Which is the most versatile instrument ?

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.

Electric keyboards are just as portable as a guitar.

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?

Well, you can't even play any six notes you like, since you can only play one note per string, plus you're stuck to a five-fret range, and you need to use open chords or barre-chords if you want to get six notes. Anyway, tonal possibilities, IMHO, has nothing to do with the actual tone, because that is largely defined by amps and effects. And trust me, I can use all effects you know on a piano just as easily.

Now take a chord on the piano, really low, and start at ppp and slowly go to fff. Notice how the timbre changes so insanely much. Now do the exact same thing on an electric guitar, neutrally amplified. Notice how little of a change there is. Most of the sonical changes comes from the amp, and there is no law saying that guitar amps are only for guitars. Next is the pedal: notice it's not an on/off switch as it is on keybords but a true expression pedal: the more you press it in the deeper the harmonic resonance, you can play a chord and gradually use the pedal to 'swell' the other strings that vibrate along into play. You can use the middle pedal to sustain the bass part while keeping the melody crisp and clean.

If you ever saw a live performance of classical pieces you'll know that a piano can go from barely audible and delicate to volumes so loud you'd swear the ceiling is coming down. Compare that to a guitar, which can get quite loud but will be absolutely dwarfed by virtually every other instrument in a orchestra or bigband. In short, piano wins hands-down from guitar. And if you bring up electric guitars I bring you synths and processed piano parts.

Then again, a certain person called Chopin once sighed:"Nothing is more beautiful than the sound of the guitar, it's an orchestra on itself." The grass is always greener on the other side. :D
Electric keyboards are just as portable as a guitar.
As are digital stage pianos.

it doesn't change the fact that guitar has become the most important instrument of our time. piano runs a close second, though.

I think there's more that can be done musically on keyboard than anything else, with guitar #2. Both are very versatile. Any single player can only scratch the surface of what can be done with either in a lifetime of playing.

blah, blah.
actually, i think i've changed my mind. piano is probably more versatile. and easier to learn, at least in a very basic way.

blah, blah.
actually, i think i've changed my mind. piano is probably more versatile. and easier to learn, at least in a very basic way.
Really do you think the piano is easier to learn? Have you played piano?

+1 for the piano.

Well, you can't even play any six notes you like, since you can only play one note per string, plus you're stuck to a five-fret range, and you need to use open chords or barre-chords if you want to get six notes. Anyway, tonal possibilities, IMHO, has nothing to do with the actual tone, because that is largely defined by amps and effects. And trust me, I can use all effects you know on a piano just as easily.

Are you telling me you've been using FX all this time on what I thought were live recordings? You sneaky little so-and-so!

Just joking mate - yes , you can use the same FX on piano as you can on guitar - and doubtless they'll sound as good. But I reckon there's NO WAY a pianist can emulate the sound a slide guitarist can get - wanna prove me wrong? if anyone can, you can....but I'll remain sceptical until convinced. I just don't think there's any way in the world a pianist can possibly imitate the sound of a BB King, or a Carlos Santana......or on slide, a Peter Green or a George thorogood or a Duane Allman or George Harrison.......

:D :D :D

Vic

There definitely are pitchbending effects on synths that will let you "slide." It's not the same as slide guitar, though. I don't think we ought to get into an us-vs.-them war here. We're all musicians. I like to dabble with both guitars and keys, and greatly admire folks who are good with both. My teacher is a MONSTER on both! I find on switching back and forth, some things are a lot easier to "see" and do on one than the other, and playing both will help you on both. Specializing and focusing on one thing only limits you.

BTW, if you want a real slide instrument, get a theramin. :lol:

blah, blah.
actually, i think i've changed my mind. piano is probably more versatile. and easier to learn, at least in a very basic way.
Really do you think the piano is easier to learn? Have you played piano?

+1 for the piano.

i said, in a basic way. meaaning the very basics. i took piano lessons when i was little for a little while but i haven't played as an adult. i don't think piano is harder than guitar.

I don't have a strong opinion about the versatility debate--it's a bit like comparing apples to oranges, IMO. But I do think piano is far easier to learn than guitar. I've played piano since I was about five and have taught some beginners off and on over the years.

On a piano, every A looks like every other A, unlike guitar. On a piano, when you are first learning (before you have a strong need to apply dynamics), a key is basically either "on" or "off"--->there is not as much technique required to just get a decent sounding tone as there is on guitar. On a piano, your fingers are nearly always kept in a linear order, without the contortions required to form guitar chords.

Learning to play piano is a great way for anyone to learn to read standard notation and as a basis for learning another instrument.

Margaret

Open tunings make the fretboard look a lot more logical and linear, like the keyboard.

Just want to make one thing clear. Piano here includes the synths as well. This is because guitar includes each and every possible guitar, be it classical, steel string, electric, dobro or even the midi guitar. Guitar also includes multi-fx, etc. Moreover guitar is related to amps as well. Hence, all types of amps which can be used to create different tones are included in 'guitar' term.

So we are just having an opinion and poll of your thoughts. Both the instruments are essential for creating music and have their own respective roles. None is more or less.

But I do think piano is far easier to learn than guitar...
... On a piano, when you are first learning (before you have a strong need to apply dynamics), a key is basically either "on" or "off"--->there is not as much technique required to just get a decent sounding tone as there is on guitar.
I'm very sorry PTK and Margaret but I disagree. There are a lot of people that play guitar and they only know three chords and sometimes the use of a capo. Nothing about music. Nothing about partitures. Only how to finger three chords. They strum the guitar and sing one thousand songs.

On keyboard you can play easy melodies and if you play a synth you can use its resources for play as an orchestra easily. But you are not playing, the instrument do it for you. You can play a chord with just a finger and the rhythm box will be working a very complex pattern for you, too. Sometimes you don't need a perfect timing because the synth changes alone in the next bar.

On piano you must dissociate both hands. The usual is to do two different things with each other, even when you are playing a very simple melody with the right hand and some simple, maybe arpegiatted, chords with the left one. And that is not easy.

If you play easy things, you play easily in both instruments. IMHO the "easy" for guitar gives more range (you can get more things: songs or whatever) than the "easy" for piano (no synth).
But I reckon there's NO WAY a pianist can emulate the sound a slide guitarist can get - wanna prove me wrong?
They are different instruments and you can not compare the very specific techniques in both. Anyway, as Ricochet said, you can emulate the slide in the keyboards with the pitch bending stick. It is very used in almost all the rock players. An example: the John Mayall's 70th Birthday Concert.

Anyway, the question is on versatility, how many different uses has the same thing. IMO you can play more different music and styles with piano than guitar. Obviously you always can play a piece with both instruments but, I mean, what is the normal way. The guitar is a great instrument and very versatile, too. It is very present in my culture. Both share some musical styles (probably a lot of them: rock, blues, flamenco, jazz, classic...). Probably the main topic here is the tonal and harmonic possibilities in both instruments.

piano & voice for obviously different reasons, but I'd still rather hear a variety of guitar music.

man, this fence I'm straddling is pointy... 8)

voice isn't one of the choices....