The importance of piano in Rock N' Roll Music.

Last Saturday, while teaching bass to the bass player of my soon-to-born band, I was talkin' bout something... Why instruments that are not the traditional "leading" ones are ignored most of the time... such as bass players, piano players, etc...

If you look back in the times of boogie/woogie music, and blues... there were lead parts, and rhytm parts, both of 'em very important, but somehow as years passed, people just stared at the guitar player and completely ignored the rest of the band, and well... the guitar player was the key factor for making a band great or amazingly bad and mediocre... which put a lot of pressure in the guitar player's hands and shoulders...

Fortunately, there are exceptions to the rule...

Through the history of music, piano players played a major role... Back in the times of the classical composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, piano players were looked back then like the way people now looks at guitar players... As new musical forms appeared, the same happened...

In rock n' roll music, there are notable cases, starting from Jerry Lee Lewis, called "The Killer"... 'cause of the way he played his instrument. With tons of raw energy...



Then, piano music sort of ... morphed to mellotrons and synths, which I consider among the best inventions in music history. Those instruments played a major role in the evolution of progressive rock, 'cause it helped the musicians to create atmospheres and - in Frank Zappa's words - Sculptures of sound.

One of the most notable players of synths and keyboards was Mr. Richard Wright, from Pink Floyd... his eerie tone influenced by equal amounts of jazz, classical and atonal music contributed to create what we know now as the Pink Floyd sound... ethereal and dark soundscapes that allow you to travel through time and space.



Robert Fripp, from King Crimson, was a mellotron player during the early stages of the band. In fact, the orchestra-type sounds you hear through the album In the Court of The Crimson King, were made by him and his white mellotron.

As time continued moving, piano music in rock n' roll was sort of, retreating... few musicians, like the greats Elton John, Freddie Mercury from Queen and Billy Joel took piano as their main instrument, as well as Peter Gabriel did together with keyboards and world music instruments.



- Fantastic Piece of Music, isn't it? -

One thing that piano players share is that while they took their instrument, and sing at the same time, they make it a really intimate experience. Not that other musicians don't, but there's something magic while you see this fellas playin' the piano.



- This is what I mean with intimate -

Freddie Mercury, on the other hand, had a distinct approach on the piano. Heavily influenced by Chopin's tones and also by Tchaikovsky's... his piano sounds made a difference on Queen's loud and grandiose sound. In fact, Queen's most recognizable song in the world, is based around a piano.



- Grandiose, isn't it ? -

With the rise of disco, the role of piano in rock and roll music somewhat dissapeared. But, it appeared and re-emerged again, some years later, in the shape of raw power. Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose apart from being a singer, was a piano player, heavily influenced by the styles of Elton John and Freddie Mercury.

In 1991, Guns N' Roses published one of the greatest statements in rock and roll history. Two albums, under the name of Use Your Illusions, 1 & 2, emerged. And in both of 'em, you could hear a lot, of piano music. Rangin' from the traditional boogie/woogie inspired tunes, to the grandiose and epic tunes... In fact, that was the closing of the chapter of great piano music in rock n' roll.



- Piece No. 1: November Rain. See who else is playing the piano! -



- Piece No. 2: Estranged -

Later, some modern rock bands like Coldplay and Keane, tried to get back to this piano roots but, unfortunately * in my humble opinion * they failed. They lack the ammounts of stamina, passion and dedication the former greats had... they are making music that makes lil' girls get excited, but with no real content behind lyrics and music... that makes ol' geezers like me go angry and frustrated.

But, one day... music shall be released, from mediocre bands and people... one day.
And piano will have its voice again.