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January 2006
Posts: 1478
Location: Michigan | it seems to me that every time i take a look at a great songwriter or guitar/bass player ect..... they all play the piano ???
is this just a fluke or is that where most of the great musicians start and then move onto other instruments?
seems to me most of the greats start writing their music on a piano and then move it to whatever instruments suit them best.GWB |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I encourage all of my guitar students to take a few piano lessons. (Those who don't own a piano get to borrow one of my keyboards.) On most other instruments, the notes are not there until you "make them". On a guitar you have to put the finger on the correct string and fret. On a trumpet you have to hold down the correct um...button (?) and have the right "air pressure(?)" (can you tell I know nothing about trumpet?) But on the piano those notes are right in front of you to see, litterally in black and white. It is easier to understand music theory and how things fit together. So while I don't know about all great songwriters being piano players, it certainly can't hurt to learn. |
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February 2010
Posts: 79
Location: Virginia | I always felt at a disadvantage writing on guitar without a good theory background. I have to send tracks to friends instead of scores, so they know what Im talking about.
For each of my four children, I told them they could pick the instrument of their choice after a year of piano lessons. Years later, 3 are multi-instrument players, except my daughter, who plays only piano. I have to believe that being able to see the note on paper and hear it in their head is a huge advantage. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "I always felt at a disadvantage writing on guitar without a good theory background."
I must agree with this as well.
"For each of my four children, I told them they could pick the instrument of their choice after a year of piano lessons."
I just want to say this may not work for everyone. I was forced to take piano lessons. I already had my first guitar and wanted to play guitar. I HATED the piano lessons. I learned NOTHING from the piano lessons. Chords didn't make sense to me, the songs were stupid, I could never get my hands to do two different things.. it was a disaster that lasted only a couple of months. It soured me on any lessons. I went back several months later for guitar lessons, but the damage was done.
As a bonus to me, within a year of my music teacher telling me and my parents that I really had no musical talent, I took 2nd place, playing guitar and singing (I was 11) in a local talent show... he was actually one of the judges.
But my point... I never really did learn theory and it was because I was being forced to play an instrument I didn't like, and didn't understand, and had no interest in.
To this day, if there is a keyboard part, I learn it on Guitar first, so I can play it on Keyboard. All of the keyboard parts I have written over the years have been based on guitar, usually imputing via notation software or midi like Cakewalk, then I try to find a keyboard player to make them keyboard player friendly.
It's probably because of my ignorance, but I still see very little in common between a keyboard and guitar. I think it has to do with something CanteburyStrings eluded to in that it's "immediate". That doesn't make sense I guess to me. I mean I understand it in theory, but like a Saxaphone... on guitar you make a note or pattern (chord) then execute it with a strum or pick. Sax or flute, etc you use air, that all makes perfect sense. 12 keys side by side repeated over and over just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
Back on track... "do most all great songwriters & instrument players learn on a piano" I would say probably YES to songwriters and probably NO to instrument players in general.
Songwriters aren't necessarily writing for one instrument and even I recognize that writing on a Piano gives one access to a wide tonal range, allowing a good songwriter to write bass, lead, horn, woodwind, etc parts .. on one instrument.
I have met and heard about MANY great musicians (instrument players) that can't even read music for their own instrument, let alone play a piano. |
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May 2008
Posts: 1555
Location: Indiana | Originally posted by guitarwannabee:
it seems to me that every time i take a look at a great songwriter or guitar/bass player ect..... they all play the piano ??? Sorry, I don't accept the premise... or, more accurately, I can't substantiate the premise in my world (which is dominated by singer/songwriters and instrumentalists). |
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February 2004
Posts: 34
Location: here | I think a lot of guitar players just pick it up in the studio etc.
It's not like the piano is hard to play. You can start with one finger and make a melody, try that with guitar. It's an easy instrument to get something happening with, without hours of making your fingers do stuff they're not used to and building callouses.
But becoming a Thelonious Monk is a whole different story, straight, no chaser... ;) |
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November 2005
Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Not in my experience. I know a lot of songwriters and none of them has piano as their first call instrument. My experience is perhaps more limited than some, but I seem to know an awful lot of songwriters... (wait, I take it back. I know ONE musician whose first/only instrument is piano. And he's written songs. But not a songwriter per se.)
I understand Paul Simon uses a rubber ball..or something like that. |
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August 2009
Posts: 333
Location: east coast usa | Originally posted by Mr. Ovation:
I have met and heard about MANY great musicians (instrument players) that can't even read music for their own instrument, let alone play a piano. Miles......that is so true !!!!  |
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February 2010
Posts: 79
Location: Virginia | On the old U2 "Rattle and Hum" tape, Edge is asking BB King, "what's that progression?"
"I dunno", says BB. "I just play" |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| The answer to the question is "No". |
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Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | agree no |
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August 2002
Posts: 599
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hi, guitar wannabe!
The answer to your question is no. Check your music history and you will find that it is not always the case. Guitar was around before piano. That is why all the clasical/baroque composers wrote pieces for guitar." Silent Night" was a guitar piece, because the church organ was broken! I started out playing guitar, and my teacher played guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, sax, and trumpet. He could read music, and he could play by ear. You can learn to do both, if that is YOUR choice. Yes, the piano is more "linear" and visual than guitar. It is not neccessarily harder to learn than any other instrument. Being a great musician is not about the instrument. That's just a tool. It's not even about the music. It's about having fun and enjoying the talent God gave you, and sharing it with others. Yes, there is discipline involved at some point. I followed my teacher's lead, and learned to play 5 other instruments, and yes, learning piano did help, but I always thought of myself as a guy who sings, and plays guitar. My first guitar teacher told me" If it's not fun anymore, walk away, and find something else to do." After close to 45 years, my guitar is still fun to play.
Mike Seguin
Junior member #449 |
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December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | I thought all great songwriters started on the didgeridoo. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | no |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Damon67:
I thought all great songwriters started on the didgeridoo. Those that do, wind up in a 45 gal barrel! |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | guitar hero |
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do most all great songwriters & instrument players learn on a piano ???