Roland BK-5 用户手册

Backing Keyboard BK-5 

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Rhythm Composer (programming 
your own rhythms)

■ Patterns (Divisions)

Rhythms are short sequences, or patterns (of four or 
eight measures) you can select in real-time. Pattern-
based accompaniments usually consist of the follow-
ing elements:

• The basic groove, i.e. the rhythm that is the backbone 

of the song.

• Several alternatives for the basic groove that keep 

the accompaniment interesting and suggest some 
kind of “evolution” or “variation”.

• Fill-Ins to announce the beginning of new parts.
• An introduction and a closing section (ending).

Programming four to eight patterns for a three-
minute song is usually enough. Just use them in the 
right order to make them suitable for your song.

The BK-5 allows you to program 54 different patterns 
per rhythm, some of which can be selected via dedi-
cated buttons (VARIATION [1]~[4], etc.). Some Pat-
terns are selected on the basis of the chords you play 
in the chord recognition area of the keyboard (major, 
minor, seventh).

■ Tracks

Unlike a drum machine, a BK-5 rhythm not only con-
tains the rhythm part (drums & percussion) but also a 
melodic accompaniment, such as piano, guitar, bass 
and strings lines. That is why the rhythms work with 
tracks – eight to be precise. 

If necessary, you can even record a second drum track.

The reason why the AccDrums part is assigned to the 
first track and the ABass part to the second is that 
most programmers and recording artists start by lay-
ing down the rhythm section of a song. 

There are exceptions to this rule, however, so feel free 
to start with any other part if that is easier for the 
rhythm you are programming. 

Though there are six (melodic) ACC tracks, most rhythms 
only contain two or three melodic accompaniment lines. In 
most cases, less means more, i.e. do not program six 
melodic accompaniments just because the BK-5 provides 
that facility. If you listen very carefully to a CD, you will 
discover that it is not the number of instruments you use 
that makes a song sound “big” but rather the right notes at 
the right time.

■ Looped vs. one-shot patterns

The BK-5 uses two kinds of patterns: looped divisions 
and one-shot divisions.

Looped divisions: Looped divisions are accompani-
ments that are repeated until you select another divi-
sion or press [START/STOP] to stop Arranger playback. 
The BK-5 provides four programmable looped divi-
sions (VARIATION [1]~[4]).

Looped divisions do not select other divisions when 
they are finished (because they never end): they keep 
playing until you select another division by hand (or 
by foot).

One-shot divisions: One-shot patterns (or “Divi-
sions”) are only played once and then select a looped 
division or stop the Arranger. The BK-5 uses the fol-
lowing one-shot divisions: INTRO [1]~[4], FILL UP [1]~
[3], FILL DOWN [1]~[3] and ENDING [1]~[4].

The division type also determines how the respective 
tracks are played back. Any track of a looped pattern 
that is shorter than another track is repeated until 
the longest track is finished. Then, a new cycle begins.

Here’s how you can take advantage of that: if the 
drums play the same notes during four measures, 
while the rhythm guitar or piano needs four mea-
sures to complete a cycle, recording only one drum 
measure is enough, because it is automatically 
repeated until the longest track is finished.

■ Several drum tracks are possible

The Rhythm Composer allows you to assign a Drum 
Set to any “Accomp” track, thereby turning it into an 
additional drum track.

The first thing we need to do is clear the BK-5’s rhythm 
RAM memory, because it is not empty when you select 
the Rhythm Composer.

Press the [MENU] button, select “Rhythm 
Composer”, then press the [ENTER/SELECT] 
button.

The display changes to:

BK-5_US.book  Page 81  Monday, November 14, 2011  12:43 PM