What musical skill could be more impressive?

[VicDiesel]

Maria Joao Pires is playing a lunch time concert with the Concertgebouw Orkest: after rehearsals in the morning they play something off-the-cuff that doesn't take any preparation. Unfortunately she brought the wrong music, not this concerto that she played the year before.

 

[metron]

I have news for you most of the bass line is done by the left hand and the pedal is just ot provide omph and the punch, specially for very fast tempos like you mentioned. He is tapping the beat on probably 2 to 3 choice notes. Sometimes not even on the qaurter note. Now with ballads and long notes, yeah they will use the pedals to actually play notes.

In many gigs specially with a shortened B3 or a clone , pedal is not needed - you do the bass lines. witht he left or the right since both manuals have the same range. Still impressive to do left hand bass at 300 BPM

If you listen to this, its clearly his feet going full blast. Ive seen Joey D. I dont want to say you are wrong here but

 

[bass player 53]

Maria Joao Pires is playing a lunch time concert with the Concertgebouw Orkest: after rehearsals in the morning they play something off-the-cuff that doesn't take any preparation. Unfortunately she brought the wrong music, not this concerto that she played the year before.

If you’re mentioning famous
women pianists, this is wonderful:

 

[metron]

Good foot...

I was going to post this clip. Barbara rips on the Hammond too. I can’t process what her foot alone is doing.

 

[VicDiesel]

I have news for you most of the bass line is done by the left hand and the pedal is just ot provide omph and the punch,

So who is playing the chords? It sounds like it's not just the guitar.

 

[brianrost]

If anybody can think of a more impressive feat, what was it?

From that same album on “Mattinale" Joey plays trumpet and organ at the same time.

Fast forward to 13:25

 

[logdrum]

If you listen to this, its clearly his feet going full blast. Ive seen Joey D. I dont want to say you are wrong here but

I thought that too initially. When you saw Joey did you actually see his feet do all quarter notes at 300 bpm moving all over the pedals or was he just tapping in the same position. Slow tunes and Hymns 0 sure. I've asked :bebop" B3 players and that was the most surprising thing I've learned.

Why do you think they call it pedal point or regular players doing pedal lines. Comes from B3. I actually play saxophone with one, and the main walk is from the left hand and just tapping the percussive attach with the foot and occasionally holding it for turn arounds or transitions. Now Hymns and slow tunes, It is impractical and tiring. It's basically like jogging at those tempos .

YT search on instructional B3s will also tell you this

 

[Michedelic]

All very impressive in their own way. Here’s an unusual one. Who woulda’ thunk shredding was done 100 years ago.

Paganini was allegedly the first shredder(on violin). There’s plenty of Django solos that just destroy Van Halen…done with a severly damaged/crippled hand.

 

[gerryjazzman]

Good foot...

I discovered this lady a few years ago. Yes, the way she plays those pedals is unreal.

 

[frankie5string]

Why do you think they call it pedal point or regular players doing pedal lines. Comes from B3. I actually play saxophone with one, and the main

Are you sure about that? I have musical material that existed about 450 years before the B3 was invented.
Even Bach used them - there's even Bach humour where people theorize unusually swift endings and joke that it was because his love interest was yelling at him to come out for a quickie, so he'd drop a pedal point a few measures early, resolve and end the piece.

Notice how most of these amazing players aren't hanging out on online forums? ;-)

 

[logdrum]

Are you sure about that? I have musical material that existed about 450 years before the B3 was invented.
Even Bach used them - there's even Bach humour where people theorize unusually swift endings and joke that it was because his love interest was yelling at him to come out for a quickie, so he'd drop a pedal point a few measures early, resolve and end the piece.

Notice how most of these amazing players aren't hanging out on online forums? ;-)

Dude the thing in question was walking bebop lines quarter and 8 note triplets at 300 + BPM for tunes that last 8 - 10 minutes in a typical tine No B3 player that I know will play the distinct bass lines using the foot pedal all the time. They do it all the lines with the left hand (which is already impressive) and they use the pedal as a percussive effect. I have a digital B3 with no pedals and I play with one rehearse with him 2 times a month, so I am pretty sure about this. Also look at instructional videos on YT on how to do walking bass lines with the pedal AND the left hand. They always work together

Yes on hymns, ballads, slow gospel stuff - slow stuff like below 120 you can maintain quarter notes with your foot but if you listen and look they use it for whole notes and pedal tones or drones

 

[getBAK]

Kicking bass lines is not unique to Joey D, that said I've stood 6 feet from Joey while he was playing and he isn't playing set patterns. Joey was insane., he was maybe the greatest pure musician of our generation. Christian McBride tells the story of showing up the first day at Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, seeing 15 year old Joey D playing around on a piano in a common area, and almost quitting right there.

As far as impressive instrumentalism - Note the left hand plucking technique


AND I cannot stand most classical music.

 

[FilterFunk]

The thing that amazes me is that anybody can sing and play at the same time.

^This.

Admittedly, I never totally woodshedded in order to be able to play and sing at the same time, but I'm also pretty sure that not everyone who can sing and play at the same time practiced hour after hour, day after day, and year after year to gain that skill. Now, the ones who can play and sing very complicated lines and melodies at the same time probably did a whole lot of woodshedding!

If we're talking about very simple chord play, especially if the chords hit on the one, I can sing along. I can play a melody that matches my vocal. Other than that, I just can't do it, and I'm very impressed and mystified by those who can.

 

[songwriter21]

How about Rachel Flowers, who is blind, tackling the Keith Emerson repertoire…


As far as left hand key bass is concerned, Domi actually gives it a bass guitar vibe…


But let’s not forget that Wild Bill Davis pioneered jazz organ bass…


…and Jimmy Smith developed it even further…

Regarding blind musicians, especially born that way, I put them high above those of us with sight. Think about how good your ears and feel would naturally be without "cheating" by looking.

There's this blind keyboardist from Pittsburgh that always amazed me (Kenny something, forget his full name). He would hammer these blinding jazz lines without a thought, like his instrument came out of the womb with him.

 

[Michedelic]

Regarding blind musicians, especially born that way, I put them high above those of us with sight. Think about how good your ears and feel would naturally be without "cheating" by looking.

There's this blind keyboardist from Pittsburgh that always amazed me (Kenny something, forget his full name). He would hammer these blinding jazz lines without a thought, like his instrument came out of the womb with him.

On that subject, hitting closer to home, there’s Ciara..

 

[Carl Hillman]

Tianwa Yang playing Paganini at the age of 13 or 14.

 

[J Wilson]

The craziest thing I ever saw:

Was on a country gig with a long time friend and fiddler. He always played five string fiddles so he could partially skirt into viola range for a few things. He's tuning and messing around before the gig. I've got my back turned to him and all of a sudden he starts bowing perfect . . . triads. 1-3-5 chords, perfectly in tune.

I was dumbstruck. I said 'you can't bow chords on a fiddle!'. He gives me a s**t-eating grin, keeps doing it, and says 'yeah, I know that'.

 

[roccobass]

Seen this guy twice.
How in the hell does he keep things straight in his head even he's not having to lean over one engaged instrument to strum another.

 

[Paul New]

I have news for you most of the bass line is done by the left hand and the pedal is just ot provide omph and the punch, specially for very fast tempos like you mentioned. He is tapping the beat on probably 2 to 3 choice notes. Sometimes not even on the qaurter note. Now with ballads and long notes, yeah they will use the pedals to actually play notes.

In many gigs specially with a shortened B3 or a clone , pedal is not needed - you do the bass lines. witht he left or the right since both manuals have the same range. Still impressive to do left hand bass at 300 BPM

An organist demonstrated that for us at a Jamie Arbersold camp back in the 90s. I can’t temember which irganist, but he’s well known. There are a few who play the bass lines mainly on pedals though.

Another thing about JD is that he was also top level on sax and trumpet!

 

[Danksalot]

Any time I think of playing and singing at the same time, this clip of Richard Bona comes to mind.