Every day from now until Christmas our staff is hand selecting their favorite holiday MIDI Songs, Style Files, and more to share the music of the season with you! Here on the blog we'll add a new ornament to our musical Christmas tree for each new song we choose. Help us decorate our tree with all the sounds of the season!
Here are the staff selections for this week. Follow us on Twitter to
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25 Days of Christmas - Daily Staff Selections for the Holidays
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Twelve Days Until Christmas - Daily Staff Picks
As we count down the 25 days of Christmas, we've been picking special holiday songs and more to share the spirit of the season. Here are this week's staff picks for the holidays.
25 Days of Christmas
Wonderful Christmastime
Enjoy a Custom Audio Backing Track of this Christmas favorite made famous by the one and only Paul McCartney. Using our intuitive online mixing tool you can create
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Six Days Until Christmas - Daily Staff Picks
As we count down the 25 days of Christmas, we've been picking special holiday songs and more to share the spirit of the season. Here are this week's staff picks for the holidays.
25 Days of Christmas
Traditional Christmas "Sing-Along" PianoSoft
This Christmas collection features sixteen, easy to follow traditional carols and classical holiday melodies, beautifully arranged to
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Review of “Playground Sessions” Piano Learning Software
Yamaha has partnered with Playground Sessions to provide Yamaha's customers the opportunity to subscribe to Playground's educational program, co-created by legendary music producer and composer Quincy Jones. Jason Nyberg, Marketing Manager for Yamaha Music Interactive, tested and reviewed the program.
It’s Amazing What You Can Learn On The Playground
By Jason Nyberg
Just hearing the name “
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Christmas Is Coming - More Staff-Selected Holiday Favorites
Christmas is nearly hear and we're counting down the days with daily staff picks for the holiday. Check out more hand-selected seasonal favorites below!
25 Days of Christmas
Christmas Swing Style File
This swinging Style will put your audience in the mood for a festive dance around the Christmas tree. Featuring swung percussion and bells, this style is perfect for playing classic and
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Happy Holidays from Our Family to Yours
We're excited to wish all of you a happy holiday season. Here's the staff from Yamaha MusicSoft sending you musical wishes for a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!
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25 Days of Christmas - Christmas Day!
It's finally here! We've had a wonderful time counting down the 25 Days of Christmas with daily holiday staff picks. Now our Christmas tree is decorated with all our favorite musical ornaments - MIDI Songs, PianoSoft Albums, Style Files, and more.
We hope you've enjoyed the songs and sounds of the season and look forward to sharing more music with you in the new year! You can check out all of
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Highlights of 2014
As Sinatra once sang, “It was a very good year.”
2014 gave us lots to be excited about here at Yamaha MusicSoft. We added several new product lines, and continued to enhance our existing ones, as more and more music lovers discovered all that we offer to help them achieve musical fulfillment. Here’s some of the highlights:
Printable Sheet Music
We added over 50,000 instantly printable
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Musical Resolutions
We know many of our readers made musical resolutions for the new year, so we thought we'd share a few musical resolutions of our own.
Sarah Wilkerson - Project Manager
"My goal in 2015 is to dedicate myself to practicing regularly for my weekly keyboard class so I can expand my musical horizons!"
Maggie Lu - Designer
"My 2015 new year’s resolution is to sing better even if it's only the car
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Tips for New Instrument Owners
Did you receive a new instrument over the holidays? Feeling overwhelmed by all the awesome stuff you can do with your new instrument? This blog is for you.
We know that many of you are excited to start a new musical journey this year, so we wanted to share a few tips on how to get the most out of your new instrument. This entry is geared towards customers in the United States. For tips on
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What is NAMM?
This week, many of our readers will be inundated with social media posts and more about the 2015 NAMM Show. And many of those same readers will probably be asking, "What on earth is the NAMM show?" This post is for any of you who have that same question.
What is the NAMM Show?
The NAMM Show, sponsored by the non-profit National Association of Music Merchants, is one of the largest music
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Introducing Your Yamaha MusicSoft Social Team
Introducing The Faces Behind the Names
We want to introduce all our readers to the team of devoted music players and enthusiasts that make the Yamaha MusicSoft social media machine run. We often joke that we could put together an awesome Office Band and for this week's introduction post we made it a reality. Check out bios for the band members below!
Maggie L. - Designer
Maggie is
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The GRAMMY's - Nathan East
There is big news for Yamaha's Entertainment Group this year - Yamaha artist and world-class bassist Nathan East's debut solo album has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award. The self-titled album, Nathan East, is the first album produced by the Yamaha Entertainment Group of America label to be nominated.
With a star studded career as a touring and studio bassist, collaborating with artists including Eric Clapton, Bob James, Sara Bareilles, and Stevie Wonder, Nathan East is one of the most celebrated bass players of his generation. This breakout solo album features thirteen instrumental and vocal tracks that celebrate the artists rich and versatile style.
Best known for his work with the award-winning smooth jazz group Fourplay, East also received global recognition for his performance with french electronic artists Daft Punk at the 56th GRAMMY Awards ceremony. He pays homage to the duo on his new album with the track "Daft Funk".
You can check out Nathan's interview about the album on the GRAMMY.com site here.
Congratulations to Nathan East and the Yamaha Entertainment Group label on an amazing album. We'll be rooting for them this year!
With a star studded career as a touring and studio bassist, collaborating with artists including Eric Clapton, Bob James, Sara Bareilles, and Stevie Wonder, Nathan East is one of the most celebrated bass players of his generation. This breakout solo album features thirteen instrumental and vocal tracks that celebrate the artists rich and versatile style.
Best known for his work with the award-winning smooth jazz group Fourplay, East also received global recognition for his performance with french electronic artists Daft Punk at the 56th GRAMMY Awards ceremony. He pays homage to the duo on his new album with the track "Daft Funk".
You can check out Nathan's interview about the album on the GRAMMY.com site here.
Congratulations to Nathan East and the Yamaha Entertainment Group label on an amazing album. We'll be rooting for them this year!
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Favorite Love Songs
Justin - Web Marketing Specialist
“Do You Believe In Love?” by Huey Lewis and The News
I've always loved Mr. Lewis’ love song because it’s about love at first sight, and the possibilities of what that could bring.
Maggie - Designer
"It's Not Over" by Daughtry
This is a memorable song for me because my boyfriend was the one who introduced the artist to me at the beginning of our relationship.
Mike - Marketing Analyst
"Love's Theme" by Barry White
Great song, great groove, and when I’ve felt the love, this song always comes to mind.
Celeste - Marketing and Promotions Specialist
"Love Changes Everything" by Andrew Lloyd Webber
As a musical theater fan, I love great show tunes about love and romance. This song has such an uplifting chorus and the idea that love changes how we see the world is so true.
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The Music of the Big Screen
This week, all eyes are on Hollywood in anticipation of the 87th Annual Academy Awards. Many people are waiting with baited breath for the announcement of the Best Picture, Best Actor, or Best Director, but the musicians among us can't wait to know who will win Best Original Song. While we wait for the big announcement on Sunday, let's look back at some of the nominees and winners from years past. Check out these tunes at Yamaha MusicSoft by clicking the links below.
Let It Go from Frozen - Winner 2014
The song that swept the nation is still on every tongue a year after it won Best Original Song in the 86th Academy Awards. This compelling anthem by Robert Lopez and Kristin Anderson Lopez has been a sensation with music lovers of every age and background.
Happy from Despicable Me 2 - Nominee 2014
Pharrell Williams created one of the catchiest tunes of 2014 with his hand-clapping song "Happy". Paired with the adorably bumbling minions from the animated feature Despicable Me 2, this instant hit has brought smiles to faces across the nation and around the world.
Skyfall from Skyfall - Winner 2013
Singer Adele and Producer Paul Epworth teamed up to create this soulful original ballad for one of the most iconic movie character's of all time, James Bond. Featured in the imaginative opening credit sequence for the gritty third installment of the Bond films starring Daniel Craig, this song showcased Adele's signature smoky yet powerful vocal styling.
Man or Muppet from The Muppets - Winner 2012
Singer-songwriter Bret McKenzie crafted this humorous ballad for the 2011 installment of the beloved Muppets film series. Brought to the big screen by actors Jason Segel and Pter Linz, this song was a huge success for Walt Disney Pictures.
Enjoy the Oscar's! We look forward to listening to this year's Best Original Song with you all soon.
Let It Go from Frozen - Winner 2014
The song that swept the nation is still on every tongue a year after it won Best Original Song in the 86th Academy Awards. This compelling anthem by Robert Lopez and Kristin Anderson Lopez has been a sensation with music lovers of every age and background.
Happy from Despicable Me 2 - Nominee 2014
Pharrell Williams created one of the catchiest tunes of 2014 with his hand-clapping song "Happy". Paired with the adorably bumbling minions from the animated feature Despicable Me 2, this instant hit has brought smiles to faces across the nation and around the world.
Skyfall from Skyfall - Winner 2013
Singer Adele and Producer Paul Epworth teamed up to create this soulful original ballad for one of the most iconic movie character's of all time, James Bond. Featured in the imaginative opening credit sequence for the gritty third installment of the Bond films starring Daniel Craig, this song showcased Adele's signature smoky yet powerful vocal styling.
Man or Muppet from The Muppets - Winner 2012
Singer-songwriter Bret McKenzie crafted this humorous ballad for the 2011 installment of the beloved Muppets film series. Brought to the big screen by actors Jason Segel and Pter Linz, this song was a huge success for Walt Disney Pictures.
Enjoy the Oscar's! We look forward to listening to this year's Best Original Song with you all soon.
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Yamaha MusicSoft Downloader - Your Access To A World of Music And Content
Are you one of our many keyboard owners that would like enjoy the songs and styles found on our site, but have discovered you need MusicSoft Downloader to do so? If that’s you, then this is your opportunity to find out where to get it and how to use it!
MusicSoft downloader is computer program that allows your keyboard to connect with your computer and transfer music and other content. This application is not necessary for those instruments that have a “USB to Device” port, because files can be transferred with a common USB flash drive. But for those instruments, such as a PSR-E343 keyboard, which only have a “USB to Host” port, MusicSoft Downloader is your key.
With this free PC application and a simple USB printer cable, you can purchase and download content from our site, then transfer it to your keyboard for playback.
The interface is easy to use, and works seamlessly between instrument and PC.
If you’re ready to get MusicSoft Downloader and begin a whole new level of musical enjoyment with your instrument, then start by going to the Yamaha Download Page.
On this page, enter your instrument model number, and click Search. Once the search results are displayed, click on the link to your instrument model:
The results will show all of the available downloads (assets) for your model.
Click on the MusicSoft Downloader file name
Once downloaded, install it in your computer. Then connect your computer to your keyboard with a common USB printer cable.
Launch the application and follow the instructions.
You are now connected with MusicSoft Downloader.
Happy Music Making!
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Removing "Ghost" Files from USB Thumb Drives Using a Mac / Apple
When connecting USB memory peripherals to Mac/Apple computers, metadata or “Ghost” files are created in the memory that are usually invisible until attempting to use that memory with a non-Apple OS or hardware. These files appear as additional blank files, and can be confusing and frustrating to work around. Here are a couple of free programs that help users eject their USB memories with the metadata wiped out:
http://www.javawa.nl/cleaneject_en.html
http://www.zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest/
This will allow users experiencing the “ghost” file issue to delete this data and not have it pop up on their piano when attempting playback from USB.
http://www.javawa.nl/cleaneject_en.html
http://www.zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest/
This will allow users experiencing the “ghost” file issue to delete this data and not have it pop up on their piano when attempting playback from USB.
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Newest Voice and Style Expansion Pack - Indonesian 2
Yamaha MusicSoft is proud to announce the release of our newest Voice and Style Expansion pack for PSR-S750 and PSR-S950 keyboards: Indonesian 2. This new instrument pack does more than just provide realistic reproductions of traditional Indonesian instruments; it also offers users the opportunity to better experience the breadth of variety present in Indonesian music. The voice section features the exquisite sound of renowned bamboo instruments and such as the Sulim, Sarune, Suling, and Flute, as well as a plethora of stringed instruments from Kecapi, Hasapi, and many other islands.
The new Indonesia Pack 2 features performances from Indonesia’s top musicians, utilizing sound sources created through cooperation between Yamaha and local sound engineers to produce authentic sounds finished with the same quality as instrument presets.
The Style section is sure to enrich your creative endeavors with Indonesian music, and allow you to create highly original material. Indonesia Pack 2 offers a broad range of remixed variations on the popular DangDut style, including Dut-Plo (1,2,3,and 4), Dut-Rock, Dut House, and Dut-Balland.
Those with a desire for styles with a more modern take on traditional Indonesian music are sure to like Aipong Pop and Sunda Pop, as well as Caprusari Pop and Campusari Rock—remixed versions of Campursari. You will also find music styles like Keroncong, Langgam and Gondang that remain true to their traditional roots and offer a completely different musical ambience.
For a great demonstration, click on the video below.
We hope that you will enjoy this new pack!
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Play along with Nashville session musicians!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to perform at the Grand Ole Opry? Well, now the next best thing is available – Custom Audio Backing Tracks from Yamaha MusicSoft.
Recorded in Nashville by professional session musicians, these backing tracks are sound-alike versions of popular songs that are inspiring to play along with. Whether you need a boost in your practice routine or you are looking for a reliable backup band for your solo-acoustic gig, these tracks are the perfect accompaniment.
Here’s how they work. You can create a custom mix for each song by muting, soloing or balancing the volume of the individual tracks. And, these are recorded audio of live performances, not MIDI tracks so they are self-contained as mp3 mixes that you can play on your portable mp3 player through your P.A. system or on your computer for practice sessions. You can solo individual parts to hone in on that difficult track or mute your part so you can play along.
Whether you are a singing a song at a friend’s wedding (karaoke-style) or learning to play the drums, Custom Audio Backing tracks are the perfect play-along/performance tool for your next practice session or gig. Check out all the available titles here. If you don't see your favorite title, suggest one in the comments for us to carry.
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Man takes stage after only 30 days of piano lessons!
I have to admit, after reading this, I was a bit skeptical. When I was growing up, I heard horror stories about the “old school” process of learning to play the piano – stern piano teacher and hours of practicing scales and a bunch of songs that I would never voluntarily play. I remember thinking, “how can that be fun?”
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After watching the video, I got excited about learning the piano again. And, it looks like they are keeping up with versioning as they have just released Playground Sessions version 2.0. At a glance, it looks like a lot of new enhancements, practice sessions and songs.
I decided to explore the claim in the title of this post further and learn about Playground Sessions. Playground Sessions is an interactive piano learning system that is designed to get you up and playing quickly by teaching you how to play popular songs. Gone are the days of tedious scales and learning antiquated songs where you run the risk of losing interest. With “Playground”, you get right into the fun. It combines video where you can follow along on your keyboard and it incorporates game-style points and interactivity to keep you engaged.
After watching the video, I got excited about learning the piano again. And, it looks like they are keeping up with versioning as they have just released Playground Sessions version 2.0. At a glance, it looks like a lot of new enhancements, practice sessions and songs.
So, If you’ve been considering taking up the piano (or revisiting it now that it is so easy to learn), I encourage you to check it out. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
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