Sep 6 (edited) • General discussion
Guitar vs Piano
This isn’t a “which is better?” thread. Rather I’m finding being a piano bar/lounge player and not a guitar solo act has its pros and cons.
On the Pro side:
- The biggest is I’m not in direct competition with guitar acts who seem to be the large majority in my area. My act alone differentiates me.
- My set list include different songs since many songs adapt better to piano or to guitar (also a con as I detail below).
- Having a grand piano shell can make an event feel classy.
- Once explained most people know what a piano bar event looks like.
On the Con side:
- Set up can be labor intensive. Digital stage pianos have weighted keys and are pretty heavy. Usually I need to bring a portable bench since I can’t count on a venue’s chair to be the right height. If I use the grand piano shell, I need another person.
- Some venues just aren’t right for a piano gig.
- Sometimes a venue booker can’t envision how a piano gig can work for their guests. Some picture cocktail piano music vs a piano bar sing along.
- Many songs from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s just don’t translate as well to piano. Can they played? Of course. But usually they have a different feel or need to be re-interpreted. This is especially true for folk songs.
There’s more but I wanted to spark conversation and hear what others think.
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Guitar vs Piano
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Real talk for gigging musicians. Stagecraft, room psychology, vocals, guitar, and making a living doing it. 28 years, 4,000+ gigs.
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