# What do people who know think of Elton John as a pianist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590 "2011-12-17T23:45:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/1 "2011-12-17T23:45:35Z")
Obviously Elton is a giant in a general sense as a musician/singer/songwriter/rock star. But considered purely as a pianist… is he just extremely good, or are his skills considered truly outstanding? Just curious… ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/2 "2011-12-17T23:52:48Z")
He’s damned good. That album 6-23-70 or whatever has some pretty damned good playing on it. I don’t know about his big hits or whatever, but when he wanted to, he could throw down some pretty heavy two-fisted (er, is that inappropriate?) blues-rock piano. ETA I don’t know about “outstanding” compared to James Booker, but he could play as well as about anyone in that style of rock piano. He was no Liberace, but he could certainly play at a very high level very idiomatically. Question: what does OP think? ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/3 "2011-12-18T00:16:58Z")
He was invited to attend the Royal Academy of Music at age 11, so that’s certainly a sign of precocious talent. Listening to his old albums reveals some pretty masterful playing, though I’m sure there’s folks here more qualified than I to say. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/4 "2011-12-18T01:52:19Z")
OP is in no way qualified to have an opinion. He sounds fantastic to me, but anyone who can play at a professional level impresses me, I can’t discern degrees of mastery. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/5 "2011-12-18T02:44:46Z")
> [@Jaledin](#): > > He’s damned good. That album 6-23-70 or whatever has some pretty damned good playing on it. I don’t know about his big hits or whatever, but when he wanted to, he could throw down some pretty heavy two-fisted (er, is that inappropriate?) blues-rock piano. > > ETA I don’t know about “outstanding” compared to James Booker, but he could play as well as about anyone in that style of rock piano. He was no Liberace, but he could certainly play at a very high level very idiomatically. > > Question: what does OP think? I was with you until you held Liberace up as your standard. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/6 "2011-12-18T02:48:33Z")
You do know James Booker, probably the greatest virtuoso of blues piano, called himself the “Black Liberace,” no? It’s not possible for my reference to be interpreted as a gay slur, even as homophobic an environment as jazz/blues music in general. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/7 "2011-12-18T03:12:52Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I was with you until you held Liberace up as your standard. > mmm Yeah, my understanding is that however ridiculous he was in any other way, Liberace was actually an excellent pianist. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/8 "2011-12-18T03:14:13Z")
His fingers sure could fly and he sure [made it look easy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9nO9Ro_kd4), especially when he shifts to “16 to the bar”. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/9 "2011-12-18T03:21:14Z")
Also, I learned “I’ll Be Seeing You” (or whatever it’s called) off Booker’s interp of Liberace’s break tune. Seriously, though, I think your average public just hears blues or rock piano as “Oh, that’s all?!” – and most musicians IME do too. Like it’s so much harder to play hard at intensity with a groove, even if there are only a few chords – **WordMan** had it right in another thread. Groove people feel, but, I’d add, people don’t appreciate it as “virtuoso” playing until it’s missing. Nice thing about piano, though – it’s easy to fake some fast scales or use the LH to do some rolls or even try to 'prov some counterpoint. I only like that one album by Elton I mentioned earlier, and his tune “Rocket Man,” but he can play when he wants to – I didn’t know he played legit music, but I’m not as impressed by that. The guy can play. Too bad a lot of his big hits didn’t use him getting down on the piano, but I can’t criticize him for playing his tunes the way he wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/10 "2011-12-18T03:32:21Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > His fingers sure could fly and he sure [made it look easy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9nO9Ro_kd4), especially when he shifts to “16 to the bar”. That’s gorgeous. I never saw that one. (Grumble, Fats Domino did it first!) I’ve never actually seen Liberace play before, just from colored people playing “tribute” to him and all those stories. He’s not bad! ETA he’s like an old time Jools Holland! ETTA that guy who wanted to know how to play solo piano – that 1940s YouTiube clip – there’s your tenths. Teddy Wilson he ain’t, but that’s why a good pianist needs to at least fake some tenths. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/11 "2011-12-18T03:43:02Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Yeah, my understanding is that however ridiculous he was in any other way, Liberace was actually an excellent pianist. My wife insists he’s the finest Chopin interpreter. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/12 "2011-12-18T03:50:01Z")
**Drop** I hate to tell your wife this, but she’s a man! I’ve spent just now listening to Liberace on YouTube – there are a lot of tricks he uses, and I’d take good old A.R. over Liberace anyday. There’s rubato and there’s rubato. That said, if wife enjoys it, good for her. But you do you know there are so many things to imitate feeling and impress people in piano, no? Cat’s got technique, but Elton has some heavy soul in there.l ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/13 "2011-12-18T03:57:05Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I was with you until you held Liberace up as your standard. > mmm Liberace was a superb piano player and entertainer. I think it’s a good standard to be held to. As for Elton, I think he’s a solid player. I haven’t heard him play anything that makes my jaw drop (unlike Liberace), but the music of his I’ve heard doesn’t call for piano pyrotechnics. He plays with great feel and rhythm–perfect pop piano. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/14 "2011-12-18T04:00:49Z")
> [@Jaledin](#): > > **Drop** I hate to tell your wife this, but she’s a man! I’ve spent just now listening to Liberace on YouTube – there are a lot of tricks he uses, and I’d take good old A.R. over Liberace anyday. There’s rubato and there’s rubato. > > That said, if wife enjoys it, good for her. > > But you do you know there are so many things to imitate feeling and impress people in piano, no? Cat’s got technique, but Elton has some heavy soul in there.l That’s the thing. Let me clarify. I think Liberace was fun and had hella technique, but was not the most original or inventive guy at the keyboard. Elton is more interesting from a musical perspective, with his signature piano sound. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/15 "2011-12-18T04:01:41Z")
Heyt, speaking of playing the piano… is it more difficult for lefties? I assume that the parts played by the left hand are generally less complex than those for the right- but maybe not. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/16 "2011-12-18T04:03:05Z")
I’m pretty sure you’re equal or better at me at playing blues piano, but listen to that album I mentioned by Elton and say (honestly!) you could keep that intensity going while demonstrating the rhythm? I don’t know you, but everything you’ve said about music has been right on IMO, so tell me I’m wrong? 'I’m only speaking as a non-EJ fan who just happened to be amazed that the cat could actually play. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/17 "2011-12-18T04:06:44Z")
Oh, about the lefties. Well, Groove Holmes (organist) was LH – and, yes, he had a killer LH bass (Hammond organ on jazz is played with the LH and the pedals). Don’t know about Phineas Newborn Jr., but I almost learned his blues for LH (can’t remember) – he had both hands and killed it technique-wise on both. Obviously, there’s Paul Wittgenstein, but that’s different. But in jazz, you got double octaves, or single octaves, divided into both hands, and then you got limitations. I don;'t think handedness really enters into it much. I could go on, but My Left Brain is saying go see about some other thread. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/18 "2011-12-18T04:32:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Liberace was a superb piano player and entertainer. Bah. I prefer [this guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mpj6_BEodc&feature=related). mmm ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/19 "2011-12-18T04:36:38Z")
> [@Jaledin](#): > > … I’d take good old A.R. over Liberace anyday. As would I, though I never heard him play “The Beer Barrel Polka.” > [@](#): > > Cat’s got technique, but Elton has some heavy soul in there. But not like A.R.\* Dude oozed the Polish soul. - - Arthur Rubenstein, for those less steeped in Polish pianists.\*\* \*\* - When our eldest was being housetrained she dragged her toy piano into the bathroom to help her pass the time. I took a picture of her sitting on the pot and playing the piano and labeled it “Pottyrewski.” ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590/20 "2011-12-18T04:40:44Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Bah. I prefer [this guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mpj6_BEodc&feature=related). > mmm Me too, but because of the LH, and because I learned this great tune from his record, I’ll always like this one: [. Yes I had things this past summer.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylwnsgNTLos&feature=fvsr) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-who-know-think-of-elton-john-as-a-pianist/606590.md?page=2)