I love playing, specifically, my keyboards. And my ukuleles. But today it’s about the keyboards.
Because we don’t have space for me to have both keyboards (a Yamaha PSR-S950 and a Yamaha PSR-EW410) set up at the same time, every so often I switch them around. Each has its own charms and benefits, and neither can do everything I want to do. For example, the 410 has an amazing piano sound and that, combined with its 76 keys, enables me to play lovely classical or solo piano pieces. The 950 has the shorter keyboard but a LOT more options such as voices and styles (though the 410 has plenty!).
One of my favorite things to do with them is create and record backing tracks, which I can then play along with one of my ukuleles. Both keyboards can accomplish this, but they work in different ways. Layering sound-on-sound is more easily accomplished with the 950, but then when I want to play piano arrangements I’ve got the wrong keyboard set up!
I’ve had the 410 set up for about 2½ months and haven’t missed the 950 at all. Until today. Suddenly as I was playing I wanted the 950 RIGHT NOW!
Let me stop here a second and tell you why this is such a Big Deal. First, Pete can’t lift since his hand surgery 6 days ago, and he usually helps me due to the OA in my spine which I’ve had for decades so it’s pretty crumbly by now. Second, I had the angina attack (prinzmetal’s) to end all angina attacks last night and its left me feeling a bit wobbly today (typical). Still, I had to have the 950 for some reason, so I did what I felt I needed to do, which takes about a half hour and lots of lifting/reaching/bending/stretching, all of which pretty much left me unable to sit on the piano bench for more than a few minutes anyway…
Now there it is, under its covers that protect it from dog hair, bird feathers, and dander, and waiting for me to actually play it! I likely should have recorded a piece on the 410 first, then on the 950 after it was set up, to post here for comparison. But oh well, one day in the future I will be playing my 950 and will suddenly know that I just HAVE to have my 410 set up, and hopefully I’ll have the patience to do that then!
Meanwhile, here is a video I made last year on my PSR-EW410. You will note that my left arm is quite a bit lighter than my right arm? I had just had the cast removed after breaking my left arm in a nasty fall, and hadn’t been able to play my keyboards or my ukes for WEEKS! I was so excited to be able to play music again…
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