From: jc@minya.UUCP (John Chambers)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Re: Piano vs Guitar in contra bands
Date: 8 Nov 92 15:42:15 GMT
Distribution: usa

In article <Bx775y.IB7@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, cottle@cmp-rt.music.uiuc.edu (David M. Cottle) writes:

> Recently there was a discussion about instrumentation when
> forming contra bands.  I expressed the opinion that the
> piano is not well suited for this medium.  I just attended
> three dances (almost in a row) where the band "Coastbusters"
> played (Randy Miller? and Linda Handelson?).  I take back
> everything I said about the piano.  In the hands (under the
> hands) of a talented musician it is a wonderful instrument for
> contra style musics.  I guess what I should say is that a
> mediocre guitarist is more palitable than a mediocre pianist.

I'm reminded of a band workshop for Scottish country dancing that  was
held  here in the Boston area last year (under the aegis of the Boston
branch of the RSCDS).  Part of the workshop was  various  local  bands
playing a few short sets, and then being criticised. I hung around and
listened, and one point that was made with every one of them that  had
a piano:  The piano player was doing things that were too complicated.

Invariably, the one-word advice was given:  simplify.  True, the piano
is  a marvelous instrument that is capable of tremendously complicated
and rich music.  But for dance-band purposes, it  should  be  used  to
maybe 5% of its capabilities.  Lots of 1-and-5 bass notes, with simple
3-note chords on the off-beat. Let someone else play the melody. Don't
try  to  make  concert  music.   You are playing back-up rhythm, not a
concert.  There aren'y any music police who will charge you  with  not
using  the instrument to its full capability.  If you *must* make up a
melodic bass line, keep it simple.  And so on.

This is probably why bass + guitar so often sounds better.  It can  be
hard for a good pianist to play the "trivial" stuff that is needed for
a good dance band.  It's always to tempting to do more.   Simple  bass
notes and chords are such a waste of the instrument's capabilities.

But there are some good dance-band piano players who have learned  how
to  get  into the limited role and do a good job of it.  When you have
one, the piano can be a very good backup instrument.

I'd almost be tempted to suggest that a "mediocre" pianist (in his/her
own mind) is often a better backup musician than a "good" one.  People
who like to think of themselves as good pianists tend to want to  play
complex  music;  someone  who  doesn't  have  pretensions  to  concert
pianistry is often more likely to be satisfied with  a  back-up  role.
This  isn't meant to be at all disparaging.  It's just an observation.
Some such self-deprecating pianists are in fact very  good  musicians,
especially  since  part  of being a good dance-band pianist is knowing
when not to play something.

As someone who is primarily a keyboard player myself (though it's been
mostly  accordion  in  recent  years),  I'd say that one of the common
character features of keyboard players is that they  tend  to  be  the
sort  that  likes  the  dominating,  I-can-do-it-all  nature  of their
instrument.  A grand piano is easily the match for a  full  orchestra,
and  the piano attracts people who are comfortable with this.  So it's
easy to see how such a person might not be too happy  playing  just  a
bass + chord backup.

I'm playing at a dance later today for which all my inquiries with the
usual suspects got a "sorry, busy" response.  No problem; I can handle
it solo. It'd be more fun to have some other people along, but I don't
really  need  them.   It isn't always easy for such a person to accept
that your instrument is also a very good foundation of a group,  since
that means suppressing your own ego and "just" supporting others.  But
some can do it (for a while ;-).

BTW, even better than a piano, IMHO, is a harpsichord. There are a few
good  players  of  the  instrument about (R.P.Hale in New Hampshire is
one).  The light, crisp sound can add a real bounce to just about  any
dance music.  (And harpsichord players don't have the temptation to do
fun things with the dynamics, as piano players often do.  ;-)

-- 
All opinions Copyright (c) 1992 by John Chambers. Inquire for licensing at:
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--
Pensu tutmonde; agu loke.