Bono: Taking piano & writing new songs

[Utoo]

U2.com has an audio interview with Bono (http://www.u2.com/news/index.php?mode=full&news_id=1948).

He says that he's been taking "piano lessions" from his kids' piano teacher & that he writes a new song after each lesson.....so that he'll have something to bring to the band when they get together to "start writing" in June. ( )


I wonder if that is any indication of what kind of songs he's thinking of at the moment. A while back, he said that every time you put Edge at a piano, Edge comes up with a ballad. I can see the same for Bono. I kinda doubt he's writing rockers at the piano....

Thoughts?

 

[one4u2]

 

[* MoFo *]

Wow thanks for the news

I hope they don't write too many ballads for the next album, I want something new, like Achtung was to R&H

 

[ntalwar]

I don't think he's writing piano tunes, but rather coming up with melodies and lyrics that can be used later on as starting points for potential songs.

 

[U2girl]

Look out Jerry Lee Lewis.

 

[martha]

Does he flirt with his piano teacher?

 

[SunBloc]

thx for the link Utoo!

^Wouldn't you love to be Bono's piano teacher! I'd pay him to be my student!

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

I'd pick up piano just to teach the guy.

 

[Goocher100]

I really doubt that they'll make a piano-based record but it might do them some good to insert a little more piano than usual for melodies and such. Either way it's tremendous news. Thanks for the update.

 

[WalkOn21]

I kinda doubt he's writing rockers at the piano....

The piano is actually quite useful for writing rock songs. Many pop/rock artists use the piano for composing. You can easily try out chords in different positions.

 

[xaviMF22]

he should take guitar lessons too

 

[YBORCITY]

he should take guitar lessons too

Harmonica too


Maybe he's working on SHOW TUNES!

 

[Galeongirl]

please DON'T let them become like coldplay!

I like it that he's trying to be more a musician.. but he should get some guitar lessons first

 

[ElectricalVoice]

Piano is a nice instrument to compose on. It means nothing about what kind of music they are working on.

 

[Miricale_Drug]

Well remember that he thought that Original of the Species is the best song on the bomb.. maybe thats the direction bono wants to go in... not sure its a good move - dont' get me wrong my 2nd favorite U2 song but an album of it would be too much

 

[vaz02]

please DON'T let them become like coldplay!

I like it that he's trying to be more a musician.. but he should get some guitar lessons first

haha thought the same , hopefully they just mess around with the keys and i hope they have at least one ballad on the new album.

Its good to know they looking at alternative methods.

 

[ntalwar]

It can always be a hybrid piano/guitar song or songs like NYD. I don't think The Edge will appreciate a piano competing with his guitar too much.

 

[Lila64]

Piano is a nice instrument to compose on. It means nothing about what kind of music they are working on.

I assume a lot of musicians tinkle the ivories, especially for writing. Then again, I don't know how to play guitar

Sweetest Thing - Bono played keyboards on it at my Elevation show in 2001, dedicated to his then pregnant wife

 

[Axver]

Keep in mind that Bono won't want to be stuck behind a piano for multiple songs during a concert. I think that's why Sweetest Thing hasn't been played all that much. So I think it's fairly likely that these songs will go to Edge, or at least to guitar.

 

[Sken]

I wish Bono and U2 would just go into a complete media blackout regarding the new album, he can still do the Africa stuff. Finish the tour, go to the studio and don't drop any hints about whats coming. There's no need to justify to fans or reporters what instruments he is playing with or what lyrics he has come up with. Simply come back a year or two later with the finished product and release it in a big way.

I'd much rather be surprised by the finished product rather than know every step of the way roughly what the album will be.

 

[martha]

Keep in mind that Bono won't want to be stuck behind a piano for multiple songs during a concert.

All I can think of is Bono with big Elton John glasses and dreadfully sparkly clothing.

 

[Harry Vest]

I hope the next album is a bunch of super sad 10 minute piano epics. Seriously. Not a hint of anything like "Vertigo" "All Because Of You" or any of HTDAAB. Or better yet how about U2 doing a "prog" album with lots of piano - I think that would be very cool at this moment in Rock n Roll history.

 

[the tourist]

Hopefully, it'll be less of a piano sound and more of a keyboard sound. Like a Killers-y synth.

 

[pepokiss]

FINALLY... Bono's gonna learn Speed Of Sound



no, wait....

 

[J_NP]

I hope the next album is a bunch of super sad 10 minute piano epics. Seriously. Not a hint of anything like "Vertigo" "All Because Of You" or any of HTDAAB. Or better yet how about U2 doing a "prog" album with lots of piano - I think that would be very cool at this moment in Rock n Roll history.

Dude then u should go after Radiohead , or coldplay coz thats what are u asking . U2 is about guitar and upbeat optimistic music . U shouldnt say in Rn'R history , u should pop music whatever , coz Rn'R the last time I heard , it was about guitar.

About piano lessons , like all the guys said , its to give idea , not to become a center of the work.

 

[BVS]

Dude then u should go after Radiohead , or coldplay coz thats what are u asking . U2 is about guitar and upbeat optimistic music . U shouldnt say in Rn'R history , u should pop music whatever , coz Rn'R the last time I heard , it was about guitar.

What are you talking about there have been some amazing rock songs done on piano!

And U2 is about "guitar and upbeat optimistic", have you listened to anything pre 2000? So Cruel, Wake Up Dead Man, October, Running to a Stand Still, etc...

Any of these ring a bell?

 

[Queen Bee]

I assume a lot of musicians tinkle the ivories, especially for writing. Then again, I don't know how to play guitar

Tinkle the ivories? The word you're looking for is tickle.

 

[U2DMfan]

I don't think he's writing piano tunes, but rather coming up with melodies and lyrics that can be used later on as starting points for potential songs.

I agree and I think it's great news.

It's a good starting point and it can only help.

In fact this is the best news yet, not that Bono will turn into Billy Joel, he's taking lessons from children's teacher mind you, it's that instead of Edge coming up with most, if not all of the music initially, Bono might have 5 or 6 ideas that could help speed up the writing process.

When you start learning how the chords go together, as opposed to tinkling out melodies and saying "Hey, Edge...like this", it starts to really come together in ways it never did before. At least that's my experience, I've read musicisna who say the same thing.

 

[U2DMfan]

Tinkle the ivories? The word you're looking for is tickle.

Ah, don't be a stickler!
You can use both.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/tinkle

tickle/tinkle the ivories (humorous)

I used it as well so I had to look it up.

 

[LJT]

Why does using piano automatically make people think of Coldplay

Coldplay are not the only band on earth to ever use piano, they did not invent piano either...just because another band uses piano, does not mean any desire to imitate Coldplay.

Lots of early rock n roll used piano...listen to something like Loving Cup by the Stones on Exile On Main Street, better yet check out some blues piano....all very un-Coldplay like......