So what is the most versatile instrument in your opinion ?
Take into account the factors like number of variety of different types of sounds you can get from one family of instruments. As for example, the guitar along with electric and the bass can be used to create innumerable types of music. (All types of guitar are included here).
Similarly piano family includes synthesizers, electric keyboards etc. Here also the possibilities are many.
Drums and percussion including electric drums and drumpads is yet another example.
Can't think of any more so I will make a poll of those above three.
My vote goes to guitar. The possibilities of making music with the guitar family (including bass guitar) are virtually endless.
The straight answer is that the most complete instrument is a Piano. Apart from that if you plug a good keyboard player into synths and software they can produce anything from orchestral work to rock and roll. I love guitar but the most versatile/complete instrument has to be a Piano.
Just my 2 cents anyway.
Gerry
Those who can't dance always blame the band.
Considering you can buy a keyboard that can play just about any instrument, the choice seems pretty obvious to me.
The "keytar" is clearly the most versatile. ;)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
I don't really include piano and synthesizer as the same instrument...
The piano is limiting, in my opinion, in that unlike almost every other instrument, one cannot do vibrato on it.
With synthesizers this isn't the case, so that's different.
the human voice
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Personally I wouldn't consider synths and pianos the same instruments. Anyway, discarding synths (which, together with samplers, are ofcourse by far the most versatile) I'd have to go with the piano. Even though you might not have vibrato or bending the facts that you can play up to ten notes simulaltanously, can keep as many notes as you want sustaining with the pedal, has a wide range of timbre and sound colors and has a massive range of over 7 octaves, make me chose it as most versatile. A piano is a band/orchestra on it's own.
The guitar. When you take into account the huge variety of music you can play on it, from classical to thrash metal and all the hundreds of sub-genres, the guitar for me is the most incredibly versatile instrument there is. Take into account also the wide variety of tunings available, plus the bending and vibrato techniques.
Besides, the bottleck on my finger isn't much use when I play piano......
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
the human voice
Not mine!!!!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Well, the guitar can *add* to a lot of genres, but how many genres of music feature solo guitar pieces? Piano on the other hand allows for solo classical, baroque, , jazz, pop, blues etc tunes *without* the need of other instruments or vocals. Apart from that, non of the open tunings, or any tuning for that matter, will allow chord voicings you cannot play on a piano. On the other hand a piano has a gazillion chord voicings impossible on the guitar.
BTW, bending is possible on a piano, even mainstream artists like Jamie Cullum do it. Not very convenient to do but still. :P
Well, the guitar can *add* to a lot of genres, but how many genres of music feature solo guitar pieces? Piano on the other hand allows for solo classical, baroque, , jazz, pop, blues etc tunes *without* the need of other instruments or vocals. Apart from that, non of the open tunings, or any tuning for that matter, will allow chord voicings you cannot play on a piano. On the other hand a piano has a gazillion chord voicings impossible on the guitar.
Funny - that was the argument I was going to use in favour of the guitar! Yes, I'd agree that a solo pianist could play in any genre, but so could a solo guitarist - but the one thing a solo pianist CAN NOT do is a reasonable imitation of slide guitar. If we can agree that Robert Johnson is one of the most important musicians of the 20th century....certainly in the blues genre....then we've got to agree that slide guitar is pretty important too, ESPECIALLY in the blues genre.
Having said that, one of my favourite musicians is Jools Holland - I love watching him play piano, hell, and listening to him talking about the piano. He describes the piano as his instrument, and his fingers and thumbs as his orchestra. But even he can't play slide piano!
:D :D :D
Vic
EDIT - I will admit though, I don't think there's a more beautiful sound than classical music played on a grand piano.......
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Piano has a far larger tonal and dynamic range, and offers far greater harmonic possibilities . . . the lack of vibrato is really a small concession.
Piano, hands down.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
Piano may be more (musically) versatile but guitar has become the most important instrument of our time, partly due to the fact that it's portable. If you look at portability as being a part of versatility then guitar wins.
Piano has a far larger tonal and dynamic range, and offers far greater harmonic possibilities [/.quote]
Could you possibly elaborate on that, KP? To my mind, the tonal possibilities available on an electric guitar are virtually infinite....but a piano's always going to sound like a piano. What I'm getting at, you can't honestly say there's much difference in tone between, say, Billy Joel and Elton John. Between either of those doing a flat-out rocker and Jerry Lee doing the same, whereas with, say the Yardbirds, you can tell instantly by the tone whether it's Clapton, Beck or Page on lead.
And harmonic possibilities? Do you mean by that you can play 10 notes (or more) on a piano simultaneously, whereas you can play a maximum of 6 on guitar?
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
the human voice
+1 to the voice. It's the clear winner, and it always has been. 8)
