I took piano lessons for eight years as a kid and never thought it was cool. The learning process was too regimented and I never played any music that I wanted to play. Technical perfection was valued over musical creativity. All I ever did was worry about the next piano exam or a forthcoming recital. (Don’t fuck it up.) Those eight years were a good way to stifle one’s appreciation for the pianoforte.

Moreover, playing the piano seemed to lack an edge. To me, it was a little stiff. Compared to my guitar playing peers—who were churning out amateurish covers of the songs that I loved at the time—I felt emasculated. Popular music then, as it is now, was ridiculously guitar-centric and as a piano player I was ostracised. And let’s be honest here—chicks dig guitars. I wasn’t exactly breaking hearts playing my arpeggios.

Once I finished high school the lessons were jettisoned with extreme prejudice. The memories still cut deeply. However, with a little bit of time and perspective, I now see that the piano can stand equal to the guitar in popular music.

Let’s look at Coldplay’s “Yellow,” as popular a song as any of recent time. Yes, we’re familiar with the Parachutes version, all bedrock acoustic strum and piercing electric guitar. Whilst the guitar lines lack technical difficulty, they certainly are emotive: they chime poignantly and drive a visceral beat. As is Coldplay’s forte, the song and its guitars plug in directly to a listener’s heart and gut. Back in high school, I wished I could do that.

The version on their Clocks single is a vastly different proposition. Comprising only piano and Chris Martin’s vocals, there is a more meditative mood. Sure, some of the adrenaline rush may be gone without those familiar guitar lines, but other aspects of this performance are just as compelling. Martin sings in his lower register—something that he has abandoned recently—bringing extra gravitas where the original was perhaps overwrought.

As for the actual piano playing: it is simplistic, sticking rigidly with the “chord on the beat” motif. However, listen to “Hey Jude” and you’ll agree that this style worked pretty well for Paul McCartney. Martin’s piano takes on a hymnal quality in the aching coda, swelling the song’s emotion and power. It’s enough to make any girl swoon. Back in high school, I didn’t know I could do that with a piano.

So, the moral of this story? Piano is just as cool as guitar.

Oh… and I’ve also been teaching myself guitar for the last six years.

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