"More" fun with the Casio

Hi Gang,


Boy, I'm loving this new keyboard

I was playing around with the built in drum/rhythm machine yesterday, found quite a few rhythms I really liked especially the Samba one.

Whilst I was playing around I thought to myself I bet "More" would go with this

I haven't done much of this stuff in the past but, its such a blast and it sure beats a metronome

Mak is right new toys are so much fun


MORE - Samba style {click Here To Hear}


take care


Lee

Traded in my casio PX-100 for a PX-320

Hi Everyone

If you've not been reading posts at pianoworld recently you'll be unaware that I have finally let go of the PX-100 for a new PX-320 and what a big difference this piano is, I like it a lot (almost as much as my Yamaha Motif rack)

Here's how I let the folks in the digital forums know about it:-

The casio PX-100 finally had to go...I've traded it in for a brand new casio PX-320

The PX100 has been a wonderful piano to learn on and its size and weight have always been a big plus for me.

But, this year I've promised myself I'm gonna start gigging and today I test drove the PX-320 (just this morning in fact) and a deal to part ex the PX100 was done.

This is a fantastic keyboard

128 note polyphony
The weight and the feel of the new keyboard is in a different league to the PX-100
The piano sounds are just beautiful to my ears
and it has audio outs so straight into my rig without using the rack every time and straight into audacity for recording and a SD card record facility built in, to boot!!


I like this piano a lot

Casio PX-320 information


If you are maybe considering purchasing one and would like to hear how my new baby sounds

I've just recorded a brief jam to show the dynamics of the whole keyboard:-


Practise jam with my new PX-320 {click to hear}


Then a guy called Baz asked me:-

"Hi Lee, you have a lovely grand piano sound there but I was wondering if it had a more upright/bluesy preset? Any chance of a quick demo of it if it has? "

"Can I hear the Rock Piano? I'm guessing that's going to be an Elton John type of sound but might be a useful compromise"


Unfortunately he had to mention "Elton John" and the "blues" ...unfortunate for me because Elton is so good and I'm not too good at playing the blues!

Nevertheless I had a stab at something for him to hear, here's what I said:-

"Hi Baz

Did you have to mention Elton John!!

Basically just ignore the playing (cause this aint nothing like him ! )

And blues aint my strong point either so no laughing at the "bluesy attempt" at the end...okay?


Hope it helps

I guess this aint what they call the blues !! LOL {click to hear}


Erm...Yes...exactly!.. I know what your thinking!!


Anyhow it seems that my piano sound would suit Baz perfectly despite the bad demo, the only drawback is getting his wifes approval for a new purchase!!! (Erm...Sharon just doesn't know about mine)

So, just for a little fun and to cheer him up I played him a small sample:-

I guess you would call it the blues


A small sample - Just to make you smile - LOL {click to hear}


Oh what fun...I love new toys


regards



Lee

Ski Holiday - disaster!!

Hi Folks,

Flew back into England late Saturday night after my first ever ski trip

here's what I told the folks at pianomagic :-

"Just got back from skiing in Austria, a holiday I didn't fancy at all (never have) but Sharon loves skiing and after many arguments I lose and off we go!

I have to admit I quite enjoyed it, got the hang of it (more or less)and on Thursday night went night skiing with Alexander (who had taken to it so well he ended up in upper advanced ski school, doing black runs, jumps and having a complete blast!!) and slipped going to the ski lift fell on my left ski pole and have partially ruptured my thumb ligament so my thumb is now in a very clever plastic removable cast for the next 5 weeks!! grrrrrrr!

Luckily I didn't fully rupture it which would have meant an operation to stitch it back to the bone or I would never have full use of my thumb again!!!!!

However, worse was to come on the final day (we were flying at 20:40 and being picked up by a taxi at 16:30) Sharon was hit full on by a snow boarder at around 11:30 whilst slowly skiing down with Sebby and has ruptured both her cruciate and interior ligament on her right knee.

The boys and I are back home safe and sound she remains in hospital in Austria where she had an immediate operation at 17:15!

The main damage was to her interior ligament which has been repaired and now will have to remain straight in some form of cast? but, unfortunately the cruciate has had to be removed and will need an operation to reconstruct it at some later date as that ligament when repaired has to be exercised and is the least important to knee stability.

Her cartiledge was also damaged and has been cut and reshaped...she is in better spirits today now the boys are safe at home and the morphine is taking the excruciating pain away (in her words worse than child birth!!)

I have tried to play the piano today a little and still can manage it to some extent"


Just thought I'd let y'all know


Lee

Here are some pictures of my hand in the clever plastic cast:-

Sing-a-long-a fun!!

Hi Everyone :)

Hopefully, to spread a little sunshine today!

Here it is, I have finally captured a sing-a-long on my phone camera...this to me is what playing that out of tune grand piano is all about!! and why I love playing on it!!

Sadly, my phone battery went on me so you only get about 3 minutes to watch but, to be honest that is all that you need...when the phone clicked off I was praying that it managed to capture the video and save what little it had recorded! thankfully it did...YAAAAAAAAAAY!

You are gonna love this, never mind the quality of the sound or the quality of the video just see what happens when you can walk into a room full of strangers, sit down and play a few things, pull a crowd around the piano and then...wham!! they are all singing at the tops of their voices.

I get a complete and utterly amazing feeling inside that I cannot describe properly but, trust me it is probably more fun for me than them!


Please enjoy these magical 3 minutes that I captured last night:-




have a wonderful Christmas everyone


regards


Lee

You'll Never Walk Alone 24th Augst 2004

Next one...


You'll Never Walk Alone {click}

This was recorded on the 24th August 2004 just over a month later

Mike had quite a few helpful things to say to me about my continuing rhythm problems which you should still hear when listening to this piece

More pieces to follow...


take care y'all


Lee

The magic of Mikes guidance at pianomagic!

Okay, now to hear some of my recordings posted at pianomagic

This is a chance for you to hear how I have improved in my playing from recording to recording and a chance for you to read some of Mikes (aka pianomagic) comments on my pieces.

This to me is the absolute value of pianomagic!! not only is it a pretty cool way to learn to play the piano (IMHO) but, you have Mike to listen to your music and help you through your struggles with some amazing feedback and guidance (just by listening to your recordings!)

First one

This was posted 1st July 2004 (I joined October 2003 so, this is...erm...around 9 months in!)


What A Wonderful World {Click Here}

Mike always has helpful comments on our pieces to help us along :-

He could tell I was making good progress and had many helpful suggestions to stop me tripping myself up with my rhythm problems

The start of many similar conversations over the coming months as rhythm has been a real kicker for me!


More to come...

Playing on a Lobby Piano

Hi Folks :)

As some of you may know already I am a DJ and at Xmas time I have a run of around 20 gigs at a Medieval Banquet Night.

At this particular hotel complex there is a lobby piano (a very out of tune Yamaha grand piano) that I like to play just for fun!

Late at night after the disco has finished it can get quite "hair raising" (people assume that I am the regular pianist - they want sing-a-longs and request loads of songs too!!!)

It's a little like throwing yourself in at the deep end! but this is my 4th year playing on it and it doesn't bother me at all anymore.

Sorry about the quality of this video, its the best that the secondary camera on my mobile phone can do. This was taken before the festivities of the night so there is no singing a long as they are not drunk enough yet!

maybe the next one I'll take late at night

So here it is...I've edited it down to just under 10 minutes...but, have left in "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" which I hadn't played for a year and you may notice I got a little stuck remembering how it went...but, the key is to keep going and make the same mistake again if you can so it seems to anyone listening like a variation (if you are lucky)




Have a wonderful Xmas everyone (especially to the members of my 'fan club')


Lee

Edit to add:

Someone has mentioned to me the video quality and all the background noise!...until I get a phone upgrade its the best I can do for video quality but, with regard to the noise? this is what I said about it:-

"yes that background noise huh?..however, that's what I wanted y'all to hear...'cause that is exactly what it is like...the room is just chock full of excitement and expectation with regard to the night ahead at their office Xmas parties. I was hoping you would get a sense of it? Heck, you can hardly hear the dang piano! (in other words one can get away with murder at this joint...which is kinda kool)

later on in 'sing-a-long territory' I have to really play it LOUD!!to get it going"

Its been a great venue for me in many ways, a baptism of fire in others!! but on the whole its been a blast!