Arpeggio

[Rayblewit]

Confused

What I know . . To play arpeggio style is to play a sequence of broken chords in order up or down a scale. Say C, E, G, B etc. .
(at least I think that is right?)
What I don't know . . What the hell is an arpeggiator? Why is in stated so often that certain Keyboards have built in arpeggios or arpeggiator? I thought it was a style of playing not a program!

I think I need an education. Can someone guide me to an understanding please?

thanks
ray

 

[happyrat1]

An arpeggiator is like a one finger chord except it plays different scales at different tempos depending on whether you use one or more fingers to hold the note.

In essence it makes you seem like a much faster player than you really are.

It really is just a mini sequencer that plays the notes rapidly while you hold down a single note or more.

Usually most keyboards offer multiple sequences to choose from when you select an arp.

In the right tune they can sound pretty good.

Gary

 

[Biggles]

On my Kross there is the magic ARP button.

If I then load one of a certain genre of preset Combinations and play a chord to get it started then press the ARP button all hell! breaks out, I can then go and make a brew and leave it to its own devices.

Ibiza Dance Night has nothing on the sounds the Kross can make all by its little ownsome.

Still not figured out how to set the ARP to only work in the section if the keyboard I want it to work, learning the Korg is like learning Klingon.

 

[CowboyNQ]

learning the Korg is like learning Klingon.

Yes that's why it starts with "K".

 

[SeaGtGruff]

An arpeggio is a "broken chord" whose notes are usually played upward or downward, and there are even two different notations for that, a wavy line in front of the chord for an upward or normal arpeggio, and a wavy line with a downward-pointing arrowhead at the bottom for a downward arpeggio.

However, the notes can also be played in other orders. For instance, for a 7th chord we could number the notes as 1-2-3-4-5, where for a C 7th the notes would be C-E-G-Bb-C. If we wanted, we could have an arpeggio where the notes are played in the order 1-3-2-5-4, 1-3-2-5-4, etc. (C-G-E-C-Bb), which would be notated by writing those notes as a repeating pattern of rapidly played notes-- maybe 16th notes, or maybe something faster or slower than that, depending on the composition.

An arpeggiator is a function on the keyboard that can play notes in a sequence-- that is, it automates the process of playing arpeggios.

The arpeggiators on some keyboards can be programmed with user-created sequences, in which case there's often a specific number of steps that can be programmed-- typically 16-- although not every step needs to be programmed. So you could program every step to get 16th notes, or every other step to get 8th notes, or every fourth step to get quarter notes, or mix it up however you want (such as 16th, 8th, 16th, 8th, 16th, 8th, 16th, 8th, 16th, 16th, 8th, repeat).

Other keyboards have arpeggiators that can play only preprogrammed patterns, with a certain number of preprogrammed patterns to choose from. The arpeggiator typically gets its notes from the keys you hold down, so if you choose an upward arpeggio then the actual pattern might be a repeating upward sequence of three notes, four notes, five notes, etc., depending on how many keys you're holding down.

 

[Rayblewit]

Amazing! Thanks guys.
I had no idea such a feature existed.
My KB doesn't have the ARP function (that I know of).

Now the whole damn thing is even more complicated than ever. I had to google klingon to see where that fits in.
StarTrek! No wonder I'm confused.

Anyway seriously from what I gather from you guys is it fair to say that the ARP is special function to enhance a music style. To give the performance some extra pizzazz perhaps? Does it only apply in the AUTO ACMP style of playing?

Thanks @SeaGtGruff for the detailed clarification. I appreciate that. To be honest a lot of what you said eludes me . . Music theory is like learning klingon . .lol

ray

 

[Biggles]

Ray, you asked ..... Does it only apply in the AUTO ACMP style of playing?

The answer is No.

I have a Korg Kross 2 which is not an Arranger hence does not have the ACMP features of various music Styles that provide the backing and yet it has the AMP function.

The AMP function itself is dependent upon the Instrument and/or Combination of Instruments chosen to play, that is the notes played, the sequence of being played and the note duration and emphasis is set but can be varied by choosing a different ARP pattern from within the menu system.

My problem is trying to work out how to apply an ARP to a specific area of the keyboard when I am using a Combination with a Split in the keyboard, basically I want to ARP my LH in a Split. That is where the Klingon language comes in, thats what the Korg manual is written in.

 

[Rayblewit]

What is an AMP function?

 

[CowboyNQ]

My problem is trying to work out how to apply an ARP to a specific area of the keyboard when I am using a Combination with a Split in the keyboard

Hey Col,

Try page 70. I think it should help. http://i.korg.com/uploads/Support/USA_KROSS_OpG_E(1).pdf

Try not to think of assigning the ARP to an area of the keyboard, but rather to a specific program. It is the programs that are split across the keyboard, not the ARP.

 

[Biggles]

Hey Col,

Try page 70. I think it should help. http://i.korg.com/uploads/Support/USA_KROSS_OpG_E(1).pdf

Try not to think of assigning the ARP to an area of the keyboard, but rather to a specific program. It is the programs that are split across the keyboard, not the ARP.

Cheers Cowboy,

There is the problem, as soon as I reach the Arpeggiator Function page in the manual the instructions are then written in Klingon.

I will crack it but it takes time for my old grey matter to understand something that does not come naturally to my old structured Engineer brain.

I will explain further, first according to Korg an individual musical instrument sound they call a Program, so I have about 90 programs for a mixture of guitars in the Korg etc. A layered group of Programs is called a Combi and they are shown layed in a typical MIDI manner on the LCD display.

My Kross is only 61 keys and what I am doing is setting up a Combination of programs so the far RH octave plays a Synth program, the far LH octave plus 3 whole tones plays certain programs and the centre section plays the main programs.

Then I want the ARP function, when selected to play the ARP A pattern in the LH split and ARP B pattern in the RH Synth split.

But before I can do this I have to be able to set the ARP to function only in the LH & RH splits if this is possible at all.

All this is because I want to add Eve of War to my arsenal of songs and want to set up the ARPS to function whilst I play the dramatic two handed chord sequences in the centre section.

I know another way around it if I cannot do it, I can sample what I want and assign the samples to some of the many pads that there are.

 

[CowboyNQ]

Mate I'll take this to PM and see if I can help you. I've never used a Kross, but hopefully I can steer you in the right direction.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

My KB doesn't have the ARP function (that I know of).

It may. Don't you have a PSR-S-something-or-other?

By the way, I don't know whether you already know this, but "arpeggio" comes from "harp":

The word arpeggio comes from the Italian word arpeggiare, which means to play on a harp.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arpeggio

 

[Biggles]

.
'oH pe'vIl vaj pumDI' qoghlIj
.
.
.
Yes, yes, yes.

Cracked it.

I now have the Kross keyboard set up as I want for the Combi to play Eve of War.

LH split plays ARP A

RH split plays ARP B

ARP turned off in the centre section, its all there in the Menu I just had to scroll right for 1/2 hour to get to the Assign tab where I can turn on an off ARP for each Program.

btw, the text at the top is Klingon for Cracked it.

 

[happyrat1]

Gary

 

[CowboyNQ]

Cracked it.

Great stuff!

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Blech! Star Trek failed on that one. "Love Is A Battlefield." Yeah, Pat Benatar got it-- she was a real Klingon!

 

[Rayblewit]

. Don't you have a PSR-S-something-or-other?

By the way, I don't know whether you already know this, but "arpeggio" comes from "harp":

Thanks Michael. Yes I did the google/wiki research and discovered the harp reference.

My keyboard is the psr s650. The index in the users manual hasn't got any reference to ARP's or arpeggio's. The KB itself hasn't got an assigned button that I know of.

Nevermind, one does not miss what one does not have.

Thanks for all your help. I am much clearer with it all now.
Ray

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Okay, PSR-S650. I think Yamaha may have added an arpeggio feature to the PSR-Sx70 models, but the previous PSR-S models didn't have it. I'll check the manual to see.

 

[Eric Barker]

On my Kross there is the magic ARP button.

So that's what that button does?! I thought it made you sound like Tony Banks or Joe Zowinul.

 

[CowboyNQ]

So that's what that button does?! I thought it made you sound like Tony Banks or Joe Zowinul.

Common mistake, on a Korg keyboard you actually use the "Prog" button for that.