Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing (Piano Cover) by Gamazda

[eric.B]

Excellent piano cover:

 

 

[Ivan May]

Interesting that this cover is being played on piano instead of on guitar.

 

Dire Straits is not known as a keyboard band, but they did have 2 great keyboardists: Roy Bittan and Alan Clark.

[Mighty Motif Max]

6 minutes ago, IMMusicRulz said:

Interesting that this cover is being played on piano instead of on guitar.

That's the point of it being a piano cover though. You'll find a lot of videos on YouTube and such of all manner of songs being adapted to different instruments than were originally used in the album etc. Oftentimes those covers can add new expression to some of the songs as well, or just display a different side of the compositions.

 

This particular cover is one where I recognize the skill and talent involved, but musically it isn't all that satisfying. It's a neat arrangement nonetheless.

[piano39]

Sorry to say, that I also was disappointed in this cover.  I have tried to cover this song as a solo piano piece, but couldn't come up with anything satisfying.  She is surely a good player.  I think that the problem is one of texture and space.  The Dire Straits version jumped out because of the unique guitar style, and tone, and sense of space.  I think that the best piano covers of guitar songs are totally different arrangement, even deconstructed versions.  Check out some videos of "The Bad Plus" or of Jacob Collier

[eric.B]

I think there is only as much as you can do covering this song on piano while staying close to the original. 

Alternative versions can be hit but a lot of times miss, in my opinion.

Postmodern Jukebox and Scary Pockets (both on Youtube) have done some good ones. 

 

What I like about Gamazda is that, besides being a great player, she plays with a lot of energy and passion and seems to be having a great time doing it.

[konaboy]

I enjoyed her energy and enthusiasm so I checked out a few more videos, not for any other reasons of course. 

 

very talented player no doubt and I wouldn't mind a tenth of those views, but I don't have the same err, what shall we call it, talents?

 

personally, I prefer more sparse arrangements, perhaps with softer dynamics and more feel, played from the heart. but she seems to be doing rather well for herself, so what do I know?

[stoken6]

20 hours ago, piano39 said:

Sorry to say, that I also was disappointed in this cover.  I have tried to cover this song as a solo piano piece, but couldn't come up with anything satisfying.

 

On 9/16/2022 at 8:39 PM, Mighty Motif Max said:

You'll find a lot of videos on YouTube and such of all manner of songs being adapted to different instruments than were originally used in the album etc.

Yeah, I found this piano cover about as forgettable as I find most Youtube covers of 80s stadium rock sung by a waiflike girl singing softly while a guitar strums basic open chords.

 

Cheers Mike.

[nadroj]

I think it’s too busy. It lacks the…well, the “swing” of the original. The sparseness and subtle intricacies of Knopfler’s playing is what makes his music what it is. Without it, it just calls flat. 
 

I mean, sure she can play, but other than a couple of seconds of the chorus if you hadn’t told me what this was I probably wouldn’t have recognised it. 

[Adan]

As someone who regularly plays solo piano covers of rock tunes, I'm interested in her take on it generally.  Some of her efforts are pretty good, but this one isn't.  For one thing, she seems sloppier here, even losing the rhythm now and then.  And as others have pointed out, her arrangement seems grossly out of sync with the spirit of the tune.

 

I cover Sultans but go for languid, understated, and swingy.  I don't have her chops, but chops aren't everything, especially when you're providing ambience in a bar or restaurant.

 

Mixed feelings about Gamazda.  Videos obviously designed as clickbait right down to the lighting, the videography, manufactured smiles, so I feel kind of manipulated watching her.  On the other hand, she's a legitimate artist giving a live in-the-moment performance and even with the clickbait aspects it's still better than much of what gets posted on YT.

[KuruPrionz]

Yes, she is beautiful.

If you close your eyes and listen, she's got timing issues aplenty in this piece and is overplaying it. 

Open it up a bit and let it swing instead of driving it off the cliff. 

 

Tough one to tackle on piano, no doubt. The signature sounds of that song are Mark Knopfler's gravely voice and his singing, expressive guitar. 

The underpinnings are nice but don't have the same effect, so it might be better to take a different approach instead of pummeling away. Make the piano version unique rather than mundane. 

[Bobbo Fett]

.

[Chris Link]

Tough tune to cover on piano. 
 

Is this perhaps the only tune with “swing” in the title that doesn’t swing at all? It’s got a great rhythm but doesn’t swing in the 2:1 conventional sense. 

[Theo Verelst]

It's music, it's a good song, the sound of the piano is somewhat realistic, there are some noteworthy playing skills, and having a woman play is a good thing, though I myself require more attractiveness to think of such a connection.

 

It's an ugly train wreck, no tone control no understanding or appreciation of the immensely important Blues background, no understanding of the harmonic dynamics outside of a sort of stride piano approach, which is skillful and at some points in the song is actually a pretty good choice.

 

I have fond memories of this song in high school, danced to it, had the schoolband (which I amplified) play it, and learned to play it on my own keyboard. Subtlety and crafty soloing should be king, no nervous hoop jumping, though maybe there is a market for that. Again some harmonization elements are strong and close enough to be entertaining, but a majority I don't agree with.

 

T

 

[Adan]

Had to sit down and play it again so my fingers could remember how I do it. Brain was misleading me. 

 

Flamenco rhythm, not swing.

[pinkfloydcramer]

That version doesn't capture the gist of that song, at all. IMO her other cover choices work better for the "thunderous piano concerto" treatment. 

 

My favorite rock piano cover YouTuber is Sangah Noona. Vkgoeswild does some good stuff, too. I take a special interest because like Adan, I cover rock songs at solo gigs, depending on the crowd.  

[Adam Burgess]

Quite sloppy, and could there BE any more pedal?!

[Threadslayer]

On 9/20/2022 at 2:08 AM, Adam Burgess said:

Quite sloppy, and could there BE any more pedal?!

Agree with both of these. I'll bet though, that she would play it better if she wasn't mugging for the camera.

[ProfD]

The real question is does it sound good enough that anyone here would pay real money to see/hear that performance.😎

[AnalogGuy1]

I thought her cover was very beautiful, although could have been a bit more sparse. 

But I can't comment on her music at all.

 

[niacin]

fwiw she makes that dress look way better than I ever could (I don't have the legs for it), but having done a lot of Postmodern Jukebox style gigs over the past few years I'd have played this as a New Orleans rumba, a quick run through it tells me it would work a treat. 

[stoken6]

2 hours ago, niacin said:

having done a lot of Postmodern Jukebox style gigs over the past few years I'd have played this as a New Orleans rumba, a quick run through it tells me it would work a treat. 

Yup - sometimes the PMJ approach strikes gold, particularly when you take a risk. I loved their take on Seven Nation Army, for example.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Adan]

I hadn't yet stumbled on Postmodern Jukebox, so that's one useful thing I got out of this thread.  That's a rabbit hole I can happily go down, skipping over Gamazda.

 

Gamazda's musical style in these videos is in harmony with the visuals: overwrought, over the top, unnuanced.  For some of her song choices it sorta works musically.  It seems like she only has one gear to use.