Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner - Non Classical JAZZ- Do pianists think differently?

A question for the jazz players or improvisers. Do pianists approach things differently than a single note instruments?

I think we have more on our plate as we have to be aware of the harmony meshing with the melody at the same time. And we are the only instrument that can play 5-10 notes at once.

It must be much easier for any horn or string player who only needs to play 1 note at a time, not worrying about clashing dissonance.

I have been listening to alot of Miles Davis and other jazzers who aren't pianists, and how they approach their improvs. Here's one by the real Kenny G(arrett), have a listen:

http://www.smashbeats.com/v1238291/kenny_garrett_saxofon_solo

It's certainly different when it comes to reading, that is for sure. I grew up playing violin, and when I switched to guitar and had to learn to play more than a single note at time, it was tough, but only really from a finer dexterity standpoint (manipulating my hands into all sorts of contorted positions), because I was playing everything by ear and the music was fairly simple (basic rock and blues). Later, when I actually learned to read for guitar, and started into classical guitar lessons, it was much tougher. Who could ever think about 3, maybe 4 notes at once!?

It wasn't until I began piano lessons that I truly understood what the term "multitasking" meant. Good lord - how can you ever make sense of all those stacked notes? And what's with that weird clef down below? :-)

As far as improv goes, I don't think there's all that much of a difference. The left hand seems to go on autopilot after a while, and then you're just left with thinking about lines on the right hand.

Comping, on the other hand...well, besides guitar, not many other instruments comp.

Absolutely. I play bass as well as keyboard. I play more blues (on both bass and keyboard) than jazz but I have sat in with my bass on a few jazz jams and have had no problem following charts and putting down a good bass line. I am not ready to play keyboard in a jazz jam yet because there is just too much to think about and my playing is not yet at that level.

One nice thing about the bass is that you are in the best position of any instrument to listen to the whole band because you are in a different area of the sonic spectrum. I've sat in with my bass on jams where really good players had showed up from out of town and I felt privileged to be on the same stage as them and I was verry happy to only have to play one line.

Playing blues is a different story to jazz because the progressions are much simpler and I much prefer to play a keyboard and be more in the foreground.