Step 8 -  Adjust the Tempo

Each style has a default tempo.  When you load the style it will be set to play at that default tempo. On the MAIN screen, in the STYLE box, you can see what the current tempo is for the style. It is in the upper right-hand quarter of that box where you see a quarter note = a number. The number represents the beats per minute (bpm). That is how the tempo is measured. A "slow" style might have a tempo between 60 and 90. "Moderate" tempos might range from 100 to 150. "Fast" tempos would be 180 to 220. You can audition the style and you will be able to hear how slowly or quickly it plays.  A style may have been designed to play at a certain tempo, but many of these styles will sound equally good, in some cases even better, when played at a slower or faster tempo.

There is nothing sacred about the default tempo.  You can change it to whatever you want it to be.  Right below the style categories, you see the tempo buttons.  There are two buttons labeled "reset." One is labeled "-" and has a left facing arrow; pressing this button will slow down the tempo. The button labeled "+" with a right arrow increases the tempo.   As you are changing the tempo, a small box opens up in the main screen to show you what the tempo setting is as you change it.  Pressing either of these two buttons moves the set tempo by one unit at a time. You can move the tempo more quickly by using the Data Wheel - clockwise to increase, counterclockwise to decrease, the tempo. By the way, if you press the "+" and "-" buttons simultaneously, the tempo will be reset to its default value, which is stored within the style itself. When you have the tempo you want, just press the [EXIT] button to close this small Tempo window.

You can also set the tempo for your song by tapping your foot. Of course, tapping with your foot won't set the tempo, but you could tap the [TAP TEMPO] button with your finger in sequence with your foot tapping.  As you are playing the song in your head, just tap out the rhythm on the tap tempo button.  After four taps, the keyboard will recognize your tempo and start playing the accompaniment at that tempo.  Press the [START/STOP] button to stop the accompaniment.  The tempo will stay where you set it.

Step 9 - Use Left-Hand Voice?

Many of the Yamaha preset styles will have the left-hand voice turned OFF.  You will also find the left-hand voice set to HahChoir or Strings on quite a few of the styles.  You can, of course, play all those chords without having the left hand voice turned ON.  You finger the chord, the keyboard recognizes it, and the rest of the accompaniment follows along.  If you turn ON the left hand voice, then you will hear that voice as you finger the chord.  It adds another instrumental dimension to your playing.

I play fingered chords and like to use the left hand voice to not only trigger the chord, but also add to the rhythm and overall sound of the song.  A string voice can be OK on some songs. Personally, I prefer the GrandPiano on many songs. The NylonGuitar will also make a nice left hand voice as will the Jazz Chorus electric piano.  For some songs, the Vibraphone is what is needed.  For other songs, you can use a brass section for the left-hand.  If you're playing a Caribbean song, try the SteelDrum as your left-hand voice. Don't be afraid to experiment and try different instruments.

Step 10 - Play a Song

OK, you should be ready to go now.  Find a song you want to play.  Select a style that would go with that song.  Press the first OTS button.  If the tempo needs adjusting, change it or tap out a new tempo to start the song.  Play a chord and your accompaniment kick in.  Now use your right hand to play the song melody.  When you are ready to switch to a different part of the song, press the 2nd style button [Main B].  The style will change, as will the solo instruments for your right-hand melody.

Of course, there are lots of things you can adjust on this instrument.  You can tune the styles to your liking.  You can download styles from the Internet and add them to your style collection.  You can modify the voices included in the instrument.  You can save your own one-touch settings.  You can save the entire instrument setup in registration files that you create.  You can record the songs you are playing.  You can even create your own styles.  But that can all come later.  For now, use the information above to just have some fun playing songs.  When you tire of that, you can always come back to the tutorial and learn a little more.