Classically Trained or Self-taught?

[Sancor]

This is something I've wondered for a while because I keep hearing two conflicting stories about Matt's piano skills. I've heard that he is pretty much self-taught (which would be really impressive o.0) and I also have heard that he was classically trained (which frankly makes sense but sounds a little off when you think about Matt...)

 

Anyone know for sure?

[Johanna]

Self-taught.

[Fayth-in-Flyght]

He did music at school and I believe he was taught songs as a kid but I don't think he's had proper lessons which would make him classically trained

[Black Cherry]

Have heard something about how he did get some specific piano tuition at some point after school (at college?) along the lines of his piano tutor being a bit narked at Matt for not acknowledging the support that he'd given him. Or something like that.

[Sancor]

Hmmmm:confused:

The plot thickens!

[Nimpo46]

Put on yer mittens for these sub-zero conditions

[lily318]

I'd heard that his parents made him take lessons when he turned 6, but he gave it up when he started guitar at 14. And he only took it up again when they started writing for Showbiz.

 

Apparently the intro for Sunburn was originally on guitar then someone suggested that he try it on piano, so he spent a few weeks refreshing, which is maybe where the unacknowledged tuition story comes into it. Or maybe Matt was making up stories again

[tyechan]

he was classically trained with spanish guitar for 6 months

and he is self taught in piano.

[Sancor]

Hmm

 

That's pretty damn amazing if he stopped piano at six and then picked it up again for showbiz!

[Black Absolution]

I'd heard that his parents made him take lessons when he turned 6, but he gave it up when he started guitar at 14. And he only took it up again when they started writing for Showbiz.

 

Apparently the intro for Sunburn was originally on guitar then someone suggested that he try it on piano, so he spent a few weeks refreshing, which is maybe where the unacknowledged tuition story comes into it. Or maybe Matt was making up stories again

 

yeah that's what i heard as well. i also read that his parents couldn't afford to give him lessons, and then there's the story about his brother teaching him the Dallas them song and his brother would make Matt sit in front of the piano and play it for all of his friends.

 

i honestly think he's self taught. i read also that he had only one lesson and he hated it, so taught himself stuff by Ray Charles, especially the left handed parts.

[dead-duck]

i honestly think he's self taught. i read also that he had only one lesson and he hated it, so taught himself stuff by Ray Charles, especially the left handed parts.

For what it's worth, there's an old interview from MTV2 (showbiz or early origin era) that's on microcuts where he says the thing about taking only one lesson when he was a kid and basically he didn't have the patience for it.

 

Now, under normal circumstances, hearing it straight from the man himself would be enough for us to say he never had lessons... but this is Matt Bellamy we're talking about, so who knows

[ils13]

For what it's worth, there's an old interview from MTV2 (showbiz or early origin era) that's on microcuts where he says the thing about taking only one lesson when he was a kid and basically he didn't have the patience for it.

 

wasn't it Dom who only took one drum lesson and then quit because he didn't have the patience?

[Sancor]

Dom is self taught now too ?!

[Debi]

Dom is self taught now too ?!

 

wasn't it Dom who only took one drum lesson and then quit because he didn't have the patience?

 

Yep, he's self-taught. I remember him saying in that interview that he 'wished he had taken lessons'.

[shining_dark]

i thought matt started piano at 11. but then again i havent been on here for at least a year and a half. but yeah he stopped playing when he started guitar at 14. then picked it up again for showbiz.

but i didnt know dom was self-taught was chris?

[stefko_25]

i thought matt started piano at 11. but then again i havent been on here for at least a year and a half. but yeah he stopped playing when he started guitar at 14. then picked it up again for showbiz.

but i didnt know dom was self-taught was chris?

 

Drumming itself is kind of about being self thought

If you don't have the rhytm you can't learn it from going to lessons

[dead-duck]

wasn't it Dom who only took one drum lesson and then quit because he didn't have the patience?

I don't know about Dom, but the interview I saw where Matt mentions the lessons is here:

 

http://www.microcuts.net/uk/musetv.php

 

It's the second thing in the list, Doc - Muse Day MTV2. I didn't have time to watch the whole thing, but the first interview segment with Matt (about 1min in) is the part I was talking about

[Sancor]

If chris is self taught then I'm going to just lose it, go temporarily insane, and maybe fly a kite in a thunderstorm.

[trvrphlps]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c02gBveKq70

 

 

pretty sure he was taught

[gypsydjango]

I've heard this mentioned before. I went to college with Matt, he had extensive training on both guitar and piano. He was from a fairly middle class family and studied music at Exeter College. Not very rock and roll but that's how it is. Muse are fantastic but I never really got past the first album, more my loss I think.

[_Ed_]

but i didnt know dom was self-taught was chris?

I think Chris was, yes. I think I remember reading that he played guitar when he was younger, and only took up bass when Matt and Dom needed a bassist.

[Tofu]

I've heard this mentioned before. I went to college with Matt, he had extensive training on both guitar and piano. He was from a fairly middle class family and studied music at Exeter College. Not very rock and roll but that's how it is. Muse are fantastic but I never really got past the first album, more my loss I think.

 

If true…then……Matt, you liar!

 

but at the same time…the way he plays piano—I know everyone plays a bit differently but something about it makes me able to believe he was mostly self-taught. idk idk…just curious. I definitely remember reading somewhere that his brother had singing, guitar, and voice lessons but Matt barely did or something, so he could've just picked up random things from observation. I know when I was younger before I started my piano lessons I'd watch my sister practicing and figured out how to play a few simple things from that, and I was like, 3–4 at the time…

 

Truth is I want to believe you but I also don't want to abandon the idea of Matt being mostly self-taught, though I definitely think he's had a few lessons/coaches over the years, and I know he's definitely had guitar lessons…

[syzygy]

I've heard this mentioned before. I went to college with Matt, he had extensive training on both guitar and piano. He was from a fairly middle class family and studied music at Exeter College. Not very rock and roll but that's how it is. Muse are fantastic but I never really got past the first album, more my loss I think.

 

that's way cool you went to college with him.

just sayin'.

[January]

I've been wondering about this too. Matt has stated several times that he's self taught. I know he's not the most accurate source of information, but Chris has said they are all self taught too (in this interview).

 

I've heard this mentioned before. I went to college with Matt, he had extensive training on both guitar and piano. He was from a fairly middle class family and studied music at Exeter College. Not very rock and roll but that's how it is.

 

That's so cool you knew him back in the day! What do you mean by extensive training? Did he major in music and take private lessons, or did he just take a couple music classes on the side? I'm not sure what schools are like in the UK, but in the US you can take one or two music classes in college while studying something else (which is what I did), in which case he could still claim to be self taught. If he had many years of piano lessons though, than yeah, I'd consider him a liar.

[Tofu]

I've been wondering about this too. Matt has stated several times that he's self taught. I know he's not the most accurate source of information, but Chris has said they are all self taught too (in this interview).

 

That's so cool you knew him back in the day! What do you mean by extensive training? Did he major in music and take private lessons, or did he just take a couple music classes on the side? I'm not sure what schools are like in the UK, but in the US you can take one or two music classes in college while studying something else (which is what I did), in which case he could still claim to be self taught. If he had many years of piano lessons though, than yeah, I'd consider him a liar.

 

That just reminded me…they've all mentioned their music teacher, Miss Bird, or something? But from what I got out of it she didn't actually teach any of them how to play instruments. Plus from my experience of music classes in elementary and high schools in the US you learn some theory and history and stuff but the instrument learning part is mostly on your own unless you join band or orchestra or something…(though I have no idea how school works in the UK) Maybe that's what gypsydjango means? I mean, I believe him, but I don't really see why Matt would deny any piano training consistently, especially since it's not like he's hid having had a few guitar lessons.

 

edit: just read the interview you linked to, Cally, and

All of us are completely self-taught. I might have had three or four guitar lessons when I started high school. But the woman that was teaching them -she was a lovely woman- wasn't much of a guitarist herself. So, by the time we'd had three or four lessons, everyone in the class was already better than her. I wouldn't really call it training, though. We played songs like "London Bridge Is Falling Down."

If he's talking about the same teacher then yeah, basically my post, sorta. Also,

I realized the trousers were too small and I put a huge fucking tear right across the arse. That was in front of about 1,400 people. [Laughs.]