Piano

[Knottyhed]

It's occurred to me for a while, from reading interviews etc. that many of my favourite guitarists also play the piano... EVH, Shawn Lane, Eric Johnson, Stanley Jordan, Tony Macalpine to name just a few.

 

Anybody think there's a correlation here? ... has anybody learnt keyboards or any other none guitar related instrument and found it helped their guitar playing/general musicianship?

[Virgman]

Frank Gambale is also an excellent piano player.

 

Probably their parents made them learn it when they were young.

[mosiddiqi]

I wonder if some of the knots some of us guitarists tie around ourselves with regard to theory, scales, modes, etc..would be made simpler if we could "see" the fretboard as "one long string" all laid out in front of us like a keyboard. I think Robert Fripp used that phrase a while back.

 

For myself, learing how to play drums, albeit to a very basic standard, really helped my guitar playing in terms of physical attack, timing, naturally, and also phrasing, perhaps less obviously. I just felt I developed a greater appreciation of how to "embellish the silence" after playing drums for a while.

[Music Calgary]

Definitely connected. Almost every decent musician I've ever met played some keys, however limited. AFAIK most good colleges require basic keyboard knowledge from all music applicants regardless of instrument. When I was a kid almost all musicians started with keys for a year then moved on to an instrument.

 

Back then it was very much seen as a prerequisite for any musician.

 

I've been playing since early childhood personally -- keys are a must if you really want to get the whole picture IMO. Guitar isn't ideal for certain things and vice-versa.

 

A Korg SP250 gives you 88 weighted full-sized keys for about $700 -- there's just no reason not to have a decent keyboard around at those prices.

 

Playing piano is a beautiful feeling, very different than guitar. I couldn't live without either.

 

One of my all-time favorite guitarists is also one of my all-time favorite pianists. Ralph Towner:

 

Dear god that man is talented. And he plays keys with those funky nails too.

 

Another fave is Jack DeJohnette, whom I consider to be one of the finest drummers alive today -- he released a piano album:

http://www.answers.com/topic/the-jack-dejohnette-piano-album

 

In closing I will say one thing for sure -- if you learn a song on keys and guitar it really familiarizes you with it on a whole new level. Everyone should play some keys IMO, however limited...

[lazaraga]

 

keys are a must if you really want to get the whole picture

 

 

right on

[Virgman]

Piano certainly gives you a visual understanding of chord construction.

[Knottyhed]

 

Piano certainly gives you a visual understanding of chord construction.

 

 

Yeh, I mean I have enough basic keyboard knowledge to understand music theory on the keyboard and play a few tunes (badly) and it does help to have a frame of reference other than the guitar. I'm just wondering whether it is worth spending time I could spend on guitar developing keyboard skills.

[Virgman]

I think if you want to play better guitar then you should play your guitar.

[Knottyhed]

 

I think if you want to play better guitar then you should play your guitar.

 

 

I should rephrase, better music, not better guitar. I'm mostly happy with my technique, it's my note choice, phrasing and composition I want to improve.

[Music Calgary]

I think if you want to play better guitar then you should play your guitar.

 

True. However playing piano will improve your guitar playing in ways which playing guitar exclusively cannot. Same thing with singing, playing drums, and playing bass...

 

All musicians should sing IMO, even if only in private practive sessions. All musicians should play drums and piano IMO, even if only to a very limited extent. Those are universals.

 

Another point Jaco used to harp on was learning the melodies on your axe no matter what it is. So if you're a bass player doing a Stevie Wonder tune then learn the vocal line on your bass. One thing I've noticed is that when you learn a song/melody well on multiple instruments it really soaks in to a very different extent. Or at least that's been my experience.

 

In my office here I have a couple keyboards, steel string, nylon string, a couple electrics, a fretless bass, a Fender Jazz bass, Vdrums, mics always setup, etc. and I find it's very conducive to learning. You just move around from axe to axe working stuff out... No matter what it is, you're always motivated to play something.

[Stratman Tigers]

To be honest, if you know any theory, you can half ass your way on the piano. Thats what I do. I've never had one single lesson on the piano, but I can form major, minor, and seventh chords. I know the notes laid out in front of me. If I owned a piano, I'm sure I'd be better at it.

[Music Calgary]

if you know any theory, you can half ass your way on the piano. Thats what I do. I've never had one single lesson on the piano, but I can form major, minor, and seventh chords. I know the notes laid out in front of me.

 

Exactly. It's great for that, just plunking around and figuring out stuff as you go. Nowadays keyboards are getting super cheap, I see reasonable practice keyboards all the time for $100-ish in the classifieds, usually with a MIDI out too -- which adds controller functionality to any DAW/VSTi.