Blue Man Group Keyboard Review

I own 3 of these keyboards and they are the greatest electronic musical instruments I have ever come across. There are preprogrammed tunes to play with. You just wave your hands over the tubes and different instruments chime in. You can also control the tempo and volume by waving your hands over the tubes...almost like an orchestra conductor. There's a hookup for your ipod or mp3 player that you can play the music through this instrument and the speakers are great. You can use the keyboard to play tunes that you know and change the instruments from piano to trumpet,drum, organ, guitar, tuba,etc.WooHoo! I love them and so do my grandkids.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Blue Man Group Keyboard

Product Description:
Inspired by the ever-popular Blue Man group, this tabletop electronic keyboard provides the perfect introduction to music making. New technology interfaces give it an edge on other keyboards of its kind, and keeps beginners excited about music.
The Blue Man keyboard features savvy styling, unique play patterns and engaging musical interactions. Furthermore, it's MP3-compatible, meaning you can play music on top of your favorite MP3 tracks. Keyboard plays pre-recorded songs, and lets you record and play back your own musical masterpieces. Requires 4 "AA" batteries (included). Measures 11.5"L x 25.75"W x 7.75"H.

Want to buy Blue Man Group Keyboard at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Classic Rock - Keyboard Recorded Versions [Paperback] Review

This book is somewhat similar to Hal Leonard's other classic rock keyboard transcription book, but features a few songs not found in the other one. Although the other reviewer for some reason seemed disappointed by finding all the keyboard parts written out, that is actually the beauty of this book. It's not another PVG book full of cheesy piano arrangements. It's the real keyboard parts, and all of them. Guitarists have been enjoying accurate rock transcriptions for years now, so it's great to see the same kind of material being made available for keyboard. Keep 'em coming!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Classic Rock - Keyboard Recorded Versions [Paperback]

Product Description:
Note-for-note transcriptions for piano of 15 rock classics: American Pie * Bennie and the Jets * Do It Again * Green-Eyed Lady * I Feel the Earth Move * Killer Queen * King of Pain * Light My Fire * Livin' on a Prayer * Martha My Dear * Piano Man * Point of Know Return * Rikki Don't Lose That Number * Touch Me * Woman from Tokyo.

Get 22% OFF

Want to buy Classic Rock - Keyboard Recorded Versions [Paperback] at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Casio LK110 Electronic Keyboard Key Lighting / Midi Review

This exact Casio LK 110 can be purchased new for $69.00 at Guitar Center, Musician's Friend---just to name a few.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio LK110 Electronic Keyboard Key Lighting / Midi

Product Description:
The LK-110 is a perfect starter-keyboard for any player at any age. The key lighting feature helps players develop timing and accuracy, highlighting areas of concern so you can direct your practice for more efficient learning. With 100 songs, an interactive lesson function and a wide variety of tones and rhythms, you will be able to play a host of different musical styles and time signatures in no time

Want to buy Casio LK110 Electronic Keyboard Key Lighting / Midi at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

88-KEY Portable Educational Keyboard Review

Great value, and a marked improvement over the old 500 and 505 models.The speakers produce a richer sound tone, and the display window is much clearer and easier to read.Additional features over the 505 include one-touch "auto-accompaniment", where you can try different background rhythms to your recorded notes (jazz, rock, salsa, etc) at a single touch of a button.There are a few more voices to choose from, and the "sweet" sounds are more realistic than on the old models.The unit looks better as a whole, being a sleek silver instead of a dull plastic beige.Also, the controls are a lot more "touch friendly", especially the selection "spin wheel" that lets you choose features much faster than the older models did.

Connectivity is much simpler than on the 500, requiring only a simple USB cord instead of a special MIDI cord.

The one downside of this keyboard is that a USB drive is the only portable media compatible with this unit, and unfortunately they place the plug-in port in the back, which make it somewhat difficult to reach over and plug the drive in while you're trying to play and select.Because of this, I take away a star, and hope that in their next model, Yamaha will put the USB port somewhere in FRONT where it's easy to reach and plug the drive.

I actually recommend this unit over the DGX 620 (Yamaha's highest available model at the time of this review).All features are exactly the same on the two models, except the keys in the 620 are weighted to as close to a real piano as you'll get.Yamaha calls them 'Graded Hammer Standard' keys.

The 520 does not have the GHS keys, but the trade-off (besides a considerably lower cost than the 620) is a lot of weight...the 620 unit as a whole weighs 19 lbs more than the 520 unit.So if you're a traveling musician like me and have to load and unload your keyboard all the time carrying your instrument to your gigs, you're actually much better off with the 520.Get the 620 only if you want a more realistic feel and don't want to move the keyboard a lot.

Overall, an excellent instrument...and if you have any of the older models, I highly recommend an upgrade!

Click Here to see more reviews about: 88-KEY Portable Educational Keyboard

Product Description:
Learning to play piano is easier. Say yes to this DGX520. Yamaha DGX520 is the portable grand that the family can explore music on and grow with. This 88-key lightly weighted action product includes state of the art enhancements like USB MIDI for computer connectivity, USB TO DEVICE for connecting USB storage devices, and an amazing educational suite that will get you up and playing immediately. Performance assistant technology is a feature from Yamaha that guarantees that you can't play a wrong melody note or chord. Select a song, press the Performance Assistant button Chord Mode and play the keyboard - any notes you like. Every note you play will fit the music! If you move up the keyboard, the pitch goes up. If you move down, the pitch goes down. Play a perfect arpeggio, or play chords in time with the music, or really "go for it" and play a solo. As long as performance assistant is "on", you're "on".
The DGX520 has 30 built-in songs, plus 70 more on an included CD-ROM, for you to learn to play using the Yamaha Education Suite. The songs are separated into left and right hand parts, providing 7 levels of lessons plus a convenient chord dictionary.
You can change the "feel", or arrangement, of songs by simply pressing the Easy Song Arranger button, allowing you to re-mix any MIDI file. For example, you can try your favorite song with a Rock feel, Hip Hop, then Jazz. It's fast, powerful and one-button simple.
This DGX520 has more features than an acoustic piano. It takes less space and offers accurate sounds. It's easy and fun to learn. Easy Song Arranger allows you to play back songs in 150 unique accompaniment styles On-Board Sequencer records 5 songs, 6 tracks Large Full-Dot Matrix LCD display allows easy viewing of music score and lyrics Flash Rom for downloading songs from the internet Matching Stand included Includes AC Adapter and Foot Pedal Matching piano bench optional P

Get 25% OFF

Want to buy 88-KEY Portable Educational Keyboard at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

YAMAHA 61 KEY PORTABLE KEYBOARD W/AC ADAP *NIC* Review

I bought this keyboard to replace an older one, with 3/4 size keys. My main reason was simply that I wanted one with full-sized keys, but I got far more than just that.Its Grand Piano voice is full, rich and authentic in its sound.Most of the other voices are also remarkably realistic-sounding. It's fun to have a variety of voices, to reduce the monotony that can result from the repetition that practice requires.It came with an instructional DVD that was very helpful- take the time to watch it.

The speakers give ample sound even at lower volumes. The keyboard never sounds tinny. You can buy a more expensive keyboard and get more features (though this one has more than I need), but unless you are spending 4 times as much, it won't sound superior.You can also add headphones or a sustain pedal, if you want.

There are only 2 drawbacks for me.Firstly, the LCD screen would be easier to use if it were backlit.Secondly, on a 61-key board, the middle-C is off center. (This is true with any 61-key board. The simple solution is just to move your chair over a bit.)
Despite these minor complaints, I love it.It's great to have music in my home again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: YAMAHA 61 KEY PORTABLE KEYBOARD W/AC ADAP *NIC*

Product Description:
61-key digital portable keyboard with General MIDI (GM) compatibility and 134 integrated voicesYamaha Education Suite offers 102 built-in songs 7 lesson levels lesson grading and chord dictionaryPortable Grand function plays rich digitally sampled grand piano tones at the push of a buttonAuto-accompaniment function with 100 styles; 32-note polyphony; built-in metronome and sustain pedal jackDual 4.7-inch stereo speakers (2.5 watts x 2); measures 37.25 x 4.33 x 13.66 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

Want to buy YAMAHA 61 KEY PORTABLE KEYBOARD W/AC ADAP *NIC* at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

Yamaha DVDMOTIFXS Motif XS Series DVD Review

I would recommend this DVD if you just bought the MOTIF XS without owning or playing the older model (ES).

It is arguable that everything in this DVD is in the manual.Technically, that it is true.However, this DVD approaches the concept from another prospective and sometimes it helps to look at the concept from different angles. I think both DVD and the manual compliment one another.

After you watch this DVD, you should visit motifator.comThere you will find more documents for advance usages as well as the forum.Yamaha personnel also frequent in the forum and are extremely helpful.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha DVDMOTIFXS Motif XS Series DVD

Product Description:
The official Motif XS DVD runs at approximately 3 1/2 hours and takes you on a complete tour of the features, functionality, and just plain fun at your disposal with this 2007-released Motif XS workstation. The Motif XS is surprisingly different from its predecessors and this DVD reflects its considerably enhanced performance-orientated capability.When looking at the main Voice, Performance, Pattern & Song areas, in addition to the key button pushes and navigation the DVD demonstrates how each mode can be used ' and customized ' live. Using controllers, playing the multiple arpeggios, making use of the offsets, Play FX, and more are all covered in detail.Effects are Big News on the Motif XS and the DVD spends more than 35 minutes looking at what you've got and how to apply them in all the major modes.It's easy to overlook the (optional) sampling capability on an instrument as inherently 'big' as this but with sample memory safely installed, the delights of sample-based voice libraries, replacing drum voices in customized drum kits, recording guitar and more await. The DVD spends a good 40 minutes on these exciting possibilities.Motif XS's sequencer is powerful and, for many people, will cover all their recording needs. But this is not an either/or situation with computer-based DAWs. The DVD's final scene looks at how to hook up the bundled Cubase AI, along with how to transfer control (and indeed files) back and forth between the two worlds of 'computer' and 'musical instrument.'Written and presented by Yamaha Corporation of America's Athan Billias - one of the Motif series' prime shakers and movers since Day One - you could not be in better hands when it comes to discovering the world of the Motif XS.

Get 17% OFF

Want to buy Yamaha DVDMOTIFXS Motif XS Series DVD at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

My Memories of You: Sixteen Selected Songs by the Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (BH Voice) [Paperback] Review

I became a fan of Wladyslaw Szpilman after viewing (and viewing and viewing) the movie of his ordeal, "The Pianist".

I feel very honoured to be able to own his work, and play his work.If you love music with a classical and 1940's vibe I would highly suggest the purchase of this music.

Click Here to see more reviews about: My Memories of You: Sixteen Selected Songs by the Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (BH Voice) [Paperback]

Product Description:
Wladyslaw Szpilman's memoirs and Roman Polanski's oscar-winning film have made THE PIANIST renowned all over the world. However not many people outside Poland know that as well as writing classical concert works, Szpilman also wrote about 500 songs.
These songs have been popular in Poland for decades. Now at last, Szpilman's extraordinary talent as a song-writer reaches an international audience, thanks to the new CD Wendy Lands sings the Music of The Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, produced in the USA by a team of first-rate American musicians. Internationally noted authors have provided sensitive new English lyrics which perfectly suit Szpilman's blend of jazz, country and cabaret styles.
Most of the songs on this disc are now published in print as part of Boosey & Hawkes/Bote & Bock's new series of Szpilman's works. The album My memories of you - Sixteen selected songs by THE PIANIST Wladyslaw Szpilman is now available enabling singers everywhere to perform these hauntingly beautiful timeless ballads. The songs are in the original keys with Szpilman's own piano accompaniments and guitar chords.

Get 24% OFF

Want to buy My Memories of You: Sixteen Selected Songs by the Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (BH Voice) [Paperback] at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:

30-day Keyboard Workout [Paperback] Review

I'm still reading into the book, but so far it's really good.Nice exercises to get those fingers moving.

Click Here to see more reviews about: 30-day Keyboard Workout [Paperback]

Product Description:
Start off your daily practice routine right with this fun collection of new and classic keyboard exercises. This versatile book includes warm-ups, chord exercises, single-note exercises, scales, and more. You will gain the strength and dexterity necessary to meet the physical demands needed to play piano, organ, or any other keyboard instrument. Don't let another day go by without this perfect addition to your library.

Want to buy 30-day Keyboard Workout [Paperback] at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below: