"- So it was only once you'd got into piano playing that you embraced the more technical, classical side of things?
Yes. I don't know why that is, but I think it could be something to do with the early 20th century piano music [that I was listening to]. It's very emotional but at the same time quite technical as well. I found that an interesting concept because with the guitar it seemed you could only be either emotional or technical, and it seemed you couldn't do both. But the piano helped me understand that it was possible to make music that was technical and also emotional at the same time. So for that reason I think the piano playing started to influence the songwriting on Origin of Symmetry, and probably a lot more on this album as well. It obviously has an influence on the way I'm thinking about playing chords on the guitar too. "
That is rather interesting.
In some ways...I can agree with that, and in others I can't. But it definitely caught my eye, how a piano can be more emotive while still being technical...
But then...you haven't heard beautiful, technical guitar music if you agree with it completely.
I think it's the common approach to the two instruments however...
Piano's are placed in higher esteem; there's a certain aura, a certain level one must attain to be deemed a good pianist, usually through the aquirement of technical skills and possibly harder yet, the ability to create feeling.
Guitar's on the other hand, are synonymous with various genres of rock music. To be deemed a good guitarist, one must either be technically skilled enough to wow people, or play with enough emotion, so as to be deemed technically skilled. But this is not always the case. This is when you get the real beauty. When you fuse skill with feeling and you get something so freeing. Maybe it's angry, maybe it's happy, or sad, or violent or nonchalant...but it's definitely something.
Bellamy talks prior to this of how some songs, were first written on piano. He fed off the contrast. There is SO much contrast in the instruments. They can play the same things, then they simply can't at the same time.
I've discovered that I can't play the piano to make it sound like a guitar. It sounds so empty to me, while the guitar sounds so brilliantly full. I can't explain it.
I wish I could play both like they were equally alive within me....
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2 comments:
I like this entry.
I believe that technique as well as raw 'stumblings' both make emotion and make music alive.
You're right. When you play guitar it does sound real. Maybe you need to listen more to each individual sound on the piano rather than the piano as an instrument?
(I don't know I'm saying crazy things tonight)
or just play incongruently on the piano.
I find that instruments sound real to me from the time I've first had to rely on them. When everything collapsed and there it laid ever so quietly. It is sound that is everything.
You're a special musician.
I'm contemplating deleting this. It sounds silly.
Have a goodnight.
Goodluck with the dreaded Chemistry study.
p.s. I still have your pencil. Sorry Yamba!
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