Complete Novice seeks help!

[nomisomes]

Hello out there!

Here's the story: For years I have wanted to compose songs. I have EXTREME limited musical experience and knowledge. Let's put it this way, I played the trumpet in my junior high school band 30 years ago...that's it.

A few years ago I sat down at a piano and slowly pecked out a song and actually wrote it down on music paper. I took it to a friend of mine who plays the piano very well. He took my melody and played it with his own accompaniment and it sounded pretty good. I sounded like I thought it would sound; and to my surprise, my simple notation was correct.

To make a long story short, I want to compose more songs and arrange them myself. Is there a keyboard that has an "auto accompaniment" or "auto arranger" feature that will allow me to play just the melody and automatically create arrangements. I'm familiar with the keyboards that do this if I could play with both hands...but...I can't.

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[evergreenthompson]

Welcome to the forums!

No need to be embarrassed... You'll find plenty of people here with a similar story.

Just about every brand makes an arranger keyboard, like these.

At some point, though, you will probably want to learn how to do all the arranging yourself. Two books that will give you a good start is http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Music-Theory/dp/1592574378 The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Ed. and http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Music-Composition/dp/1592574033 The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Composition, both by Michael Miller. At the very least, you will learn how to choose which chords will likely sound best with your melodies.

 

[nomisomes]

Thanks for the encouragement!!! Will all arranger keyboards create arrangements from just the melody or do some require both hands?

Thanks for the book referrals. I'm going to order them now.

 

[Mourndark]

Sadly not, but generally the auto-accompany will only need one or two notes from the left hand to build chords, and thus accompaniment from. Those books should get you started on how chords work, and if you can find a music shop near you just to try out some of those keyboards (it doesn't really matter at this stage which one, they're all fairly similar), you might get someone to demo some of the accompaniments for you (or have noodle yourself, whichever.)

 

[evergreenthompson]

When you get the books, go through Music Theory first. (Now I know why my work in progress didn't sound right in places.) Composition is really part two of the pair. As Mourndark alluded, once you learn the basics on how to choose chords, you'll be in a much better position to be able to take advantage of your brand new arranger's auto-accompaniment features.