Alright well, first off, thanks to all who are viewing/responding to this because I know this has been asked plenty before but I am really quite confused, here are my questions:

 

Well Ive been reading alot of threads about what kind of piano Martin indeed has and all that have been mentioned are digital pianos/ keyboards (ive heard of a GT-20 and an MP5)

 

What is Chris using in live performances?? (like his Lost? performance with JayZ at the grammies??) Is it just me or does that look like a normal piano??

 

If it is an legit piano, how does he get such a distinct bass-like sound to come out of it?? Also how does he get such a nice organ sound??

 

That part about the bass-like sound im REALLY wondering about because its what makes his Lost? performances sound so good. Also, if you listen to his THe Hardest Part on LRLRL live album the piano sound is GORGEOUS and I want to know so bad what kind of piano he has whether its a real piano or digital and what kind/brand????

 

THANK YOU EVERYONE :)

does your username stand for papsmear?

His piano IS digital, see it as semi-acoustic.

Such piano's are called 'Silent Piano'.

You can play them acoustic, but also plug them in.

 

His piano sound on Hardest Part et cetra is digital.

How I know that? Because I have the exact same sound on my piano.

So that also says what brand his piano's are.. Yamaha.

His piano IS digital, see it as semi-acoustic.

Such piano's are called 'Silent Piano'.

You can play them acoustic, but also plug them in.

 

His piano sound on Hardest Part et cetra is digital.

How I know that? Because I have the exact same sound on my piano.

So that also says what brand his piano's are.. Yamaha.

 

dito

 

though i think the pure piano sounds (= NOT fix you...) might be mixed, digital+acoustic. but that's just a guess what MIGHT be possible....

dito

 

though i think the pure piano sounds (= NOT fix you...) might be mixed, digital+acoustic. but that's just a guess what MIGHT be possible....

No, because you can see that the hammers don't hit any strings inside the piano.

stephanbass, thank you very much, extremely helpful

 

so what your saying is that chris' piano is called a silent piano, which is digital, can be played acoustically but can also be plugged in..

 

im lost on the second part about the hardest part. u say on the hardest part his piano is digital... isnt it always digital?? and do these silent pianos naturally put out the bass like sound or is that just one of the effects chris put on it thru the digital MIDI part of the piano?

 

thanks again

Hardest Part and Lost? are silent. He uses a MIDI plugin on those songs. His piano is both Acoustic and digital. Its kinda like an arctop guitar, both acoustic and electric.

 

I imagine it has digital output for when played acoustically

stephanbass, thank you very much, extremely helpful

 

so what your saying is that chris' piano is called a silent piano, which is digital, can be played acoustically but can also be plugged in..

 

im lost on the second part about the hardest part. u say on the hardest part his piano is digital... isnt it always digital?? and do these silent pianos naturally put out the bass like sound or is that just one of the effects chris put on it thru the digital MIDI part of the piano?

 

thanks again

Silent Piano is an acoustic piano with an digital upgrade.

Chris's piano is semi-acoustic from the factory, so he does have more presets then the usual silent pianos.

 

I have an fully digital piano, also from Yamaha and I can asure you that they are digital, the basses, the strings etcetera(played by Chris) are NOT from another MIDI interface or something.

The sounds are already set-up on the piano and that are the same sounds as I have on mine, even when my piano is cheaper and new then his is.

 

My old piano was an Yamaha B2.

Acoustic piano but with an digital 'upgrade' on it.

So I could move the hammers from the strings and plug in an headphone.

But now I have an fully digital piano, alot better!

 

Better? Yes, because:

- NEVER have to be tuned!

- Neighboors angry? Volume down!

- More sounds without changing strings or weird add-ons.

- Needs less space.

- Weather don't effect the sound.

- Grand Piano sound!

 

Bad Things about digital:

- Doesnt look cool as an real Grand Piano

- Speakers can get broken.

- There can be a little technical problem so there won't be a sound(never happened to me.)

 

So, I wan't acoustic piano, but whats bad about them.

- Needs to be tuned every few months.

- When it's very hot ALWAYS it will change the sound.

- When you wan't to play very late, you have an problem.

- Weight is HEAVY.

- Size is huge.

 

Good things about acoustic piano.

- Looks cooler.

- They are easy to find for free.

 

So for everyone that wants an piano.. don't forget those info!

Thanks for this very interesting information. I'll think about it if I ever buy myself a new piano. ATM I do have a very simple digital piano, which is quite good though for new piano players (price-quality wise).

 

Good things about acoustic piano.

[...]

- They are easy to find for free.

Acoustic piano's for free? I want one! Seriously, what do you mean by this? Old, totally damaged piano's or old but still pretty good piano's?

Thanks for this very interesting information. I'll think about it if I ever buy myself a new piano. ATM I do have a very simple digital piano, which is quite good though for new piano players (price-quality wise).

 

 

Acoustic piano's for free? I want one! Seriously, what do you mean by this? Old, totally damaged piano's or old but still pretty good piano's?

Both, some people that use piano for 'decoration' give it away because they don't want it or are moving to somewhere else.

But many of these people does not now anything about their piano's.

So they just give it away for free.. but after fresh strings, clean up and good tuning you'll be surprised by the piano quality!

Stephanbass... ur f*kin AWESOME

 

Lol, on a serious note, thanks for your response posts, that makes ALOT more sense now. If I may ask, what digital piano do you have?

Stephanbass... ur f*kin AWESOME

 

Lol, on a serious note, thanks for your response posts, that makes ALOT more sense now. If I may ask, what digital piano do you have?

You're welcome!

 

I have Yamaha CLP

I have Yamaha CLP

 

me too =) Yamaha CLP-202

 

however, i also have an old piano, though it could work again, the strings won't stay in tune because the wood at the back part for the screws is like... screwed! (it's also standing in front of an oven, used throughout the winter... NOT good):laugh3:

Silent Piano is an acoustic piano with an digital upgrade.

Chris's piano is semi-acoustic from the factory, so he does have more presets then the usual silent pianos.

 

I have an fully digital piano, also from Yamaha and I can asure you that they are digital, the basses, the strings etcetera(played by Chris) are NOT from another MIDI interface or something.

The sounds are already set-up on the piano and that are the same sounds as I have on mine, even when my piano is cheaper and new then his is.

 

My old piano was an Yamaha B2.

Acoustic piano but with an digital 'upgrade' on it.

So I could move the hammers from the strings and plug in an headphone.

But now I have an fully digital piano, alot better!

 

Better? Yes, because:

- NEVER have to be tuned!

- Neighboors angry? Volume down!

- More sounds without changing strings or weird add-ons.

- Needs less space.

- Weather don't effect the sound.

- Grand Piano sound!

 

Bad Things about digital:

- Doesnt look cool as an real Grand Piano

- Speakers can get broken.

- There can be a little technical problem so there won't be a sound(never happened to me.)

 

So, I wan't acoustic piano, but whats bad about them.

- Needs to be tuned every few months.

- When it's very hot ALWAYS it will change the sound.

- When you wan't to play very late, you have an problem.

- Weight is HEAVY.

- Size is huge.

 

Good things about acoustic piano.

- Looks cooler.

- They are easy to find for free.

 

So for everyone that wants an piano.. don't forget those info!

thanks that IS real useful information

No, because you can see that the hammers don't hit any strings inside the piano.

 

No, the hammer hit the strings in all the songs, even in Fix You.

No, because you can see that the hammers don't hit any strings inside the piano.

 

No, the hammer hit the strings in all the songs, even in Fix You.

 

Luck's right, unless Chris upgraded to a different model because I do see some "hammer action" in Paradise and Fix You o_o

maybe the hammers trigger the digital signal? :smiley:

That's probably what it is o_o

For anyone looking for digital keyboards, the Yamaha MOX8 is amazing. It's £1,300 (About $2000?) but it's worth about double. It's not the priciest Yamaha keyboard, but it has pretty much all the sounds of the priciest one, it's light, which is good for transporting, it sounds immaculate, and the keys are weighted. I'd recommend it for live purposes, probably not best for a home piano.

Chris is still using a Yamaha GT 20 Upright live. This is a silent Piano, it has real piano action with wooden keys, whips, hammers but there are no strings and no harp inside. The hammers contact MIDI sensors hence why you can see the hammers moving inside the piano. The piano itself produces no acoustic sound, but it does allow for Chris to play various different Piano sounds with effects, synth sounds like pads and organs in songs like Fix You. Its most likely hooked up to a computer running sampled pianos, synths etc which is triggered off stage to switch sounds per song.

 

Yamaha no longer make the GT 20 and they are very hard to come by second hand.

 

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions and ill do my best to answer them.

 

:D

Hi guys, please check out my cut of Charlie Brown at The Emirates Stadium. Guaranteed like for any coldplay fan

Hi guys, please check out my cut of Charlie Brown at The Emirates Stadium. Guaranteed like for any coldplay fan

 

Nice job!

 

In regards to his piano it seems he has kept the same model over the last few tours but just painted it differently.

I have the awnsers.

 

Chris Martins piano is a real piano. BUT they have installed midi-triggers under the hammers like a digital piano or keyboard. I know this because there is alot of other bands that have done the same. Keane use a Yamaha CP60 wich is a real piano with both hammers and string. but they have installed midi triggers so he plays organ in a song called Hamburg Song. They have also some Rhodes keyboards and they use them for acoustic sessions but it sounds like a grand piano.

 

Or it could be like this...

 

The piano he uses live is a real piano with pickups. I have for example a Yamaha CP80 wich is also a real grand piano with both hammers and strings, but it has pickups under every string, just like a guitar. so i can plug it into anything just like a guitar. and when i do that,I CAN change the sound to anything i want. there is alot of technology that can change sounds or even emulate other instruments.

@pianomartin: No, you don't. As many many many many many many many many people have mentioned before you said you have THE answers and then came up with 2 options of which you weren't pretty sure which one is the right, Chris is using a digital piano, the GT20 for the mainstage perfomances and for the B-Stage it might be another one. What nobody mentioned before, his piano is actually too small to be an acoustic one. The strings do need some space to sound good and I have never seen such a small acoustic piano before. It also would cause alot more trouble touring with an acoustic piano, you would have to tune it, it's much heavier, would sound different on different tour legs (think of the huge climatic differencies between Europe, North America, Australia, Asia...) and might get a worse sound if you paint it (like Chris does it very often). It is also easy to see that his piano has no strings inside if you watch Fix You from the MTV Worldstage record.

Here's the clip: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeEEFKeGcTc]Coldplay - Fix You (Live Tokyo 2009) (High Quality video) (HQ) - YouTube[/ame]

 

At 2:22