Classical Pianist ranks Taylor Swift Piano Skills

[@heartofthekeys]

Let me know which are your favorite songs by Taylor Swift!❤️ My favorites are Style & Blank Space 😇 Tickets for Leipzig here: www.gewandhausorchester.de/veranstaltung/klavierabend-annique-goettler-8375/

[@artistlovepeace]

Your channel is amazing. Your education and skills are amazing. Nobody can be Taylor Swift except Taylor Swift. Try and make yourself feel that it's wonderful to be you! You are obviously talent and wonderful. Your movies show your skills and humor. I love your entertainment. And remember I cannot be you. You cannot be me. You are a gift to your audience. I am part of your audience.

[@MusicismoreImportant]

​@@RivièreChalumeauCauchemarLOLand Shostakovich, tchaikovsky, Chopin and Scarlatti, ludovico einaudi

[@petermorgan768]

It has always been my dream to visit Leipzig. Being a huge Mendelssohn (Felix & Fanny) fan since childhood, it would fulfill that dream and also get to see you perform in person :) Speaking of Mendelssohn, have you ever had the opportunity to play some pieces from Fanny? They are incredible.

[@petermorgan768]

Fanny is the Sister of Felix. She wrote over 500 pieces of music. She was a very accomplished pianist and also composed Lieder . Check out her compositions here on KZbin. Start with the Nocturne in G minor@@RivièreChalumeauCauchemarLOL

[@jx3529]

@@RivièreChalumeauCauchemarLOL Fanny Mendelssohn

[@camipco]

I think her biggest skill is playing to her strengths. She's obviously not a great piano player, but she does a great job of selecting / writing piano parts that work for her. I think the same is true for her vocal skills, she's really good at songwriting to make best use of the range she has.

[@jordymaas565]

hits notes that count.

[@Flixtex]

She dial down piano notes for live performance bruh! U think one can sing all notes, play piano like pro , shake head and look to crowd at same time? She also play simple notes on guitar while playing live but she can play 6 string, 12 string, electric guitar professionally

[@harmony8623]

@@Flixtexthis like there’s so much going on in a performance that she has to remember, especially eras tour that’s 3hrs long of singing, choreo, guitar, piano, dancing around stage. I’m not watching her for any top tier piano skills I’m watching for the experience as a whole

[@barbaracilley8200]

Don’t forget that Taylor is self taught. All singers sing in their range. Why would you not. Can you imagine going to a Taylor Swift concert and she sang off key for 3 - 3 1/2 hours.

[@camipco]

@@barbaracilley8200 Sure, singers sing in their range. But for a singer/songwriter, writing to their range is a skill that some have better than others. Also, it's not nearly as simple as in-range vs off-key. Singers have a range that is most comfortable to them, and then also a larger range which they can use and sing in-key, but which doesn't let them use their voice to it's full ability. So which lines you are singing and the emotion you need to put into them matters. For example, Taylor will go into the higher end of her range during verses when she doesn't need to put as much oomph into the lines, but then will return to a lower range that's more comfortable for her when she's writing a line she will be belting out that requires more emotional weight. So yes, writing in range is a thing any competent singer/songwriter will do. My point is that Taylor does this especially well.

[@martianmeg]

I’m a piano teacher and a big swiftie. I see that her piano skills serve a purpose to delicately and simply accompany vulnerable, beautiful songs, but I just wish she’d play a tiny bit more than block chords. Her performance of the song Evermore on piano at the Eras tour is the best I ever heard her play. It was actually a piano part and not backing chords. And the left wrist hurts to look at! But when I hear the lyrics, all of that melts away for me. Thank you for these videos!

[@Veditz287]

She plays a few solos and melody’s such as in the CBS back to December performance and soon you’ll get better from 2019. In my opinion she can play more advanced stuff but when singing live she needs to focus on emotion, vocals etc. I think she can do more advanced stuff as she has been seen a few times on guitar playing barre chords and hard finger style patterns as well as playing the bass. Even in a video where she is messing about playing under the sea with her friends they get carried away changing tempos all over the place and she manages to keep up with them effortlessly. ❤

[@Ty-mu7gl]

You probably meant "Champagne Problems", right?

[@ellispipermusic]

@@Ty-mu7gl she's performed evermore as a surprise song in the acoustic set!

[@horse_addictforlife_ECuestrian]

But I don't think she has the skills to play more than chords while singing at the same time. Apparently it's hard to play melodies or backing (say like Adele's Easy On Me) while playing. I finished Grade 8 piano when I was 12 and since then instead of playing classical I've moved to pop songs. Playing chords while singing is definitely easier than playing with more complicated melodies. So usually when we see Taylor playing the piano, it's usually chords. Realistically all her songs would do fine with just backing chords. champagne problems may look like a piano part because the chords cover the whole song but in reality it's just a repeat of 4 chords. And since it's a steady rhythm it's easier for her to play while singing and not paying attention to the dynamics. In fact, I feel a lot of celebrity singers don't focus on dynamics while they're playing because to their general audience, it doesn't make a difference.

[@jonathanwingmusic]

I'm not a Swiftie nor a professional pianist, but I do think she could benefit by simply opening up her voicings, playing fewer notes, and if not arpeggiating perhaps simply rollling her chords a bit more etc. Again I haven't analyzed her music in detail but from the videos her hands appear to be playing very close together, most likely block triads the same in both hands. From a pop writing perspective opening it up could actually create even more room for the voice - but then again, she's playing sold out stadiums around the world so I don't think my advice would make or break anything lol. But that's just my reaction seeing her hands always locked together.

[@carpecakem1]

As a beginner this was helpful for me to watch, thanks! I admire Taylor's ability to play and sing at the same time, something I struggle with. Never mind the engagement she has with the crowd which is very different than a pianist would have, and a separate skill that is also very difficult to learn. She's doing a lot at the same time.

[@ckl5590]

Truthfully, given what’s out there now in music that is more image than talent , I’m just impressed with anyone who can actually play instruments.

[@paulasuniverse5029]

I call it "Style over substance."

[@AB-wy7dr]

Sad but true.

[@map-reduce]

I feel like you got a lot more generous in your ratings since the Kate Middleton video :D Don't let the haters get you down, you're a teacher after all, honesty is going to drive improvements. As always, an interesting and informative video. I actually really like how you show the movements and positions, where they are good and where they could be improved, and examples of correctness. I've been an adult learner for the last 8 years so it's always great to get information like this, as you communicate it in a way that is sometime more clear than my teacher (who is wonderful by the way, but we don't always get focused coverage like this.) I'd love to see more videos like this with a variety of skill levels. What about one where you analyze one of your pianist idols and show why they are great?

[@wendygursansky4181]

I don’t know much about about Pe

[@pongchedpiboonparadon2986]

I have been playing for years but never thought about these. I sit close to the piano that made my shoulder really painful. Very helpful, thanks a lot

[@lucas23668]

Analysing Freddie Mercury’s piano skills would be interesting

[@boredPianoAdv]

Elton John is a must do then!

[@timk5539]

Exactly what I was thinking as well 👍, and by chance, Elton John also crossed my mind.

[@felixtrognitz]

Yea, to look at the skills of pianist in other genres. Maybe jazz pianist as well

[@faithe54]

Comparing Taylor to Freddie? She'd be the first to say her songs are not in his league.

[@spikeconley]

Agreed

[@andromedaperseus954]

I think it will be very interesting to analyze more advance pianists like these two: 1. Alicia Keys and 2. Jacob Collier I personally would also like to hear about Shawn Mendes :)

[@emarekica]

And Lady Gaga!!

[@angelito2144]

In my opinion, Vonda Shepard is the most complete artist in this area. She is singer, pianist, songwriter and actress, and she is great in all. She composed "Searchin' My Soul", a great song and a huge success all around the world in 1998. If young generations don't know her, I recommend listening to this amazing version in her official KZbin channel: "Vonda Shepard - Searchin' My Soul (The Pub Sessions)"

[@kaivrock]

None of them are piano players. Especially Keyes. They all "McCartney" their way through songs.

[@tomtom6319]

Keys is not an advanced player

[@kaivrock]

And everybody thinks she's so great. @@tomtom6319

[@kjmav10135]

Your assessment is so kind and helpful. Taylor is not, primarily, a pianist, obivously, so who would expect her to play as if she’d studied at Julliard? It’s fun to hear how she (and we out here in KZbinLand) can improve!

[@MotifMusicStudios]

What a fabulous video topic filled with grace and yet highlighting some things to watch for that are fabulous for piano learners!

[@ltlearthquake05]

Tori Amos … amazing pianist on stage. If you haven’t seen her look it up. Especially the “Little Earthquake” to “Strange Little Girls” years.

[@JenTrance-e1p]

Agreed! Tori is wonderful.

[@martianmeg]

Fellow EWF here! Yes, the best. She’s on another level with her virtuosity. Have you seen her live? It’s incredible to witness.

[@carstenschultz5]

Yes! I wanted to write the same thing.

[@carstenschultz5]

Of course, this would in no way be comparable to this video, Tori being an actual pianist whose piano playing is integral to her music.

[@jenniferhiemstra5228]

^^ That right there. Tori, like Elton John, trained classically on piano first, but both kinda hated that way of doing it. Tori has said many times she hated reading from traditionally notated sheet music, she's better at improvising over a chord progression. And I admire that. It's still "reading music" but in a different way. I'm better at the traditionally notated music, and I wish I had ears for what sounds good over a progression the way Tori and Elton John do.

[@TheJoker718]

You should make this a series!!! I’d love to see what you think of other singers and celebrities!

[@englishconceptswithtrish]

As a major Swiftie and a hobby pianist, I really enjoyed this breakdown. Thank you. And I live in Germany and so I will keep my eyes peeled for concerts. ❤

[@donaldaxel]

The title was enticing me to look, I know how "super stars" play piano. Your intro made me smile, because, YES she is a good person and very able to build a business around her, one aspect which is important to know and understand. I would like you to find videos with Paul McCartney and John Lennon playing piano, and if you can comment on these, if you can. I think The Beatles were good at using the instruments at hand and actually were creating new style.

[@kendallparish5611]

The element that needs a comment - is she sings and plays at the same time. It's a pat your tummy rum your head kind of skill. You have a hundred things to think about. I'm sure that some of your suggestions would help her singing and some may hurt.

[@mileymbclimb17]

grew up in a classically trained family in many different instruments and signing, music is the religion of my moms family and loved seeing the same feedback that I also noticed. Im also a day 1 Tim McGraw swift and love the discussion that technique and classical training does belong in every single part of modern music and you dont always see the conversation unless you know others that are also classically trained so I appreciate this and stuff like this

[@Pigeonbm]

Well, this is NOT an easy video to make, it's brave of you to do so. I can tell you are trying really hard not pissing her fans off which I think you did a pretty good job. I understand that sometimes fans can easily be triggered by negative honest remarks about their idols but if we evaluate both TS and KM strictly based on their piano skills, I reckon giving TS a 7/10 is defintiely way too generous and 1/10 for Kate was a bit too harsh. Since one of them was singing and the other one was filming for a series royal family promotion video while playing, we should at least give them some credits for these extra efforts as well. If 10 is for professional pianist and 1 is for absolute beginner, realistically how about 2 to 3 for both? Despite the fact that TS may not be a good pianist but I do believe that her fans would definitely think she is a 10/10 entertainer, no doubt. That's why I hope she can get better at it and keep playing piano on stage because she has the ability to inspire more young people play the piano, once they get into the rabbit hole, they will then discover what a real pianist should be like.

[@eunicemendoza7069]

Yes of course I love to watch tailor swift than her hhh tailor swift is singer and composer and she is very pretty and humble

[@hollymcrider6178]

Well said! 👏

[@dsoule4902]

Oh I love it... inspiring kids to study piano

[@godcommentator]

@@eunicemendoza7069 she's a song writer, not a composer, girl. Composers are people who compose complete pieces of instrumental, not someone who writes basic melodies (like Taylor) and lets producers help complete the full structured songs.

[@Flixtex]

​@@godcommentatorTaylor Swift has composer credits on many of her songs bruh . Hate it when people make comments so confidently without knowledge and discredit someone. For example Cruel summer is composed by her , go watch Vogue interview, she said she writes music while on piano or guitar most of times.

[@kathyyeager6055]

I am fascinated by your comment on breathing. I saw Yuja Wang live ..sat right in front of her!! The thing that really freaked me out was her breathing. There was so much physicality to her playing ..she played the Rach 2. The way she was breathing was fascinating. So much skill.

[@compteprivefr]

Can you do Paul McCartney? Of course he's a rock god but he's completely self taught at everything and cannot read music. Yet he's written iconic phrases and chord progressions in rock music while effortlessly playing them live. I've always wondered what a proper pianist would think of his style of playing.

[@SAPprogramming]

I guess that is why some people are called gifted. Still a lot of effort. When I saw him play, "Fool on the Hill" at Berkley I was very surprise how well he played it with only 50 years of practice.

[@compteprivefr]

@@SAPprogramming who was playing piano well in the 60s too.

[@janniks1697]

Just a thought about breathing while playing piano came to my mind after watching this video. When i'm playing a piece i'm comfortable with my breathing is on point and i'm completely relaxed but when i play a new piece or a difficult one i tend to hold my breath and tense up 😮

[@eckosters]

Oh my! You’re going to play Chopin at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig! Very very wow. Yes, I’ve visited Leipzig but not attended a concert at the Gewandhaus

[@lavigeriemathieu1294]

I don't know much about this fine young artist but Annique's endorsement is reason enough for me to give her a listen.

[@Spiralsmile]

Check out Evermore and Folklore albums.

[@Flixtex]

This young artist has been top of Industry for 3 decades actually.

[@Spiralsmile]

So, it's been two months- did you do it? 😸

[@lavigeriemathieu1294]

@@Spiralsmile absolutely, and I quite liked it, even though I suppose I'm more of a Göttlerite than a potential Swiftie. At any rate these are fine young artists each in their own right and in very different trades.

[@landonmcafee9425]

Back when everyone was locked-down for Covid, Annie Lennox put out a video where she played the 1st movement of the Moonlight Sonata. That might be an interesting one to look at.

[@myuncle2]

lol, it's easier than For Elise😂.

[@myuncle2]

@@garethharrison5797 Lennox?? Are you joking? She studied at the Royal Academy of Music flute, piano and harpsichord for only three years. Which means nothing at all, in three years you are a non-entity, clasically speaking. And the Moonlight sonata 1st mov is very easy, in fact even beginners (not all of them) can play it very well. The 3rd mov is very difficult obviously.

[@myuncle2]

@@garethharrison5797 I'm a pianist and I can tell you that 3 years in 3 instruments it means she is a drop out. You don't need any special talent to get in RAM, as long as you pay. She dropped out after 3 years, according to wikipedia. I don't know if she is a good pianist, but if you show the 1st mov of moonlight sonata, it probably means that she is still a beginner. You will find plenty of pop rock and jazz musicians who FINISHED their piano studying exams, 8 years or even more at the conservatory. It still doesn't matter, because you can be an average pianist, even after your diploma. On the other hand, there are pianists without any degree (mostly self taught) who play piano like no one else, see Keith Jarrett or Michel Petrucciani. So if you tell me that Lennox is a bit better than Taylor Swift we can all agree. But if you think Lennox is a great pianist, in this case you are overrating her.

[@stephaniegreenwood4007]

You looked awesome in that pink sparkling dress at the beginning. This was a very informative. I am not a piano player, but my daughter is learning. These are all things that I did not know before.

[@javega2010]

Analyze Tori Amos playing, please!!

[@PJGRAND]

As a pianist myself and composer every person and every pianist is different people that have a natural talent like Taylor Swift play in their own unique way but that being said as far as playing piano there's always more things you can learn even Vladimir Horowitz said that so overall I think this is a very good video

I dont know anything about piano playing but your hair is great. 😊

[@vishaalsinghchauhan6440]

Matt Bellamy? I mean he’s got some impressive stuff and probably the most classical modern piano player I can think off in rock music

[@AlexLaMotte]

As a Swiftie, I didn’t expect this epic collab, but man is it welcomed 🤪 My favorite songs by her are Out of the Woods, Say Don't Go, and The Very First Night! Great video Annique!

[@georgebur]

Astute commentary as we would expect, thank you. I am a well-trained pianist, a diploma holder, although not a career musician. Anyway, we can see that Taylor knows enough to do what she does now, but not enough to do anything much more. Ranking her a 6 or 7 is very flattering. I expected a score of about 2 or 3. Always remembering that it's the voice and the stage act that sell.

[@zx7-rr486]

Taylor's a brilliant songwriter and melodist. Her ability to craft amazing melodies over simple 3 chord songs (shake it off) or much more complex songs (xmas tree farm) is relentless. She's a solid pianist and acoustic guitarist but they're just vehicles for her songwriting. And the Xmas tree farm is a masterclass of songwriting.. starts in G mixolydian, switches keys to G major and back to G Mixolydian... and has a banging bridge... 12 chords. Obviously written at a piano.. and shows she can weave much more complex songs.

[@ricocinna]

Yes 💗She flexed on that one!

[@vipassana72]

this BMG (transitional UMG) promo makes this festive season especially super special. can we get a Randy Newman one? "they'll be noone left to blame us"

[@Misteribel]

Wow, you dare take on the Goddess of Country? 😮 Jk. You're spot on. I figured you'd also mention her flat left hand position, pressing with stretched fingers, instead of getting "into the keys" as the Russian School loves so much. I'd give her a 4, please don't hate me for it! 😅

[@deborahlal5244]

I feel this lady needs to stay in her own lane. Why does she need to analyze anything about Taylor Swift except to bring attn to herself. She has enough attn but obviously wants more. Leave Taylor Swift alone she never claimed to be an expert as most of the singers n musicians aren't but they are excellent at what they do play. U must be really hard up for more attn. Sorry ur not cool no matter how gd u r by saying what u said n rating her like u did. She's a force n u wish u could get her nearly her recognition thats why ur doing ur stupid little video. So uneccessary.

[@JEPHRO760]

Goddess of the country. You mean the single biggest carbon footprint of any celebrity on the planet. Then touts her environmental BS. Just another overpaid hypocrite.

[@tjcint]

4 ?? That is generous. She is a rudimentary, simple, amateurish pianist if assessed objectively, outside of cult Swift.

[@stepanova8]

I don't hate you. I would have given her a 5. But that's mostly because I think of the scale of 1 to 10 (1 as an absolute beginner and 10 as a classically trained professional pianist) as logarithmic in nature. She does some things well, others could be improved, and she plays well enough to accompany herself while performing in front of an audience.

[@stepanova8]

@@tjcint that's a bit snobbish, don't you think. Could you point me to some videos of yourself performing in front of an audience. The ones where you are playing and singing... just for proper comparison.

[@king2871]

Thought this was a great review of her piano playing. Thanks for sharing!

[@pianodude2]

not familiar with this chopin etude! which opus and number?

[@bobbywyatt4355]

Who is Taylor Swift?

[@official2mt37]

a blonde woman who makes rubbish music

[@NanceeMarin]

She's an NPC. 😂

[@simonacasineanu5348]

She is a popular singer

[@PeterPan-pk2wz]

Traurig, dass dieses Video bereits über eine halbe Million Aufrufe hat, nur weil der Name "Taylor Swift" im Titel steht.... aber ein grosses Lob für deinen Kanal und deine tollten Videos!

[@DrQuizzler]

I couldn't help noticing when Ms. Swift was channeling a scene from a Liberace concert with that 10ft digital piano shell, her hands were in one position near middle C, playing a single chord repeatedly, which actually looked like a lot of fun, and I'm sure her fans enjoyed. As someone who has never understood the comings and goings of the pop music/pop culture zeitgeist, I have to confess I don't GET the whole Taylor Swift phenomenon. Having said that, I think this video is a pretty good guide for any untrained pop pianist who wants to enjoy playing piano more, particularly if they intend to spend a lot of time playing and want to avoid physical wrist tension and injury from improper posture. About your take on her singing-while-playing posture relative to her mic stand position, as the headliner, Ms. Swift has free reign to specify exactly how and where the mic will be positioned for her optimal playing and singing comfort, and to take a few seconds moving it if when she sits down there, it's in a bad position. If you're singing and playing at once onstage, you don't want one activity to distract from the other, or either activity to distract from your general eye contact with the audience. If at all possible, it's best to play a little run-through and adjust everything beforehand.

[@frankmazzola2711]

Or a theater mike

[@godcommentator]

I didn't understand the phenomenon around her either until I realize her PR/fan retention budget is millions of $. Easily pay several social media pages to talk about her at the same time to create a buzz.

[@Flixtex]

​@@godcommentatorthe fact you are saying this about an artist who became world famous when social media was not even available 😂 maybe try go deeper than some glitter pen songs of her to understand the phenomenon. Imma advice u to listen to delicate, seven, exile or watch ready for it live performance or many other reputation tour performance to understand the hype

[@stepanova8]

I agree that the positioning of the mic and bench could be better. But remember, the piano is not on the stage the whole time. It is usually brought up on a lift mid performance. I'm sure that impacts the 'run-through and adjust everything beforehand"

[@DrQuizzler]

@@stepanova8 I'll defer to you on how the staging of the piano is handled in Ms. Swift's concerts. The closest I've ever come to one of her concerts is the daily obligatory mentions of her name on Entertainment Tonight.

[@brucecrane9605]

Loved your analysis. We can all pay attention to your points.

[@pianomanj4535]

Love for you to analyze Sokolovs playing, such an amazing and under appreciated pianist in America.

[@godcommentator]

Sounds like a Russian name? Understood why.

[@ruthkult6536]

As an adult beginner this was actually really helpful! Thanks!

[@NightEye87]

Karsu's piano skills are great. She does live performances while singing beautifully as well. Birak Beni Boyle is a good starting point!

[@kcrun]

She is a multi task performer, clearly not just one dimensional. Singer, dancer, piano, guitar, writes music- unreal all the talent

[@malva-yk2jg]

It's funny to come across this video today because I was reflecting yesterday while watching the 1989 tour that for someone who's got a piano in each house, plays it in concert and has been at it for 15+ years, the piano is just a tool. It's useful to write songs and perform them by herself but it's a bit whatever? It's like the story comes first, followed by the emotion, and the rest is an afterthought relegating piano and guitar as means to an end. And that end is telling stories through songs.

[@zerosum1290]

You are kind mate. If she is a 7 then im a 9 and im NOT a 9.

[@coloredpencils01]

It's kinda crazy how many disclaimers you have to give about not hating Taylor Swift just so the fans won't jump down your throat. 7/10 is extremely generous. Swift is not a trained pianist and that's fine, so I think giving her a 2 or 3 is much more honest. Just because she's a great lyricist and businesswoman doesn't mean she is amazing at everything under the sun like piano, and I'm sure true fans understand that 😊 Many pop stars don't emphasize instrumental technique because they've never had the kind of scrutiny on their instrument that they do on their entertaining as a whole. Which, again, is totally valid. A trained pianist will of course have higher standards. And of course, this just makes the stars who ARE classically trained (like Jon Batiste!!) THAT much more impressive!

[@neovxr]

Did you watch Miyako from the metal band Lovebites? She often plays classic-like interludes on stage. Her main instrument in the band is the guitar though. Do you know Tiffany Poon? Most of her performances are Schumann, and other classic and romantic composers. I like her emotional style. Brahms concert in Saltzburg was very interesting.

[@yuji2219]

I very appreciate this concept, hope to see other videos like this!

[@jenniferhiemstra5228]

Self accompanying on piano as a commercial singer is very different skill set as I'm sure you're already perfectly aware of! A lot of it will be simplified because singing while self accompanying on any instrument is the closest we'll get to literal 'multi tasking' and it's HARD. Her playing is VERY simplified and it's clear she's better on guitar than piano and that's ok. There's other singer-songwriters out there who play more complex stuff, such as Elton John. He's a MASTERCLASS in self accompanying while playing more complicated stuff on his piano, and something tells me that's due to his classical piano background at RAM. He'll admit he resented it, but it's clear that it translated to being able to play more complex figures as a 'rock star'. It really just boils down to style.

[@samstromberg5593]

As far as things to do while playing the piano go, singing is really one of the easiest. It’s actually not all that different from just playing

[@jenniferhiemstra5228]

@@samstromberg5593 That’s…wrong, but ok? Single v multi tasking are not the same at all.

[@samstromberg5593]

@@jenniferhiemstra5228 Single v multi tasking but as someone who plays the piano and sings along with all the time It's really not that hard In fact if you can play the piano and you can sing then I nearly guarantee you can do both - it barely even counts as a different skill If you were playing the piano and singing something DIFFERENT, then it would count as multitasking but as long as it's the same thing it's really easy Technically if we define multitasking as executing two tasks at the same time then blinking would be multitasking - you're winking both your eyes at the same time which according to you is near impossible But since you're winking them together and you can group them into one category, it's extremely easy

[@samstromberg5593]

*single vs multi tasking ARE different but as someone…

[@garethharrison5797]

Piano playing at a certain level is more muscle memory than anything, particularly if we are talking about piano accompaniment rather than interpretation of repertoire. Playing and singing is actually very easy if you can actually play to a decent level.

[@jeffwhite11]

Hi Annique, first off big fan, i love all music from all different genres, and not so long back you mentioned in one of your post studying jazz, so their is a jazz pianist on you tube she is professional like yourself but in a different field and style and i thought it might be interesting for you to take a look (if you haven't heard of her already) and analyse her style would be very interested in what you think, if you put SANGAH NOONA in You Tube search she will come up. Happy New Year and look forward to what you have in store for 2024

[@AstrumG2V]

I'd love to have you analyse Tim Michin's playing!

[@ianmcteer9871]

Good video on piano skills thank you!How about one on Elton John?I seem to remember seeing Horowitz with his right hand 5th finger sometimes raised from the keys when not actually using it-what do you think about that?

[@ckl5590]

Horowitz played with flat fingers.

[@jayclarke5466]

Horowitz and Elton John’s as pianists in the same sentence…what s this world coming to?

[@ianmcteer9871]

@ckl5590 Yes that's right.However there's one video where you can see his curved 5th finger when not being used either on or just above the keys.(Can't remember which one though!)

[@magmadragon274]

I’m a Taylor hardcore hardcore fan and I’m also gonna start learning the piano soon I’m so excited

[@auxiliasequeira8648]

Personally speaking, yes the mic stand does interference with ur distance of sitting on the piano stool....it also changes alignments because ur trying to be heard n coordinating different parts of ur body...as for body stiffness....when ur moving n dancing onstage, the piano playing is a mini break ...so body is still adjusting

[@jenniferhiemstra5228]

CAN CONFIRM. This part of self accompanying on piano while singing really needs to be talked about more.

[@hollymcrider6178]

Informative, honest, educational video! Very well versed! 👏👍👏

[@ATWTMVTVFTVSGAVRALPS]

Listen to her reputation album from 2017! It's an electronic album from start to finish but she actually started composing most of the songs acoustically on pianos and guitars

[@coloredpencils01]

Imagine how much more fantastic this album would have been if she had a bit of piano technique training! 😍

[@CalypsoAntiques]

Would love to see an analysis of Tori Amos ! ❤

[@r.j4449]

She should react to Tori Amos, to this performance kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKPXdKCAfpuLl9k amazing song, performance and composition.

[@TheMarionettePianist]

Great tips! I learn a lot from your videos

[@TechnicolorII008]

Also to be fair, her songs doesn't really require using the whole range the piano and she also never uses it, so I think also that for the songs she writes her skills are good.

[@CosmicTaco333]

A statement I read attributed to Billy Joel: "There are no pianists in rock music--only piano bangers."

[@garethharrison5797]

Billy Joel, like Elton John, is a very, very good piano player. Is he a Classical virtuoso? No. Did he have technical skills beyond the overwhelming majority of people who have ever played the piano? 100%. He is without question one of the elite musicians in the history of popular music. People don't get hung up on the piano like they do with the guitar, but if they did, he would be right up there with the Wakemans and the Emersons of the Prog Rock world. He was dynamite! He might label himself as a 'banger of some quality' but that is because he compares himself to the best, like any really good musician. The guy had very, very developed technique, flair on tap and, unlike Elton John, he really wanted the world to know it as well. By popular music standards, he was an absolutely ridiculously good player.

[@howtodoitdude1662]

Billy Joel is known for snapping piano strings! He is definitely a banger!

[@Ramirodriguesbr]

great video as always!!

[@pratahsinnetamby]

I feel you should have rated her 3 and given her 4 bonus points! Great fun video. Never understood why she plays the piano - it's probably due to the visual rather than the sound. Her music, creativity and production are supreme - she really does not need to add the piano.

[@jamielaw4749]

She plays it because many of her pop songs are written on piano first, and for the performance I guess :) I think fans listen to her for her lyrics and not for the accompaniment

[@32a34a]

Another great Pianist is Miyako from Lovebites. The song Swan song with Chopin Intro is pretty amazing.

[@englandsensation]

I enjoyed the video. Please also do Freddie, Paul McCartney and Elton!

[@numberoneolive2464]

You should change your name to Sweetheart of Keys haha. Great job in making this video very respectfully and still informative.

[@vuthanh23396]

Among modern pop stars, specifically female ones like Taylor Swift, Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihanna,... maybe only Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys have outstanding piano skills

[@myuncle2]

It's about making great songs, not technique. Kate Bush and Tori Amos made great songs, Taylor Swift hasn't made one good song to save her life.

[@jamielaw4749]

​@myuncle2 really? That's sad given she has released 300 songs over her 15 year career in different genres and not even one of them are good. Credit to you for listening to all the 300 songs instead of just the hits played on the radio!

[@bebaios]

​@good/bad songs is something, subjective, while piano skills is not. I agree with you, Gaga and Keys can actually play the piano very well, the others are basic players myuncle2

[@lilianaisella]

Great analysis. Best of luck for your Chopin performance. Come to Los Angeles 🌆

[@mitchellcox9002]

Viel Glück in Leipzig. All the études! a crazy test of stamina. Let us know when you’re in Berlin, as we have friends there we are due to visit nächstes Jahr. Hallo aus Kanada.

[@badublackwater6556]

Omg I would love to come to a concert near Cologne. But last time I checked there was nothing available:(

[@johnjohannes5954]

Nice theme , Annique ! Never heard of Swift . Judging from this video , i guess that piano is not her forte

[@TAYLORZACHLANA]

She’s a singer. She plays guitar too. Her piano playing is somewhat decent

[@AuntieDarling]

I can't believe you ranked Taylor Swift a 7 and Kate Middleton a 1. Taylor's piano playing was more of a show than piano skills.

[@dariavasilescu334]

Yes, totally agree

[@unacuentadeyoutube13]

Well, Swifties are a thing and for the entire duration of this video it was quite evident she was totally terrified

[@deborahbarry8458]

I can’t believe she was rude enough to rank Kate Middleton at all. She’s an amateur for heavens sakes!

[@TheJoker718]

Why? Taylor has multiple live performances of many different songs, and Kate only has once instance of her playing that only lasted a few seconds. Taylor is a musician by trade, and Kate is not 🤷🏼‍♀️ It’s still really cool that Kate did the Eurovision thing, and ranking Taylor a 7 doesn’t take away from that!

[@albertaair]

Yeah, their piano abilities are not that far apart. Both beginners

[@AJBTemplar]

Fun video. I'm a classically trained pianist too (though nowhere near your ability) and teach a few students as well. Taylor is a singer. Her focus has to be singing whilst also looking great. Even if she had more training or ability as a pianist, she would have to keep the keyboard work simple and chord based. Catchy tunes are a requirement for pop singers. It's pretty multi talented. I find teaching students to play, fit in with other musicians , sing and look good to an audience all at the same time is quite a test of talent.

[@keymaster430]

Well, it's like you mentioned early on. How close she sits to the piano might have to do with the position of the mic. And also, It's quite difficult to sing and play at the same time. That would explain the posture she has and keeping the keyboard close to her.

[@DonnaEschelweck]

Love her she’s so awesome 👏 ❤

[@albertaair]

I'm wondering what the ranking is based on. The way you explain it makes it seem like beginner -> advanced, but Swift is quite obviously a beginner in piano... So her 6 is definitely not correlated to how advanced she is, right? I feel like this is exactly the type of thing Swifties will run with 😂 "I saw a classical pianist rank her a 7, she's a great pianist!" I feel like maybe you should clarify what your ranking system is about (ie. *for a beginner*, I'm giving her a 6) Side note, your playing sounds wonderul and your hair is fantastic!

[@micalee8901]

yes this video is so misleading, going to blow up TS's image even more in her fans' head. Most of her songs are 4 chords , the same ones, someone could pick it up really quickly . (didn't watch the Kate Middleton video but seems so unfair she has a 1 and TS a 7) please don't spread mis info just to appease the stans

[@DorothyOzmaLover]

Such a thrill and fun, tysm!

[@Soazic24]

Hi Annique, please analyse Piano skills of Condoleeza Rice.

[@BlackOctober28]

A 7, but we all know you really want it to give her a 5. You gotta watch out for the swarm of swifties.

[@shyboy2112]

These videos are very interesting! I'd love to hear your take on rock keyboardists that are originally classically trained such as Keith Emerson (Emerson Lake and Palmer) or Jon Lord (Deep Purple).

[@SheetFiber]

All she did was playing block chords mostly triads in the key of C. I'd give her 3 points, maybe 4 at max because she can keep the tempo and do it while singing.

[@ITTGIrL2.1]

Say what you mean forget the swift cornballs😮

[@Mellydee11]

Great video! Can you teach me?? How long does it take a beginner to learn and to read sheet music? How often do I need to practice to get good quick?

[@3r7s]

these unexpected comedy bits of yours! the intro totally cracked me up.. 🙈😅😅😅

[@Pianoman25624]

Taking a look at Freddie mercury’s playing would be great! His playing was far more complex than Taylor’s and I would be interested to see your thoughts!

[@garethharrison5797]

He was no virtuoso but you don't play stuff like that octave trick he does in Bohemian Rhapsody unless you can really play. I'd imagine that he must have been a fairly good piano player. His use of complex harmony would also suggest that he had a fairly long relationship with the instrument.

[@alexlucas2420]

When are you performing in the UK

[@alpiano353]

Great analysis. I don't know much about Taylor Swift, but I do admire her as a very complete artist. Thanks for sharing 🙂✨️🎵🎶💙🎹 AL

[@cliveparaschis]

Could you analyse Elton John’s piano technique?

[@jenniferhiemstra5228]

I'll also drop whatever Im doing to watch this. He's a masterclass in self accompaniment.

[@garethharrison5797]

He went to the Royal College of Music. He was, at one point in his life, almost certainly very, very good. He plays simply in his music but he's the most famous pianist in the world for a reason. He can still play to a level beyond most people in popular music now.

[@urelianussol]

Interesting concept. Maybe do Lady Gaga next? I'm pretty sure there is a compilation of her playing the piano on KZbin.

[@tkjho]

In lots of videos the pianists sat on the edge of their seats instead of the way you did @5:00. What's the pros and cons of that other than to show off the legs as Astanova does all the time?

[@rickbarnes7745]

Okay, so this is not really a ranking of how well she plays the piano, but only how good her mechanics are. We hear nothing about how well her accompanianment fits the songs she is singing or whether her embellishments could be better. Comparing her to a Freddy Mercury or Elton John, in which the piano is actually a great part of the whole composition, is not even a question. She is like a Johnny Cash just strumming along to help her keep time and stay in key. No hate here, just wish there was a way to really assess her piano skills.

[@fdm698]

The tone of this video just shows how toxic taylor's (and many other big stars) fandom has become to the point where creators are afraid to voice well backed up constructive criticism. Love your videos and analysis! ❤ Don't ever be afraid to offer your honest and most importantly professional opinion! Anyone who's offended by criticism to their idol that's not even in any way a personal attack, because it disturbes their religious feelings, can go to hell 😅

[@josemurga3121]

Well this is no hate to Annique, I respect her talent and her great KZbin channel, but I think she should explain why she did this rating. Annique is a great classical pianist, which means she is at a supreme level, so to rate a small portion of another artist performance in a different genre, doesn’t fit in my book. I am a big fan of TS and Annique, I wish I wouldn’t be writing this, feels awkward.

[@fdm698]

@@josemurga3121 well piano technique is not really genre specific, is it? She's not talking about the music whatsoever but only about how Taylor is playing the piano mostly from a physical perspective.

[@josemurga3121]

@@fdm698 I think the genre drives the technique behind the playing. A Chopin Etude needs serious training only a classical pianist can do, but for a pop song, which can be much simpler specially if the arrangement calls for a smaller range of notes, I think the technique can be much relaxed, to the point that it doesn’t make sense to rate it from a classical perspective.

[@fdm698]

@@josemurga3121 there certainly is a point to that. However general playing technique will still shine through even if you're playing something simple. In fact this is very much the point this video is making. You don't need to be a great pianist to be able to play a Taylor Swift song. However if you would see a seriously good pianist playing the same songs it would look very different from the way Taylor plays them.

[@josemurga3121]

@@fdm698 I think if Taylor plays as a concert pianist, it will ruin it and be an over the top effect. Let Taylor play like everyone would, without looking like a concert pianist.

[@msalazar413]

Can we watch your program VIRTUALLY? Is there a way to pay for virtual viewing?

[@ltbrooklynny]

Inasmuch as I was shocked by the harshness of your analysis of Kate Middleton's piano skills, I find that of Taylor's fair and respectful. In fact, I thought it was cool that KM made herself so vulnerable for someone who is exposed to constant scrutiny and has no artistic ambition. She is humble about it, and has a lot more on her plate. As for Taylor Swift, she's a performer and it's only fair that each of her talents are going to eventually be evaluated. That said, you are a wonderful pianist and totally underrated as the industry doesn't have enough room to do justice to an abundance of super talented pianists.

[@tonyaelizabethking110]

It would be interesting to see you do an analyst of Norah Jones' piano skills. Even though she is well known for he piano playing and did attend college to pursue a degree in jazz piano, she never completed the degree.

[@Celebrityworldofsecrets]

Great video, I like her hair tossing 🥰

[@allipoop46290]

Your hair be looking a little toooo good 😭😍

[@SophiaTrevor]

Hi! Fun video :) I was just wondering if you edit your own videos??

[@richardlehoux]

It would be interesting if Annique tried a 10 000$ Roland digital grand piano and see if her opinion changed about this type of piano.

[@kdbwiz]

You had me at opus 10 and 25! 😅