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Pet_Sounds · 12-31-2014, 08:56 PM

There are only three instruments I can play with any confidence. One is the ukulele, and I'm strictly a chord guy. Another is the accordion, but mine is too small to really count for much. The third is the piano. On it, I'd like to think I'm pretty damn good. I started playing, quite literally, before I could walk, and it's the only instrument I've received training for.

That said, I've only ever deliberately tried to emulate one pianist's style. Ray Manzarek. Principally because I used to be in a (very crappy) elementary school band, and nobody played bass, so it was up to me on the keys. I studied Manzarek's technique -- the way he'd play the organ licks with his right hand while playing the bassline with his left. Because I've played almost every single song Billy Joel's released, I imagine his style comes through in my playing, but I've never tried to emulate him. Same goes for Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies.

As for the vocal cords… Without bragging too much, I have a lovely-sounding voice. However, I can't hit anything higher than an E without going into falsetto, and have trouble staying on pitch when holding a note. I'm working on it. Having said that, there are three different vocal approaches I regularly use: my natural smooth voice, which people have compared to George Harrison and recently Al Stewart; my more aggressive Jim Morrison rock and roll voice, and my spectral John Lennon voice (think A Day in the Life).

It's kinda funny, because before my voice changed, I sang in a choir, and I had the clearest, highest soprano you ever heard. I got all the descants. On a good day, I could hit a high C. Sometimes I miss that voice.

TL;DR: Pet rambles on about his vocal and piano abilities monotonously.

12-31-2014, 08:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
Pet_Sounds Remember the underscore Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: The other side Posts: 2,489	There are only three instruments I can play with any confidence. One is the ukulele, and I'm strictly a chord guy. Another is the accordion, but mine is too small to really count for much. The third is the piano. On it, I'd like to think I'm pretty damn good. I started playing, quite literally, before I could walk, and it's the only instrument I've received training for. That said, I've only ever deliberately tried to emulate one pianist's style. Ray Manzarek. Principally because I used to be in a (very crappy) elementary school band, and nobody played bass, so it was up to me on the keys. I studied Manzarek's technique -- the way he'd play the organ licks with his right hand while playing the bassline with his left. Because I've played almost every single song Billy Joel's released, I imagine his style comes through in my playing, but I've never tried to emulate him. Same goes for Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies. As for the vocal cords… Without bragging too much, I have a lovely-sounding voice. However, I can't hit anything higher than an E without going into falsetto, and have trouble staying on pitch when holding a note. I'm working on it. Having said that, there are three different vocal approaches I regularly use: my natural smooth voice, which people have compared to George Harrison and recently Al Stewart; my more aggressive Jim Morrison rock and roll voice, and my spectral John Lennon voice (think A Day in the Life). It's kinda funny, because before my voice changed, I sang in a choir, and I had the clearest, highest soprano you ever heard. I got all the descants. On a good day, I could hit a high C. Sometimes I miss that voice. TL;DR: Pet rambles on about his vocal and piano abilities monotonously. __________________ Everybody's dying just to get the disease Last edited by Pet_Sounds; 01-13-2015 at 08:20 PM.