- If I use the ORIGINAL NOTE mode in the ARP type, it would would only work on all MINOR (but not MAJOR) chords by playing the root note ONLY

Is it possible that the problem is that if you play 'the root node only' it isn't possible to know if the chord should be minor or major.

The 3rd of a chord is typically the note used to distinguish between major and minor.

Does it work the way you want if you play both the root and the third?
This 'Mastering Montage' article on creating arpeggios may have some useful info.
https://yamahasynth.com/learn/montage/mastering-montage-arpeggio-making-101-part-i

The content applies to the Modx/Modx+ as well.

For the following notes - you say is an F minor riff:

F# (root)
C# (5th)
D (Augmented 5th as C## - likely just a passing walk - I'm not listening to the riff to get the beat strong vs. weak)
F# (back to root)
E (dominant 7th - this is suggesting minor, dominant, or half diminished quality)
C# (5th)
B (4th)
C# (5th)

What I'm curious about is how would you tell the difference between a minor and major quality since it appears there's no third (minor or major). The A (minor) or A# (major) isn't in the riff.

Are you wanting only the E to change from a lowered 7th to the major 7th E#?

I guess spell out what you want a "major key" run to do and what you want a "minor key" run to do.

The arpeggiator will never know with a single finger if you want minor vs major. There's no way to define what the key of a song is to have the system figure out if the root should diatonically be major/minor/diminished/etc. Therefore a single press will always play the same chord quality when using Org Note.

[quotePost id=121672]Hi,

I have the MoDX + 8 and I have been trying to program a performance for Michael Jackson's classic Billie Jean which I can use to perform live with other musicians. I do NOT want to pre-record the whole song as is, but rather chop it into Intro, Versus, Bridges, etc. and assign them to the Scenes.[/quotePost]Using the MODX’s “Play/Rec” > “Pattern” feature each musical section can be setup as SCENE — one Scene for each musical area.

In doing so, I have been trying to recreate the iconic walking base line as a User Arp, which I can then play on the left hand as the chord changes (just as an Arranger or PSR style keyboard would, as Auto Accompaniment).

The Arpeggiators of the MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+, while sharing some similarities with the Style-engine of an Arranger keyboard, are, in fact, quite different… as you are discovering (or will discover).

The issue is that after I record the first #Fm bass riff (#F #C D #F E #C B #C) as .MID file (looped), convert it as a User Arp, I am not able to have the Arp recognize my Major or Minor chord voicings on my left hand properly.

First, let’s get that bass line right - there is no “D” in the F# bass line that serves as the Intro and the Verse sections. Make it an “E” (please).

When working out Arpeggio Phrases it helps to separate the Drummer’s part, from the musical parts (obviously) everyone gets that because drummers don’t traditionally care about the musical key or the chord changes. But it is also extremely important to separate the musical Bass Phrase from the musical Chordal Phrases. Very often, the bass can play a different root under the chords… as noted, in this case you don’t need or want to feed it Major or Minor… you want to feed root only!

While the bass line, in this case, does not identify itself as Major or Minor, the Chords that play above it can be quite specific. This is necessary for this type of ‘accompaniment’ engine to mimic real-world musical situations — the bass is often independent from the chords.

A different set of rules for the right hand Arp Phrases… when setting your Arp controls, you will want to be sure the Arp Note Limits for your right hand DO NOT interfere with your bass Arp Phrase Note Limits!! Very important. No right hand Arp control information should be allowed to influence your bass line. The Arp Note Limits for the bass Part should not be allowed to receive notes from the right hand side of the keyboard.

If you allow information from the right hand side of the keyboard to influence the Bass, the ‘bass player’ will start seriously messing up his musical part. The bass Arp Phrases need just one note and only one note to properly execute the musical part.

In “Billie Jean” the first set of chords include: F#m, G#m, A and back to G#m (all triads with the root on the top.
The first change, the bass line simply moves up a musical fourth to start on B, while in the right hand a single triad chord Bm7 (voiced A-d-f#) repeats four times, in place of the chord pattern that is played over the F# bass line.

Because it is not simply an F#minor phrase that does the exact same thing in Bminor, you have to decide what *you* want do. You say you “…do NOT want to pre-record the whole song…” do you want to play the chords yourself?

For example, you could record one Bass Arpeggio Phrase that takes care of both the F# phrase, and the B phrase… all you would need to do is use “Convert Type” = Org Note to create it… and use just F# and B when playing it back as an Arp.

If you record the bass line and assign the original key to F#, then it will play the original bass line in the original key when you trigger that F# in your left hand — and it will correctly play the same bass line a fourth higher when you play the B above. Make sense?

Org Note = you define the key to touch to make the phrase play as originally intended and it will simply play higher or lower when you feed in a new control note. In this case when you want the F# as the root, touch an F#; When you want B as the root, touch B.

What to do about the right hand? — as mentioned: do not let right hand Arp control notes address the bass.
If you record the original right hand part as a Phrase, the triads, A-c#-f# / B-d#-g# / c#-e-a / B-d#-g#
They will be incorrect over the bass line transposed to B… the keyboard part simply repeats the Bminor7 chord voiced A-d-f# (there is no ascending-descending march of chord tones)… therefore, simply transposing up a fourth will not be how the song goes. Make sense?

You could play it yourself or you could create a strategy where this second thing (Bminor7 thing) is an entirely different Scene.

To be specific:

- If I use the NORM mode in the ARP type, it would recognize my fingering, but the riff sequence (#F #C D #F E #C B #C) is all messed up
- If I use the ORIGINAL NOTE mode in the ARP type, it would would only work on all MINOR (but not MAJOR) chords by playing the root note ONLY

My question is, is what I'm trying to do ever achieveable at all?

I’m not 100% sure I know what it is you are attempting to achieve.

I suggest create a Drum Arpeggio Phrase using the “Convert Type” = Fixed note
Create the Bass Arp Phrase in F# using the Convert Type” = Org Note
This first bass phrase can be used for the first two chord changes by simply feeding a B instead of an F# at the appropriate time

You need only one other Bass Arp Phrase (the Bridge). (that’s where you can use that “D”) 😉
Then it’s just a matter of controlling when the changes occur.

If you want to automate (via Arp Phrases) the other right hand parts, consider which ones you wish to do — most prominently you have the keyboard vamp, the rhythm guitar, the strings

If you want it to be a “soundalike”, then you need to get very detailed about when the guitar plays, when the strings come in etc. If you want it to just be close you can skip the minute details. That’s up to you… I You can recording the rhythm guitar and string parts but keep them muted and bring them in when needed… or create separate Scenes where they are active. Your choice…

You have up to 8 Arpeggiators that can be active - so you can certainly do a fairly accurate job of recreating the entire composition… you’re playing with a live band, you must determine which of these Parts you want to be in charge of… for example, if you have a drummer then you don’t need to bother creating a Drum Arp Phrase… but you must ensure that your drummer can hear your bass line.

Arps are great but the one thing they CANNOT do is adjust to the band… the Arp becomes the de facto “conductor” — you play *with it*, not the other way round.
(Having said that… the MONTAGE/MODX/MODX+ can follow your band’s tempo if you feed the AD IN with signal for it to follow — “Billie Jean” is the perfect kind of drum groove for the artificial intelligence to follow… very basic and very consistent).

Let us know.