how good is axl on the piano?

[gunsguy]

I would like to be a fly on his wall at his house when he plays, then I could see how it goes.

[Shooting Star]

He's very good.

I think Axl has a very personal and unique style on the piano. Just look at the way he plays, I don't know how he can do it with clenched fingers (!)

But I really like it, specially the way he improvises and works with rhythm. Nevertheless, he can sing and play at the same time, wich isn't so easy IMO.

I never get tired of watching him play piano:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-WV8IhlTlk

[Anonymity]

Ehm, I generally find piano parts in GNR songs as perfect fits. Simple enough to keep it rock 'n roll for most cases, but powerful enough to give songs a new dimension. Just check CW or TWAT with and without piano.

As for Axl's skills i think it's hard to put him into a category with only what we heard so far. Maybe he just plays what he likes. Also, I'd rather have him play at most NR and a solo on piano and for the rest of the show up and runnin' :xmasssanta:

[henfjel]

I would say he is better than average for sure. November Rain is not the easiest tune to play. Coldplay's piano lines are MUCH easier than any Guns piano parts.

dude, november rain is pretty simple. not difficult at all. coldplay has some songs that are more complex than that, but neither of those bands have "great" pianists. both axl and chris are average pianists.

[Val22]

I think Axl is pretty good because he plays from his heart.

[amacfantasy]

it's kind of hard to get a true estimation of Axl's ability because remember we dont have all that much to go off of from lack of material, my guess is that the best of Axl's piano playing we have yet to see a.k.a the unreleased material. I really feel there is some great piano driven material out there.

but without seeing all this material i can at least say he is a very solid player

btw GnR piano playing/writing is far better than Coldplay and thats without the unreleased material lol

Edited December 25, 2011 by amacfantasy

[sweetness]

He's not terribly skilled or anything but he has a great sense of touch and seems to know the keyboard very well even though he doesn't do anything too flashy. I love Axl's piano playing

[Danker]

He's not terribly skilled or anything but he has a great sense of touch and seems to know the keyboard very well even though he doesn't do anything too flashy. I love Axl's piano playing

he may not have a huge skillset in terms of musical theory but his technique is MUCH better than Dizzy's. Dizzy is sloppy. Compare Axl and Dizzy's fingers next time you watch a show and you'll see Axl has much better pianist technique.

and all that theory and positioning shit aside --- Axl can write a badass song using the instrument. I know Dizzy couldn't write anything even remotely close to November Rain, This I Love, or Estranged.

Edited December 25, 2011 by Danker

[CoolRanchDressing]

He's exceptional. Are you kidding me? November Rain and Estranged are two of the most epic songs ever. And live, he plays a medley of elton john songs and an extended jam. That takes exceptional talent, because Elton John was an exceptional talent. I agree he sings better, but that's only because he's the best singer in the world.

[Young_Gun]

I would say he is better than average for sure. November Rain is not the easiest tune to play. Coldplay's piano lines are MUCH easier than any Guns piano parts.

dude, november rain is pretty simple. not difficult at all. coldplay has some songs that are more complex than that, but neither of those bands have "great" pianists. both axl and chris are average pianists.

I wish I could play the November Rain intro

[ppruks]

I think that Axl's playing is very unique...he's not and will never be a classical piano player...just like elton john...first off, they both have pretty small hands, which does have an influence on one's playing... but still I personally enjoy Axl's very melodic but choppy playing...someone here said that he doesn't have flow to his playing and while that's true compared to classical players...I think he makes up for it with power and emotion...his playing is very much in sync with his personality...gentle and melodic...with a tendency to go into powerful emotional outbursts....

but comparing November Rain to Coldplay songs doesn't do it justice...anyone who's played any of coldplay's stuff and played november rain would notice it....the intro is fucking genius...it makes a shit load of sense and every time i play it, each step just feels right....not your regular 4-chord song

but I must say, I was front n' center at 2 shows this year and I paid a lot of attention to Axl's playing...I basically stared at his hands the whole time, and he's added some pretty cool fills into certain places and he does a lot more than just play the chords...and goes fucking all out in the coda section...and comes off very skilled...and I think he just naturally has a good ear for melody and structure...not something u can learn in a textbook

Edited December 25, 2011 by ppruks

[Young_Gun]

I think that Axl's playing is very unique...he's not and will never be a classical piano player...just like elton john...first off, they both have pretty small hands, which does have an influence on one's playing... but still I personally enjoy Axl's very melodic but choppy playing...someone here said that he doesn't have flow to his playing and while that's true compared to classical players...I think he makes up for it with power and emotion...his playing is very much in sync with his personality...gentle and melodic...with a tendency to go into powerful emotional outbursts....

but comparing November Rain to Coldplay songs doesn't do it justice...anyone who's played any of coldplay's stuff and played november rain would notice it....the intro is fucking genius...it makes a shit load of sense and every time i play it, each step just feels right....not your regular 4-chord song

but I must say, I was front n' center at 2 shows this year and I paid a lot of attention to Axl's playing...I basically stared at his hands the whole time, and he's added some pretty cool fills into certain places and he does a lot more than just play the chords...and goes fucking all out in the coda section...and comes off very skilled...and I think he just naturally has a good ear for melody and structure...not something u can learn in a textbook

In my first few days of playing keyboards I could play about 3 Coldplay songs but couldn't get close to the intro to NR.. I was going by youtube videos as I can't read music notation(only guitar tablature) which made the process much slower.

I would say he is better than average for sure. November Rain is not the easiest tune to play. Coldplay's piano lines are MUCH easier than any Guns piano parts.

dude, november rain is pretty simple. not difficult at all. coldplay has some songs that are more complex than that, but neither of those bands have "great" pianists. both axl and chris are average pianists.

Lol, then I would love to be an average pianist

[KiraMPD]

I would say he is better than average for sure. November Rain is not the easiest tune to play. Coldplay's piano lines are MUCH easier than any Guns piano parts.

dude, november rain is pretty simple. not difficult at all. coldplay has some songs that are more complex than that, but neither of those bands have "great" pianists. both axl and chris are average pianists.

I wish I could play the November Rain intro

November Rain is easy once you get your head around the pace of the intro as it is rather... odd. Its the end ("don't you know that you need somebody...") thats a killer because of the number of improvs that Axl puts into it and they are always a little different live.

The hardest song for me to play on the piano/keyboard is probably Sweet Child, but then again it was written on guitar so perhaps I'm setting myself up for disappointment there .

I wish Axl would do a piano/acoustic adaptation of "Don't Cry" though, that would sound rather beautiful I think.

Edited December 25, 2011 by KiraMPD

[Chimera]

Axl's piano techniques are insanely underrated. IMO, he has an incredible ear for melodies, and hope one day he releases an instrumental record.

[Demon Wolf]

Axl and Elton John should make a piano CD together. Elton is a better pianist but you can't deny Axl has an incredible ear for melodies (they both do)

[DownUnderScott]

I would love to see Axl live just singing and playing piano for an entire show - that instrument captures another side to his personality and the expression of it is beautiful.

[dalsh327]

I think that Axl's playing is very unique...he's not and will never be a classical piano player...just like elton john...first off, they both have pretty small hands, which does have an influence on one's playing... but still I personally enjoy Axl's very melodic but choppy playing...someone here said that he doesn't have flow to his playing and while that's true compared to classical players...I think he makes up for it with power and emotion...his playing is very much in sync with his personality...gentle and melodic...with a tendency to go into powerful emotional outbursts....

but comparing November Rain to Coldplay songs doesn't do it justice...anyone who's played any of coldplay's stuff and played november rain would notice it....the intro is fucking genius...it makes a shit load of sense and every time i play it, each step just feels right....not your regular 4-chord song

but I must say, I was front n' center at 2 shows this year and I paid a lot of attention to Axl's playing...I basically stared at his hands the whole time, and he's added some pretty cool fills into certain places and he does a lot more than just play the chords...and goes fucking all out in the coda section...and comes off very skilled...and I think he just naturally has a good ear for melody and structure...not something u can learn in a textbook

Add Billy Joel to that... they hammer the shit out of the piano and took minimal piano lessons, Axl seems self taught but prob. took a few lessons here and there when he couldn't figure something out. I'm sure he knows some jazz and classical chords, and could prob. play all of Tumbleweed, Captain Fantastic, and Madman inside and out, and prob. some Billy songs like Captain Jack which is more of a guitar song. Still think Slash's story of Billy going backstage to raid GNR's liquor stash for Johnny Walker was funny, although we know he had a pretty bad drinking problem.

[KiraMPD]

Add Billy Joel to that... they hammer the shit out of the piano and took minimal piano lessons, Axl seems self taught but prob. took a few lessons here and there when he couldn't figure something out.

I'm quite sure Axl has mentioned that he had piano training when he was younger (I think his step-father made him take the lessons?). So I don't think he is completely self taught in that sense, although I remember in the Eddie Trunk radio thing in 2006 Axl mentioned that he would improvise and play Zeppelin songs that he had heard from the radio on the piano? So that perhaps shows that he prefers to improvise and play by ear and generally play the way he WANTS to without conforming classical techniques?

Anyhow, I love the way he plays the piano regardless. He has a very unconventional rhythm and style.

[Nosaj Thing]

I would love to see Axl live just singing and playing piano for an entire show - that instrument captures another side to his personality and the expression of it is beautiful.

Ha. Well, not the entire show but yeah, he's pretty good on the piano. I always loved the piano solo he did in Chicago, 92.

Edited December 26, 2011 by pi2loc

[DownUnderScott]

I would love to see Axl live just singing and playing piano for an entire show - that instrument captures another side to his personality and the expression of it is beautiful.

Ha. Well, not the entire show but yeah, he's pretty good on the piano. I always loved the piano solo he did in Chicago, 92.

Very Nice - thanks for posting

[DownUnderScott]

What makes you think its The General ? Or you just joking ?

[RandallFlagg]

I love that solo he does too, it sounds a little like it noodles with the This I Love melody.

[vaida]

I think Dizzy goes for perfect when he plays piano, its what's expected of him. That's why plays The Blues.

Axl on piano, seems to be more loose, and does what he likes. Being the leader of the band gets away with it.

Edited December 28, 2011 by vaida

[henfjel]

I would say he is better than average for sure. November Rain is not the easiest tune to play. Coldplay's piano lines are MUCH easier than any Guns piano parts.

dude, november rain is pretty simple. not difficult at all. coldplay has some songs that are more complex than that, but neither of those bands have "great" pianists. both axl and chris are average pianists.

I wish I could play the November Rain intro

if you can read sheet music just sit down and slowly try and play it. took me about an hour to figure out the intro, and that was when i was starting to learn playing! the rest is very easy chords along the way. the most difficult part is the outro, but comes along after awhile!

:xmasssanta: