GoodAnytime

What happened to piano rockers? Am I just not finding them? I mean it looks like I have to choose between twenty somethings making adult contemporary (one step above muzak) or old nobodies who think the billy joel thing will take off again (shave the mullet).

Elton John was a great piano rocker. Billy Joel was good - for his time period. Ben Folds pwnd the keys.

I can name ten major acts that include piano today in a mostly prominent position but they are all forgetable and unremarkable, imho. I want someone that has energy not a serenading soul-searcher.

No I am not a dinosaur. The piano will always be a beautiful and rocking instrument.

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mr dave

you ever try to move a piano? i think it's mostly an issue of logistics and education.

it's taken a while for electric piano manufacturers to create a worthwhile replacement at a reasonable cost as well. they're finally starting to get it right but you're still looking at a grand - minimum - if you want weighted keys and decent sound. ben folds was great but i'm positive it was a major hassle to move that baby grand all over the place.

i think another reason a lot of the younger piano players are playing adult contemporary drek is because it's the only thing they hear and learn. aside from ben folds, i can't think of ANY piano player who isn't adult contemporary. sure elton john used to rock, i also used to wear diapers. he was done rocking before i learned to potty.

still on the issue of taking lessons, there's an old saying that students end up sounding like their teachers. how many piano teachers do you think are teaching their students to use the stool to smash the keys along to jimi hendrix's manic depression?

same as the proper horn section slowly disappeared from funk, soul and r&b acts as the 80s set in, the rocking piano playing frontman has also become unfeasible in the current musical climate.

you might be able to find some new stuff online, hopefully someone will have recommendations to offset my theory on why they went the way of the do-do. but i won't be holding my breath on seeing a return of the piano as a center piece in rock music.

oh yeah - burton cummings OWNS elton john and billy joel.

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GoodAnytime

But to get a decent guitar sound, you are looking at a grand for a good solid guitar, effects board, head, and amp. I don't buy the monetary argument because that could be made for any modern instrument. You can get a rig cheaper - but then again you can get a decent sounding keyboard cheaper.

An electric piano would not stand up to the abuse baby or regular grands can take. But how the thing looks doesn't matter so much to me. I'd be happy with someone standing and putting feeling into the song, maybe smashing the keys with cluster chords or raking it up and down, instead of droning out ostinatos.

I don't think the piano has become unfeasible...just morphed into something more effeminate than it has to be.

I think you are right that there is no real rock education with the piano. But can you really teach someone how to rock? But you can teach someone to mimic old dead people who have no relevance in today's musical climate.

I don't think the piano will ever become the main instrument of choice of rock and rollers - and it never was outside of jerry lewis, blind black men, and abborations here and there.

My theory is that there will, for a while at least, be room for the alpha piano rocker who isn't necessarily the most talented but most fun. We just haven't seen him/her lately. And Tori Amos doesn't really count because she is not immediately approachable until you get into her scene.

I'm definitely far from the alpha. Maybe the phi.

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thebassistX

Hmm well now days piano is replaced by a lot of high tech sound stuff....

and yes there is really no formal approach to lean to play rock piano
you sorta just have to feel it and play around Listen