10 Male Singers Who Are Also Very Good Pianists

We all follow artists who inspire us: singers, dancers, musicians, athletes, etc. We present in this article artists who play the piano so well that it could have been their main musical and professional discipline. A selection prepared by us that you can’t miss! You might be pleasantly surprised and make some great discoveries!

1. Elton John

We all know this famous singer, pianist and exceptional composer! Born on March 25, 1947 in Pinner, England under the name Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he would become one of the most famous artists in the world. His vocation for music began very early at the age of 4 with the piano. Yes! Young Elton John started learning piano by himself when he was only 4 years old. He proved he was talented and won a scholarship in 1964 to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. We all agree, this man is a true genius!

An excerpt of Elton John improvising in a duo with percussionist Ray Cooper. There’s gospel, blues, pop in his playing. A solid and unflappable left hand that delivers bass lines in octaves at breakneck speed, perfectly played blues licks in the right hand, groovy riffs with both hands. In short, an explosive melting pot that shows mastery, a solid foundation in piano by Elton. And what inspiration, what piano culture. A must-watch for anyone who loves this instrument!

2. Ray Charles

Born in Georgia on September 23, 1930, Ray Charles lost his sight when he was only 6 years old. His mother, concerned about her son’s future, gave him the opportunity to continue his studies at the institution for the deaf and blind in Saint-Augustine, Florida. It was here that he learned braille, orchestration as well as to play several instruments such as: piano, trumpet, organ and saxophone. He began his career playing piano and became the legend we all know, one of the pioneers of soul.

The movie Ray highlighted the singer’s piano training, in his youth and then in clubs. We all know it, Ray Charles was a professional pianist. In this excerpt we hear all the school of American jazz piano. The great jazz voicings, the swing, the blues. The blues. The big band. 4 minutes of show without singing during which Ray Charles hooks us with his piano and his orchestra.

3. Lonepsi

Lindolfo Gargiulo, French rapper and singer known by his stage name Lonepsi, was born in Bondy on August 1, 1994. This young artist has a very particular background. One might be mistaken in thinking that he studied music but on the contrary, he followed psychology studies which he stopped in 2018 with the goal of dedicating himself entirely to music. But then how did he learn piano? In an interview at the “Avec le temps” festival on March 24, 2018, he tells us more: “There was an abandoned piano at my place. When we moved in, it was already there. And so that it wouldn’t be abandoned, I composed some melodies in a completely amateur way. That’s how I met music.”[1]. So he learned piano on his own… We can deduce that Lonepsi has real talent.

In this video we are as impressed by the choice of harmonies in the piece, the chord inversions chosen, as by the level of technical skill of the piano part itself. Large arpeggios and a great touch. Not to mention singing at the same time. In short, great pianist, great singer, great composer. Discover him if you don’t know him yet!

4. William Sheller

Descendant of a family that has been immersed in the cultural world. Son of a jazz musician father. Grandson of a grandmother who was an usher at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and a grandfather who was a decorator at the Opera, William Sheller followed his family’s path by turning to music and performance. He started piano at age 10 and benefited from in-depth music training by joining the conservatory on the advice of Yves Margat. He would become the one we all know in 1975, with his 45-rpm record Rock’n’dollars which he composed himself.

A frenetic piece that requires an endurance that only a professional pianist can put to use. 4 minutes of repeated chords in sixteenth notes in the right hand, bass lines in octaves in the left hand, not a second of tetany, a tempo that doesn’t move one BPM, and a piano that vibrates with all its wood from start to finish! And then the choice of notes… so subtle. In short, William Sheller no longer performs on stage, perhaps this piece illustrates this frenzy of concerts in which he seems to no longer want to live. Fortunately, in the meantime, he will have left extraordinary pieces like this one and certainly many disappointed at not having been able to see him on stage…

5. Michel Polnareff

Coming from a family of artists, a musician father and a dancer mother, Michel Polnareff started piano at age 4. He was enrolled at the Paris Conservatory of Music as well as at the Hattemer course very early. Raised by a very strict father who imposed listening to classical music and who raised his hand on him at every wrong note or non-compliance with instructions, Michel very quickly lost interest in classical music. He knew the beginning of his success with La poupée qui fait non in 1966.

In this excerpt, apart from the very well-known piano intro of this piece, at minute 2’22, he holds a blues trill in the treble in the right hand that he evolves just with the little finger going up and down on two notes. The tempo doesn’t move. The sound doesn’t weaken. In short, 20 seconds where Michel Polnareff executes a technical feat.

6. Stevie Wonder

Losing his sight at birth due to retinopathy, Stevie turned to sports activities as well as music. From childhood, he learned to master many instruments such as: piano, harmonica and several percussion instruments. Ahead of his age, he began his recordings at only 8 years old with the help of his mentor Clarence Paul who trained him after his piano and composition classes. His career blossomed in 1962 following his first album Little Stevie Wonder in 1962 when he was only 11 years old. We can say it, Stevie Wonder is an outstanding multi-instrumentalist!

It’s a truism to say that Stevie Wonder is an extraordinary composer, singer and pianist but we often know him accompanying himself on piano, less in solo. In this excerpt from a concert in London, he uses the piece Spain by Chick Corea to introduce his musicians who all play a solo chorus after chorus and just before the last solo, that of the drummer, Stevie also plays a solo at minute 9’16. A professional pianist’s solo.

7. Michel Berger

Raised by his concert pianist mother, he lived in an environment in which he developed his musical sensitivity. There were two pianos in their apartment, giving Michel the opportunity to learn this instrument. He became a star at the age of 17 with his first 45 rpm “Amour et Soda”. He experienced real success much later, in 1980, with the title “La Groupie du pianiste”.

La groupie du pianiste is one of the most famous piano riffs in variety music if not the most famous and we understand why! It grooves. We often hear him playing while singing but Michel Berger so we may realize it less but he was an excellent pianist in the instrumentalist sense of the term. Not just a great composer. A real pianist as shown by the position of his hand and the descent in octaves as we can see at the end of his piano intro in this excerpt.

8. Matt Bellamy

We all have this image of Matt Bellamy as the rhythm guitarist of the band Muse. However, if we analyze all his albums in their entirety, we can perceive that he doesn’t have a conventional approach to the guitar. This is explained by the fact that his primary instrument is the piano. Yes! Matt Bellamy started piano very young at age 5. He even obtained a Master in Arrangement and Composition (Master of Music in Performance or Composition – Mmus) with honors. His knowledge guides him and allows him to have a classical influence in a rock and jazz musical style.

He played Chopin standing up, maybe it’s a detail for you but for us it means a lot. It means he must have extraordinary moments on stage, served by a piano technique worthy of the best classical pianists. Which undeniably, he is.

9. Julien Granel

Julien Granel is a young original artist who has a hidden talent: being a DJ with bottles. He studied music, classical piano and music theory at the Conservatory.

Julien Granel is a gem. In this excerpt he rocks and reminds us of American stars like Charlie Puth for example who also appears in this list. Very talented musicians who control and groove at the keyboards! To follow and absolutely discover if you don’t know him yet.

10. Charlie Puth

Known by most on YouTube, Charlie Puth is a singer, songwriter, producer and musician. He started music very early, from age 4, with the help of his mother who is a piano teacher. Passionate about music, when he was a student, he spent his Saturdays at the Manhattan School of Music. In 2013, he graduated from Berklee College of Music, where he specialized in music production and engineering. His YouTube channel was a stepping stone to his international success.

We know him for his global hits but less for this aspect but let’s not underestimate Charlie Puth’s musical level. You’ll find many videos of him at the piano or keyboard on the internet, we recommend them all to you, he’s extraordinary, on the order of musical genius. If you want to hear two UFOs, two geniuses of current music, we recommend this video where he exchanges via video with Jacob Collier. Warning, you’ll find yourself on another planet, with an ultimate level of feeling and musical mastery.

[1] https://extendedplayermag.fr/2018/04/06/interview-lonepsi-23-ans-un-timbre-de-voix-singulier-quelques-notes-de-piano/