In 1954, Yamaha launched an “experimental classroom” that would eventually become Yamaha Music School, and created the Yamaha Music Education System (the basis of the current method). Yamaha Music Schools are active in more than 40 countries and regions today. Interestingly, the curriculum is the same in each. Rather than starting with the difficult task of reading sheet music as in the Beyer method, the Yamaha method allows children to naturally refine their sense of sound as they experience and enjoy music in a variety of forms. Another important feature of the program is the timing of the content—for example, listening is emphasized at ages four and five, when hearing develops most. They learn the names of the notes in the same way that they learn words.

The HS-500 seemed to embody the Yamaha method. It was also a communication tool for parents and children to enjoy together, and with 25 keys and a weight of only 550 g (including batteries), it was perfectly sized for young children. Parents loved the compact keyboard because it enabled their children to play and learn anytime, anywhere.

In October 1981, Yamaha expanded its market by introducing premium PortaTone models (PS10/20/30) in rapid succession. The releases prompted industry insiders to marvel at the extent of Yamaha’s technical expertise with portable keyboards and stoked the expectations of users—mainly young people for whom music had become a part of fashion—for whatever was coming next.

The following year, Yamaha unveiled the PortaSound PC-100, which users would eventually call their “MYBAND.”

The key to this feature was Yamaha’s proprietary Playcard system developed using the company’s digital technology. The Playcard system allowed users to instantly enjoy all aspects of a song simply by inserting a Playcard with a magnetic tape into the instrument’s card reader to load the melody, accompaniment, and other musical data into the instrument. As amazing as it was for the accompaniment to follow the speed at which the user played the melody, the songs could also be played without the melody so that the user could experience playing the melody solo or backed by the other instruments in the ensemble. Additionally, lights indicated which keys to play for the melody, and the demos with full accompaniment could serve as a karaoke machine or background music. Put simply, the PortaSound PC-100 was all anyone needed to enjoy listening, playing, and singing.

The instrument featured a number of other outstanding functions, including sustain and vibrato effects with 10 Voices (plus eight obbligato Voices), three Fun Blocks (10 Auto Rhythms, Auto Bass Chord, and Arpeggio), and Transposer and Pitch Control for karaoke and ensemble playing.

Incidentally, Playcards were inspired by bank ATM cards. However, given that they had to hold 500 times more data, they required a total of four years of development, making them something completely new rather than a derivative of an existing idea.

With its multifunctionality, users came to call their PortaSound PC-100 keyboards “MYBAND.” The model was a huge hit with people who had never even thought of playing musical instruments before, especially middle-aged people who did not have the same time or opportunities with instruments that young people had.

An advertisement for the PortaSound PC-100 starred Giant Baba, a 209-cm colossus who spearheaded the Japanese pro wrestling boom at the time. In it, he plunked out a tune with one finger, and the accompaniment dutifully followed him. “Even I can play!” he said with a huge smile. It was striking to see a world champion wrestler who had perfected his skills in faraway lands so thoroughly enjoy playing a musical instrument—the tagline was “I’m vacating my title as Worst at Music!”

The instrument’s memory could store melodies and chords for playback, and supply one-note countermelodies to melodic lines played during playback to add depth.

With 10 Voices, 10 rhythms, and a full range of expressive features including Auto Bass Chord, Auto Arpeggio, Transposer, and Pitch Control, the PortaSound MP-1 further expanded the pleasure of music by adding the joy of composing to the keyboard experience.

A PortaSound MP-1 is currently on display in the History Walk section of the Innovation Road museum at Yamaha’s headquarters in Hamamatsu and is designated as a permanent exhibit.

In 1983, Yamaha released the DX7 synthesizer, a best-seller used by artists all over the world. That year, the company also introduced the MK-100, which redefined what a portable keyboard could be.

The MK-100 was a 49-key portable keyboard equipped with a feature that created Voices by combining waveforms and envelopes like a synthesizer. The feature gave users the freedom to create their own Voices in addition to rhythms and bass patterns.

In addition to basic functions like Auto Bass Chord, the instrument included a variety of features such as Music Programmer, which could store chords and melodies separately and play them back simultaneously. The model also had a cassette interface that allowed users to connect to a tape deck or other external device using the accessory port to store Voice and performance data digitally on cassette tapes, and reload it to the main unit later.

Notably, the MK-100 was the first portable keyboard to feature the same FM tone generator as the DX7. The FM sound generation method is a patented technology that Yamaha licensed from Stanford University in 1975. Yamaha improved the computation algorithms to develop technology capable of replicating a broad range of musical instruments, and successfully applied large-scale integration (LSI) to mass-produce and market better FM tone generators characterized by their ability to simulate Voices with complex overtones, using a fraction of the data.

The compact MK-100 imbued with Yamaha technology was appreciated by people involved in music production for its array of possibilities and the joy brought by its cutting-edge capabilities.

Although more and more synthesizers were coming with samplers in the mid-1980s, portable keyboards had yet to include these functions. That changed in 1985, when Yamaha released the VSS-100.

In this case, sampling refers to the act of recording vocal and other sounds and storing them in the keyboard as sound sources. All kinds of sounds can be used as keyboard sound sources, including human and animal voices, car and TV sounds, and more.

The VSS-100 could sample up to eight seconds of audio supplied through the microphone or external line, and the pitch could be changed on playback. Sampled sounds could be combined with the preset orchestral Voices, or used as the bass for Auto Bass Chord to create an accompaniment with original bass sounds.

Even more surprising was the price: just 45,000 yen at a time when samplers typically cost more than 1,000,000 yen each, and synthesizers with sampler functions were quite expensive despite being more common. Yamaha developers’ hard work resulted in astonishing cost performance that resonated with users.

The introduction of the VSS-100 with its voice sampler completely changed expectations for portable keyboards and established a new world of creative fun.

Although generally known as a “Keytar” (an amalgamation of “keyboard” and “guitar), in Japan the instrument was known as a “shoulder keyboard,” and eventually took on the affectionate nickname of “Sholky.” Whatever the name, the keytar gained recognition in the 1980s because famous artists in Europe and the United States were playing them.

The SHS-10 had a sleek body for total playability and came in two colors: red and metallic silver, both of which looked fantastic on stage. With 32 keys and weighing in at just 1.1 kg, the instrument was lightweight and compact, yet had 25 FM Voices including Synthesizer, Piano, Steel Drum, and Harmonica; 25 exciting rhythm patterns including Rock, Jazz, Reggae, and Country; a built-in speaker; and a MIDI output jack. In all aspects, the SHS-10 was designed for serious music-making.

Users also loved the ability to preload chord sequencer accompaniments so that the melody was all that was left to play, making it easy for beginners to experience the fun. There was plenty for advanced players to enjoy too, as Accompaniment mode and pitch bend and other effects allowed them to explore the full range of their techniques.

Keyboardists had never been able to move about freely on stage and give showy performances like vocalists and guitarists. The SHS-10 solved that problem and could also be played in groups or immersive solo practice at home. In sum, there were endless ways to enjoy the instrument. Given the broad range of functions, the affordable price of 23,800 yen was another pleasant surprise for users.

Commercials for the SHS-10 starred Yuki Matsushita, a well-known actress from popular TV shows. The sight of her dancing in the streets while playing the Sholky presented a vivid image of a new style of playing and a different kind of relationship with a musical instrument that captured the hearts of users. Love for the instrument and its nickname spread rapidly and lives on today in the highly popular Sonogenic series of keytars.