According to Wikipedia, Art Garfunkel is “a multi-instrumentalist [who] plays guitar, piano, and violin”. There’s certainly no shortage of evidence for this; in a 1998 interview on his own website he claims that he learned to play the guitar at 13 and the piano at 8, and with some judicious Googling it’s not hard to find people claiming to have seen him play these instruments in private performances. So why is it that he never played any instruments on any Simon & Garfunkel albums or in any public performances of that period? So far the only image I’ve ever found of him holding a guitar has been this 1966 television performance of We’ve Got A Groovy Thing Goin’, but the music appears to be synchronized, so it’s not clear whether he’s actually playing.
Who played piano on Bridge over Troubled Water? Maybe I’m imagining this, but I could swear I’ve seen video of him singing this song and playing the piano.
Larry Knechtel is credited as one of the “featured musicians” on the album; I’m sure that’s him on piano on the title track.
My guess is Paul Simon played guitar better, so why fix something that ain’t broke?
Didn’t any of their songs have two guitar parts? If so, that would be reason enough for Art to play rhythm guitar, at least when they were performing live. Ditto with piano—I know that some of their songs had both piano and guitar. Paul couldn’t have played both at once.
I’d assume that he’s a multi-instrumentalist who can’t play any of them at a professional level. It’s no sin if his best instrument is his voice.
There is a trade off when someone plays an instrument and sings. You can’t really put all your concentration into either task.
Some people multitask better than others. Paul played Bass in the Beatles and sang. He actually plays several instruments in real life.
Garfield apparently wasn’t as adept at singing and playing an instrument. Musician friends have told me it can be really hard playing piano and singing.
Some can play an instrument and sing at the professional level…but not at the same time.
Gafield is a fat cat and a dead President.
His stomach gets in the way and paws really aren’t well-suited for playing. 
Oh, of course—lots of musicians I admire sing but don’t play an instrument. I’m just wondering whether lack of professional-level instrumental talent is the actual reason for his not playing, as opposed to, I don’t know, personal preference…?
That’s like asking why Alan Parsons never sang any songs on his “project.” You do what you are best at, and hire others to do what they do better than you do.
Because every song was neatly planned for a poet and a one-man band.
clap clap clap
That line was poetry before you quoted it, but you made it value-added poetry with the timing. Good show!
Brilliant.
mmm
I think it’s been pretty well part of history that Art added nothing to that group.
Better than being a joker in a public bar and a one-band man.
Tom Tildrum, congratulations.
Not even the soaring vocals on “Bridge Over Troubled Water”?