stereo sampling technology for amazingly true-to-life sound. And for a complete orchestra of sonic options, Piaggero includes XGlite Voices and drum/SFX kits. Piaggero boasts over 160 preset Styles -- from the basic eight-beat to contemporary Latin rhythms -- that follow and backup the performer with dynamically responsive accompaniment. At the touch of a button, Piaggero's Music Database offers pre-set combinations of Styles, Voices, effects and tempos based on the song of your choice. Play a chord at let the 'Intelligent' arpeggiator automatically play the notes with the appropriate feel of the instrument.

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World Tour WTPA3 PA3 Yamaha Power Supply Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the power supply for my husband's old Yamaha keyboard so that I could teach myself how to play piano. It had been sitting under the bed collecting dust for years, but thanks to this site it is now cleaned off and in use! :)

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World Tour PA3 Yamaha Power Supply designed specifically for Yamaha EZ and PSR Models 293 and lower.These AC adapters plug right into your keyboard saving you lots of money on batteries.

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