John and his piano playing question

Last week someone posted a web page about the lawyer who represented John
during his immigration problems during the early 70's.

During the end of it, the lawyer told John he had been learning piano from
his kid's piano books and John said he didn't really know how to play piano,
that he only knew chords.

ACankersore...

That right. Just mainly chords. You'll hear the same thing on UFO
recordings. Anybody can write a song..just playing chords as John
did..mainly.

Now for all you piano people out there...

From the albums and bootlegs, what do you think of John's playing?

ACankersore...

Most of it is nothing very good. His piano demo of "Real Love" was
excellent for him. His playing for "Love" is decent..cause it fits the
song.

Nicky Hopkins did some of the better piano playing on some of his songs
such as "Out the Blue,' & on the Imagine Album.

My take on it is that thru his guitar experience he was able to play the
piano well. Yea, maybe just chords, but he did have an inate sense of melody

ACankersore...

John Played the piano well enough for the simplicity of the Beatles
music...but wouldn't have been allowed to play much on other aritsts
works..or maybe he would of, cause he was John Lennon. Paul was much
better on the Piano..but he wasn't that great either.

John is primarily known for being a great song writer..but he wasn't
that good on the instruments, but was known for being a great vocalist.

ACankersore...

And the same thing goes for Elton, and Billy Joel. They both write good
songs but.....

fattuchus...

I am not a musician, so perhaps I am not one to judge. However I have
a song by Billy Joel called "Rootbeer Rag" which is an incredible piano
solo. It sounds like a song one would expect to hear in the 1800's in
a saloon in the U.S. wild west on a mechanical player piano. It is
hard for me to believe that this song is being played by a human being.
It is so fast and complex, some of the notes just blur together.

I think Billy Joel is a terrific pianist.

that he brought to his piano playing.

I also read once years ago, that he played piano chords like guitar chords
since he was obviously a guitarist.

ACankersore...

Yes, that's kind of the way it's done. Probably most guitarists are
plently capable as John was, but they just don't attempt it. They are
afraid of any instrment that they don't know anything about..but it's
not hard to transfer the guitar chords to piano. You just have to
remember where you put your fingers..same as the guitar.

Are there any songs by John where you piano players go, "That's some good

ACankersore...

You don't have to be a piano player to copy what John played. You just
have to be more of a thinker..to transfer the chords from the guitar to
the piano.

piano?"

The version of John playing Help on a bootleg I have on the piano really
changes the mood of the song. Just a great song to play on the piano.

AC...

John's piano playing is like my piano playing, primitive chording,
matching chords on both hands, with just a little bit of daring on a
good day. NOt that that is anything against him. Lots of rock stars
do it that way. If they want something really spectacular, they call in
a hotshot pianist.

fattuchus...

I've seen a film of the Beatles performing I'm Down at a concert. John
was playing an organ and I thought he was great. He seemed to be
having lots of fun and it was exciting to watch.

ACankersore...

I think it sucked, but hey, the song may have never got written, had it
not been written on the piano.

Dave The Rave...

George Martin also played piano on some Beatles recordings. See
Lewison's book for more detailed info on who played what when.

Dave The Rave