I didn't start playing guitar until I was around 16 or 17 and piano when I was in college (probably around 19). We had to take a basic and advanced piano class, and I really wish I would have continued with private lessons after that. I tried to pick it back up again a few years later, but it didn't click like it did when I first learned how to play.

It was very frustrating since I pretty much forgot all my training and then tried to pick it up again, lol. I couldn't seem to get back to letting my hands function independently from each other.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

I played guitar for a short while. Nowadays, when I pick it up, I just play it for fun. I've taken more serious time into the piano recently.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Also, just search for the 1st Promenade for piano, Mussorgsky. It's a short, yet glorious opener.

Guitar is definitely a more casual instrument than most others and is probably one of the reasons it's not taken that seriously. When I was in college, most of the music teachers kind of looked down their noses at the guitar kids.

I was one of the few people in my program that was actually friends with music students outside of the guitar players. It was very odd how the guitar people seemed so isolated from the rest of the music students.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Yeah, that's true. When people view a guitarist, it's usually like: that's impressive.

Whereas a pianist may be considered the same, but no one really talks about it that often.

Album Rating: 5.0

@Nightmare, yeah I'll check it out.



Re: Guitar vs Piano, I think guitar definitely has a charm of its own as something that's associated predominately with modern music of the last 50 years (if even that). Piano has some modern affiliations (like jazz, and solo piano pieces like River Flows in You or something), but in general it's associated with the rich classical history behind it.



I've found that most people are generally more impressed and interested when I mention I play guitar (though I'm awful!); however, my musician friends (in orchestras or bands) are much more interested that I play piano. I guess it's much more interesting for a person to listen to Wonderwall (more basic than basic) than a classical piano piece that they aren't really familiar with

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

same with me.

I think Henryk Gorecki's 3rd Symphony or Dmitri Shostakovich's 8th String Quartet are my favorite pieces of classical music

Kovich's 8th is wonderful

Also, I've noticed if you can sing and play guitar at the same time, people seem to be overly impressed. Although, I imagine it would be tougher to sing and play piano at the same time than guitar. But, like you said, toxin, piano is more associated with classical, jazz, and what-have-you than with popular modern music.

Actually, since we are kind of on the subject, are there current groups that have more complex/technical piano centered parts that are more in the pop/rock realm? I think the most technical piano playing I have heard in that type of setting is Ben Folds Five.

youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=uYzame35q-4
pop music for ya

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Sounds like something you'd post. XD

XD XD XD XD heheuhehehh

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Yes, Shostakovich's 8th String Quartet is cool.

sample sum alfred schnittke

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Who's he?

aptly so, here's your chance to find out

youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=J7vzQ94nbEA

Album Rating: 5.0

@Ecnal I really don't know any technical piano in any pop, Ben Folds Five is the only one I know of

@toxin

Bummer. Any non-classical piano stuff you might recommend? That's about all I have, except for a few of the Final Fantasy piano collections (which are awesome if you haven't heard them).

Album Rating: 5.0

oh i love the ffix and ffx piano collections (haven't heard other ones though)



um there's always video games music that has a lot of pretty piano music. tv shows and movies too (particularly true in anime, e.g. one summer's day from spirited away). there are also piano covers of pretty much everything on youtube, to the point that it's hard to single out anything in particular



there's also neo-classical stuff like einaudi and tiersen, both of whose music has shown up in several film and bands that make heavy use of piano (eluvium, balmorhea),