I need a keyboard to act like a player piano

[lisavachon]

Hi-I am a cabaret singer and here is what I would like to do. I would like to buy a keyboard (please make suggestions!) that I can take on my gigs and I can put in songs that will play during my show, without anyone playing the keyboard! Weird I know but it's actually quite funny as I want to have a friend pretend he's playing and get up in the middle of the song and get a cocktail or have dinner and the keyboard keeps playing. Clearly I haven't got a clue what I'm looking for but I'm hoping some of you smarty pants people out there can lead me in the right direction. I'm not rich so please don't suggest things that are super expensive also are there any programs out there where I can take sheet music, put it on my computer and transfer it over to my keyboard? A lot of questions I know but I've got to start somewhere so your responses are greatly appreciated! Thanks

Lisa

 

[kanthos]

What sounds do you want the keyboard to play? Just a good-sounding piano sound?

Finale and Sibelius are software that would do what you want (there are scaled down versions at least of Finale that will be more in line with what you'd want). Depending on the package, you could either scan in sheet music or enter it by hand (or by playing a keyboard). You'd then export a MIDI file and bring that onto your keyboard. The keyboard could play the MIDI file back.

 

[leandrusi]

I WOULD DIE LAUGHING IF I SAW YOUR SHOW AND THE "PIANIST" DOES THAT!!! LOL !! xD

Im no expert but I think the best for what you look for is a keyboard that can reproduce MIDI files. These files are kind of "karaoke" songs that are very very lightweight and you can store like 100 on a 3.5 floppydisk.
So, some keyboards can read these files and reproduce them, playing bass, drums, piano, winds....etc. at the same time.
And thats not all, you can edit this files and adjust the pitch for your voice, chance the instrumentation, the tempo... etc. There are midis of all kinds all over the internet, but with an editor you can write the sheet and save it as midi file .
Anyway a very affordable instrument of this kind would be a CASIO wk 1800, or 3000, you insert the floppydisk on it and select the song: voilá, you gaot your pianoplayer.
Dont know much models, but look for keyboards that supports MIDIs.

 

[lisavachon]

thanks, I thought it would be funny too but I'm rather weird in what I think is funny I will definitely check out your suggestions and I thank you so much for taking the time the answer my questions. You rock

Lisa