Delaware Dave Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I recently got into this discussion with my cousin, who also is a piano player. He believes that Elton John is the better piano player. I believe that Billy Joel is based on his ability to play a broader palette of music. Your thoughts? Quote 57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn Delaware Dave Exit 93 Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song80s Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I recently got into this discussion with my cousin, who also is a piano player. He believes that Elton John is the better piano player. I believe that Billy Joel is based on his ability to play a broader palette of music. Your thoughts? I prefer Elton. I like his song writing[ with Bernie Taupin] Quote Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ? My Soundcloud with many originals: [70's Songwriter] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamanczarek Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I think Billy Joel has better technique but I very much prefer Elton's style. Quote C3/122, M102A, Vox V301H, Farfisa Compact, Gibson G101, GEM P, RMI 300A, Piano Bass, Pianet , Prophet 5 rev. 2, Pro-One, Matrix 12, OB8, Korg MS20, Jupiter 6, Juno 60, PX-5S, Nord Stage 3 Compact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Billy Joel. Not even close. Technically he is better. I like Elton John but don't think of him as a pianist. Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dockeys Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Billy Joel. Not even close. Technically he is better. I like Elton John but don't think of him as a pianist. Have you ever heard Elton John in a solo context? I saw him about 10 years ago with just piano and percussionist Ray Cooper. Astounding! It was like hearing a completely different pianist. His playing was virtuosic, funky, emotional and all out ballsy. I was floored. After that I'd rate him way above Billy and I'm a huge Billy fan. Quote Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Better is subjective, correct? :idk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkaster Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Billy Joel. Not even close. Technically he is better. I like Elton John but don't think of him as a pianist. Have you ever heard Elton John in a solo context? I saw him about 10 years ago with just piano and percussionist Ray Cooper. Astounding! It was like hearing a completely different pianist. His playing was virtuosic, funky, emotional and all out ballsy. I was floored. After that I'd rate him way above Billy and I'm a huge Billy fan. virtuosic? Quote "Danny, ci manchi a tutti. La E-Street Band non e' la stessa senza di te. Riposa in pace, fratello" noblevibes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Lobo Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 there is no better Quote These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaware Dave Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 there is no better Who's better, Mozart or a 10 year old who's taken one piano lesson? Someone is a better player.... Quote 57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn Delaware Dave Exit 93 Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadHousePiano Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 In terms of technical ability, I think it's safe to say that Billy is better than Elton. In the same way that it's safe to say that Bruce Hornsby is better than both of them and Keith Jarrett is better than all three. But I prefer Eltons playing to Billys, overall. Quote Korg SV2, Nord Electro 5D, Gigperformer/lots of VSTs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Lobo Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 there is no better Who's better, Mozart or a 10 year old who's taken one piano lesson? Someone is a better player.... Who is a better composer: Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven? There is no "better." Quote These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dockeys Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Billy Joel. Not even close. Technically he is better. I like Elton John but don't think of him as a pianist. Have you ever heard Elton John in a solo context? I saw him about 10 years ago with just piano and percussionist Ray Cooper. Astounding! It was like hearing a completely different pianist. His playing was virtuosic, funky, emotional and all out ballsy. I was floored. After that I'd rate him way above Billy and I'm a huge Billy fan. virtuosic? Yup. I always heard him live with the band. He was the band on this particular gig. He was churning out very tasty rnythm and blues as well as some jazz stuff. His recordings he comes across as a nice pop pianist but this gig it seemed like he threw caution to the wind and just played regardless of the audience. It was a real treat to have seen it. Quote Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dockeys Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 But yeah better is completely subjective..... Quote Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iconoclast Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Right. I think that Jordan Rudess is the "best" keyboard player I've ever seen yet there's a lot of keyboard players I'd rather listen to. Quote You want me to start this song too slow or too fast? Forte7, Nord Stage 3, XK3c, OB-6, Arturia Collection, Mainstage, MotionSound KBR3D. A bunch of MusicMan Guitars, Line6 stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrissey Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I vote Billy Joel using this criteria: if I could expose a piano student to just one of these two, I would choose Billy. Perhaps Elton John has some underutilized virtuosity such as Dockeys experienced, but Billy Joel's body of work provides a much broader range of techniques, riffs, and overall bag of tricks than Sir Elton's body of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Mac or Windows? Betty or Veronica? Ginger or Mary Ann? Keaton, Kilmer, West or Bale? Tastes great! Less filling! Will these threads ever stop? Guess not. As you were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 You better believe its not butter. Quote "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Bailey or Jennifer? Bailey! Quote Moe --- "I keep wanting to like it's sound, but every demo seems to demonstrate that it has the earth-shaking punch and peerless sonics of the Roland Gaia. " - Tusker http://www.hotrodmotm.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaware Dave Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 Will these threads ever stop? Guess not. As you were. Says Mr. "Been on a huge kick kick recently" Quote 57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn Delaware Dave Exit 93 Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffincltnc Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Stereo or Mono? Quote Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 3C (Coming Soon: Nord 4 HA73), Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Arturia V Collection 9, Komplete 13 Ultimate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam CA Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Have you ever heard Elton John in a solo context? I saw him about 10 years ago with just piano and percussionist Ray Cooper. Astounding! It was like hearing a completely different pianist. His playing was virtuosic, funky, emotional and all out ballsy.... Nice! I've never seen Elton John's solo piano performances. I'll see if I can find some footage of this event. Quote www.youtube.com/c/InTheMixReviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucktunes Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Apples or bell peppers? There's no objective criteria for better... However, I believe that Elton has a more recognizable style, while Billy adapts his playing more to fit the song. If you didn't know, you'd probably never guess that Just The Way You Are and Scenes From An Italian Restaurant were played by the same pianist, let alone on the same album. Quote ><> Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthoid Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Scenes From An Italian Restaurant All about Brenda Rinetti. Quote When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefDanG Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I, too, do not believe there is a "better" when speaking of artists of any ilk. There's too much opinion involved and an artist may "speak" to someone in different ways and intensities. I was a fan of both, but I looked at Elton as a singer/songwriter that played well enough to put his songs across, and Billy as a great piano player that also wrote some cool tunes. Then I saw some footage (long after it was recorded) of an MTV Unplugged featuring Elton. I thought his piano playing was excellent. His chops and gospel-ly feel blew me away. Quote Professional musician = great source of poverty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Michael Keaton was obviously the best Batman. Quote www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmonizer Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I like both Billy Joel and Elton John better than The Who. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docbop Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Compositions are for horses not artists. -- Bela Bartok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Williams Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Scenes From An Italian Restaurant All about Brenda Rinetti. Pure belly laugh when I saw that one. Thanks. Quote -Tom Williams {First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Williams Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Correct answers: Linux. 1st runner-up is VAX/VMS. Veronica, since she was a keyboardist. Mary Ann for the long haul. Surprisingly Keaton. I thought he was an oaf until he did Batman. I note that Clooney didn't even make the list. Tap water. I hate beer, and I ^$*ing hate light beer. Jennifer, although with the Mary Ann vote it shoulda been Bailey 5.1 audio channels minimum, considering moving to 7.2 The 10 year old kid is the better player. Mozart, being dead, can't play a lick. Oh, and Billy Joel, since the question wasn't "who is the better entertainer" but "who is the better piano player." I never met anyone who woodshedded for weeks to learn how to play Buh-Buh-Buh-Benny and the Jets. Quote -Tom Williams {First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-string-man Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 In an interview a few years ago, Billy Joel himself said Elton John can kick my ass on piano any day of the week or words to that effect. 1 Quote Occasionally, do something nice for a total stranger. They'll wonder what the hell is going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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