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Rhythm Composer (programming your own rhythms)
Backing Keyboard BK-5
r
81
Rhythm Composer (programming
your own rhythms)
The BK-5 allows you to program your own rhythms.
Before explaining the details, there are a few concepts
you need to familiarize yourself with.
■ Patterns (Divisions)
Rhythms are short sequences, or patterns (of four or
eight measures) you can select in real-time. Pattern-
based accompaniments usually consist of the follow-
ing elements:
•The basic groove, i.e. the rhythm that is the backbone
of the song.
• Several alternatives for the basic groove that keep
the accompaniment interesting and suggest some
kind of “evolution” or “variation”.
• Fill-Ins to announce the beginning of new parts.
• An introduction and a closing section (ending).
Programming four to eight patterns for a three-
minute song is usually enough. Just use them in the
right order to make them suitable for your song.
The BK-5 allows you to program 54 different patterns
per rhythm, some of which can be selected via dedi-
cated buttons (VARIATION [1]~[4], etc.). Some Pat-
terns are selected on the basis of the chords you play
in the chord recognition area of the keyboard (major,
minor, seventh).
■ Tracks
Unlike a drum machine, a BK-5 rhythm not only con-
tains the rhythm part (drums & percussion) but also a
melodic accompaniment, such as piano, guitar, bass
and strings lines. That is why the rhythms work with
tracks – eight to be precise.
NOTE
If necessary, you can even record a second drum track.
The reason why the AccDrums part is assigned to the
first track and the ABass part to the second is that
most programmers and recording artists start by lay-
ing down the rhythm section of a song.
There are exceptions to this rule, however, so feel free
to start with any other part if that is easier for the
rhythm you are programming.
NOTE
Though there are six (melodic) ACC tracks, most rhythms
only contain two or three melodic accompaniment lines. In
most cases, less means more, i.e. do not program six
melodic accompaniments just because the BK-5 provides
that facility. If you listen very carefully to a CD, you will
discover that it is not the number of instruments you use
that makes a song sound “big” but rather the right notes at
the right time.
■ Looped vs. one-shot patterns
The BK-5 uses two kinds of patterns: looped divisions
and one-shot divisions.
Looped divisions: Looped divisions are accompani-
ments that are repeated until you select another divi-
sion or press [START/STOP] to stop Arranger playback.
The BK-5 provides four programmable looped divi-
sions (VARIATION [1]~[4]).
Looped divisions do not select other divisions when
they are finished (because they never end): they keep
playing until you select another division by hand (or
by foot).
One-shot divisions: One-shot patterns (or “Divi-
sions”) are only played once and then select a looped
division or stop the Arranger. The BK-5 uses the fol-
lowing one-shot divisions: INTRO [1]~[4], FILL UP [1]~
[3], FILL DOWN [1]~[3] and ENDING [1]~[4].
The division type also determines how the respective
tracks are played back. Any track of a looped pattern
that is shorter than another track is repeated until
the longest track is finished. Then, a new cycle begins.
Here’s how you can take advantage of that: if the
drums play the same notes during four measures,
while the rhythm guitar or piano needs four mea-
sures to complete a cycle, recording only one drum
measure is enough, because it is automatically
repeated until the longest track is finished.
■ Several drum tracks are possible
The Rhythm Composer allows you to assign a Drum
Set to any “Accomp” track, thereby turning it into an
additional drum track.
Clearing the RAM memory (Initialize Rhythm)
The first thing we need to do is clear the BK-5’s rhythm
RAM memory, because it is not empty when you select
the Rhythm Composer.
1.
Press the [MENU] button, select “Rhythm
Composer”, then press the [ENTER/SELECT]
button.
The display changes to:
2.
Press the [MENU] button (its indicator
flashes).
What are rhythms?
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BK-5_US.book Page 81 Monday, November 14, 2011 12:43 PM