Music Database on E Series keyboards

[flailman]

I only recognize some of the titles given in my owners manual (Page 84, Music Database List) and understand Yamaha has to be "vague" to avoid copyright and royalty issues, but wonder if somebody in the community hasn't come up with clearer info regarding the songs and maybe even a source for the melody and chords in order to be able to play along? Pretty Woman I figured out, but Tonight left many options, for example, but don't think it is the one from West Side Story.

[Argento]

I did see a list some time ago , searching over internet... can't find it now (and i didn't bookmarked neiter) ... so +1 with the question

[vbdx66]

Hi,

Which model do you precisely own? There are many keyboards in the PSR series.

Vinciane

[flailman]

E373

[vbdx66]

You might find some of the real song names for the E373 in the following thread on another forum:

https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/music-database-in-ya-maha-e353.28991/

It is a list for the E353 but excepted for very modern tunes, the music database doesn't change much over time in a given keyboard series, e.g. PSR E.

Maybe some folks here will want to add something on the list?

You can also do a research on our forum, this topic is a recurrent one.

Vinciane.

[flailman]

THANKS!  I had found that forum previously and downloaded a file for another instrument that had some commonality but went again following your post and found another list, this time for the PSR-E453, so looking forward to exploring that person's work.  Pretty impressive the folks who have spent hours compiling these lists and also impressed by the number of items that remain blank.  Still a chance to contribute if you are still locked down.  Yamaha keeps redoing the MDB, so each new keyboard has a unique list and new songs. 
They must see some value to it.

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, it's annoying that the song names must be "encrypted" due to licensing issues or whatever, and it's unfortunate that the PSR-E models don't have the ability to use "external" MDB files, because the MDB can be useful.

It's worth noting that the PSR-E463/PSR-EW410 doesn't have the MDB feature, which might indicate that Yamaha has no plans to include it on future PSR-E4xx models-- although no one can predict what Yamaha will or won't do!

[casiokid]

Presumably Yamaha keep changing the Musical Data Base (MDB) in an attempt to attract new and younger players with the models they bring out?

[flailman]

It would be interesting to be "a fly on the wall" when Yamaha developers and marketers are having these kind of discussions.  Hopefully they monitor these forums and in particular with the E series, consult with teachers with questions like; 1, Do these databases help with your teaching by steering students to learn to play melody and chords while the box takes care of arranging or do they distract from learning keyboard technique and music theory? 2. What are the differing needs between children learning to play and adults learning to play?3.  If Yamaha's goal is to see customers progress from an entry level keyboard to a more and more advanced levels of devices, which features support that goal, particularly as it applies to the MDB feature? Correspondingly, which features like MDB can be traded off for more advanced features like more style variations, S.ArtLite voices, etc?
If one of the goals of the E Series is to learn to read music because that is a common trait amongst those who buy a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. product from them, would not making a simple sheet music easily available promote that goal?  As a guitar player, I can find almost every song imaginable in multiple formats for a reasonable cost, even though they too make subtle changes to avoid copyright issues, but this gets me going to come up with my own strumming patterns, chord inversions, tempo changes, etc., that in some ways mimic what is fun with playing an arranger keyboard.  Maybe the Yamaha guitar gurus and the Yamaha keyboard gurus need to share their meetings.

[Piano Tone]

Can't seem to find any demos of the Music Database online.  One of my concerns with the PSR-E373 is only having 9 registrations (with so many tones, tone options, rhythms & rhythm options etc).  Then I noticed the Music Database in the manual and started to wonder; would this possibly be an alternative source for some non-editable but still useful registrations? 

For example, I want to play a ballad with piano layered with strings or pad etc, and possibly add some effects.  It doesn't have to be the exact song match, but I have to think alot of them would be perfectly usable wouldn't they?  Call up the "Imagine" one and use it for "Your Song" etc that kind of thing?

Also on that topic does the music database include some pre-made choices for DSP effects as well as the tones/rhythms/tempo?

[flailman]

The Music Database stuff is perfectly useful for other songs. For example, several in the Ballad category work well with Unchained Melody.  Since you choose the key, the chords and when to change, the database provides a well worn path to follow regarding styles and voices instead of experimenting with the thousands of possible combinations; getting you to something you can enjoy sooner and helping to "refine" your taste by being exposed to what has already passed a litmus test of compatibility.  That fits with the "teacher" role the E Series exposes to fill.  I believe the database does use pre-made choices for DSP effects, but I think you can change those using the Functions before starting a performance or practice of the tune you are working on, but saving those changes is a major problem once you fill the 5 song slots allotted to this machine.

[topomorto]

Added a list for PSR-EW310 and PSR-E373 here: https://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/topic,62132.0.html