Brian May's piano skills

Hi, guys and girls. :)

I hope you can help me with this.

What do you guys think of Brian's piano skills? I had a kind of in-built notion that he played it only on a very elementary and rudimentary level mainly for composing purposes, but I listened once to what was allegedly one of their gigs in Mexico from 1981 - I don't know know which one because I deleted the files and there was no lineage whatsoever; I remember the sound quality was horrendous and there was an awful lot of noise and just a very distant sound in one of the channels - and some things grabbed my attention.

Anyway, he plays the piano intro doing a lovely and clever variation on the song's theme and he expands on it for the rest of the song, improvising here and there, it seems. The lines themselves are not hard to play, but the piano was not really well adjusted and his touch comes across as very accurate and, the thought came to me, even scholarly - it's a very gentle, smooth playing; the way he weaves the song texture on the piano amounts to a modest, though exquisite, arrangement. It all made me think about the extent of his skills on the instrument: even if very limited, I thought, he did succeed in sounding very round and beautifully within his reach and there's something to the playing which is very accurate, correct and smooth, as if he had been really taught by an experienced pianist. 

Do any of you guys have info on this? Do you know when or how he learned to play the piano? Do you know of any remarks he's done in this regard? And, in general, what's your opinion about his playing? Did he use to compose songs on the piano or it was not that often? 

Thank you all and excuse me for the vague info on the concert - I really don't recall which one of them it was. Even without the background of the concert, however, I think some of the questions above may still be valid and make sense, so I'd be really glad if you guys helped me. 

Wishing you the best always,

Yara.

I dont know for a fact, but I've come to think of Brian as a fairly accomplished piano player. I was under the impression its his playing on "Forever" the bonus from the later CD release of A Kind of Magic, and that track is a beautiful piano interpretation of Who Wants to Live.... if you ask me.
He clearly wrote from piano now and again, as some of his writing credits simply cant have been written from guitar. Save Me for example is quite lovely as a piano piece in my opinion, and All Dead, All Dead is pretty nice too.

I also thought its him on things like Another World, and the interpretation of Business which is the "bonus track" at the end of that, and those are beyond just basic piano - I think he's very good at writing quite delicate and haunting passages. Didnt he also write Teo Torriate?
Im not sure if the piano on Too Much Love... was all him, as there were co-writers, but thats pretty nice work also!

Haha, to conclude, I think Brian is a good piano player, and perhaps more importantly, a very good piano composer!

I love Brian's piano playing, it is very soft and delicate and a nice contrast compared to Freddie's staccato playing.

The piano on Too Much is definately Brian

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[b]Yara wrote: [/b]

Hi, guys and girls. :)

I hope you can help me with this.

What do you guys think of Brian's piano skills? I had a kind of in-built notion that he played it only on a very elementary and rudimentary level mainly for composing purposes, but I listened once to what was allegedly one of their gigs in Mexico from 1981 - I don't know know which one because I deleted the files and there was no lineage whatsoever; I remember the sound quality was horrendous and there was an awful lot of noise and just a very distant sound in one of the channels - and some things grabbed my attention.

Anyway, he plays the piano intro doing a lovely and clever variation on the song's theme and he expands on it for the rest of the song, improvising here and there, it seems. The lines themselves are not hard to play, but the piano was not really well adjusted and his touch comes across as very accurate and, the thought came to me, even scholarly - it's a very gentle, smooth playing; the way he weaves the song texture on the piano amounts to a modest, though exquisite, arrangement. It all made me think about the extent of his skills on the instrument: even if very limited, I thought, he did succeed in sounding very round and beautifully within his reach and there's something to the playing which is very accurate, correct and smooth, as if he had been really taught by an experienced pianist. 

Do any of you guys have info on this? Do you know when or how he learned to play the piano? Do you know of any remarks he's done in this regard? And, in general, what's your opinion about his playing? Did he use to compose songs on the piano or it was not that often? 

Thank you all and excuse me for the vague info on the concert - I really don't recall which one of them it was. Even without the background of the concert, however, I think some of the questions above may still be valid and make sense, so I'd be really glad if you guys helped me. 

Wishing you the best always,

Yara.  

 [/QUOTE]
The thing with Brian's piano playing and Freddie's piano playing, is that though they achieved the same levels when they were young, Freddie had a more rock'n'roll approach and Brian had a more 'ballad' type approach. Though, Freddie was great doing either. But Brian was very great on the piano as well.

I do recall reading an interview with Brian once that he and Freddie both passed piano to the same grade - don't know which one though!

[QUOTE]

[b]Cwazy little thing wrote: [/b]

I dont know for a fact, but I've come to think of Brian as a fairly accomplished piano player. I was under the impression its his playing on "Forever" the bonus from the later CD release of A Kind of Magic, and that track is a beautiful piano interpretation of Who Wants to Live.... if you ask me.
He clearly wrote from piano now and again, as some of his writing credits simply cant have been written from guitar. Save Me for example is quite lovely as a piano piece in my opinion, and All Dead, All Dead is pretty nice too.

I also thought its him on things like Another World, and the interpretation of Business which is the "bonus track" at the end of that, and those are beyond just basic piano - I think he's very good at writing quite delicate and haunting passages. Didnt he also write Teo Torriate?
Im not sure if the piano on Too Much Love... was all him, as there were co-writers, but thats pretty nice work also!

Haha, to conclude, I think Brian is a good piano player, and perhaps more importantly, a very good piano composer![/QUOTE]
As a matter of fact, he did write Teo Torriate.  He also played it on the piano live in japan 1979

I read that Brian got to Grade 5 on the piano, but can't find where I read that now. I remember it cause its the same grade I got too, but Brian is much better than me!

Both Dr May and Lord Mercury peaked at Grade IV which, by today's standards (no idea about the fifties/sixties) would mean they could play Handel's Allegro in F, which is more or less as difficult (or as basic, depending on how you look at it) as most Queen piano parts.

Of course Mercury was a much better pianist though... the fact they studied formally up to the same level doesn't mean anything at all. Brian is still a very skilful player and, indeed, a great composer of piano parts.

[QUOTE]

[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]

Both Dr May and Lord Mercury peaked at Grade IV which, by today's standards (no idea about the fifties/sixties) would mean they could play Handel's Allegro in F, which is more or less as difficult (or as basic, depending on how you look at it) as most Queen piano parts.

Of course Mercury was a much better pianist though... the fact they studied formally up to the same level doesn't mean anything at all. Brian is still a very skilful player and, indeed, a great composer of piano parts.
[/QUOTE]
Indeedy doo

Thank you all! Wow, it was really helpful.

The only conclusion I can draw from all this is that Brian May is not only a terrific and very accomplished musician, but much more so than I thought. The term "musician" applies to him in the fullest sense. I know much of this is kind of obvious for most of you, but I'm still gradually learning the basics about the band and its members, I used only to enjoy it and that was it. Coming to this website gave me the chance to get to know better the people behind the music I enjoy so much!  

Thank you all, each one of you.

That was really great!

Take care you all!

For those of you who haven't seen it, there is a great link to a Flash retrospective on Brian's site.  I think that the one thing the press missed in Queen as they were tearing them to shreds over one petty thing or another is that they were consummate "musicians."  Not rockers, but great all around musicians.  There is a YouTube clip of a guy who plays "Bring back that Leroy Brown" on bass, and hearing and seeing him play it and a more prominent level, you realize what a fantastic musician John Deacon was, and the rest of the band.  They play for the song, and the result is an exact homage to Dixieland or trad jazz by young men in their 20s when it was recorded.  Critics could piss all over the multitracked bombast, but all 4 of them were fabulous musicans who could play any style of music, and play it really well.

I'm not a piano player, but I really love piano. I think is the most beatiful sound in the world. So I really love rock bands like Queen and Muse.

I think Brian in Save Me live versions is great. He's got a very delicated touch.

[QUOTE]

[b]Sheer Brass Neck wrote: [/b]

For those of you who haven't seen it, there is a great link to a Flash retrospective on Brian's site.  I think that the one thing the press missed in Queen as they were tearing them to shreds over one petty thing or another is that they were consummate "musicians."  Not rockers, but great all around musicians.  There is a YouTube clip of a guy who plays "Bring back that Leroy Brown" on bass, and hearing and seeing him play it and a more prominent level, you realize what a fantastic musician John Deacon was, and the rest of the band.  They play for the song, and the result is an exact homage to Dixieland or trad jazz by young men in their 20s when it was recorded.  Critics could piss all over the multitracked bombast, but all 4 of them were fabulous musicans who could play any style of music, and play it really well. [/QUOTE]
Beautiful and helpful post, Sheer Brass Neck. Thanks a lot!

I hope you're doing fine! :-)

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[b]Bo Alex wrote: [/b]

I'm not a piano player, but I really love piano. I think is the most beatiful sound in the world. So I really love rock bands like Queen and Muse.

I think Brian in Save Me live versions is great. He's got a very delicated touch.
[/QUOTE]
Hi, Bo Alex!

I find it terrific too...and I fully agree with you about Brian's playing. Save Me, to my taste, is one of those songs which only happen on stage. The studio version doesn't do justice to this one, I think. :-) 

Take care!