TamyXD
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Post by TamyXD on May 21, 2024 22:45:06 GMT
Her instrument playing is extremely basic, and has been for years. I used to think she was really good; 10-year-old me admired her for her instrument skills. But I've learned to play the piano and taught myself guitar since then (I'm not that good, though, lol). I've also learned some theory regarding drums, though I've never played them myself (I'd love to try one day!). And I've watched tons of other artists play these instruments.
Ever since I've gained these skills and this knowledge, I can't help but cringe whenever I see Avril play piano or guitar, because she's just not that good (I don't really mind her super basic drumming that much because I never got the impression she was serious about it; I guess she just wanted to fool around with it a bit). Her guitar skills are fine, I guess; I think you can see that mostly in older videos (LG and UMS era). But for at least the past decade, she's mostly just been strumming some chords here or there. I can hardly call that playing guitar tbh. And whenever she plays the piano, I want to cry out in frustration at her finger placement, which is so "first couple of piano lessons". None of this would be an issue for me if she didn't act like she was actually good at these instruments, or if I could at least see some progress compared to 20 years ago, but there doesn't seem to be any tbh.
Of course, it's possible she has gotten better and, for whatever reason, just doesn't like to show it on stage or in music videos? But tbh, I doubt that... :/
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Razorqo21
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Post by Razorqo21 on May 21, 2024 23:22:10 GMT
Her instrument playing is extremely basic, and has been for years. I used to think she was really good; 10-year-old me admired her for her instrument skills. But I've learned to play the piano and taught myself guitar since then (I'm not that good, though, lol). I've also learned some theory regarding drums, though I've never played them myself (I'd love to try one day!). And I've watched tons of other artists play these instruments. Ever since I've gained these skills and this knowledge, I can't help but cringe whenever I see Avril play piano or guitar, because she's just not that good (I don't really mind her super basic drumming that much because I never got the impression she was serious about it; I guess she just wanted to fool around with it a bit). Her guitar skills are fine, I guess; I think you can see that mostly in older videos (LG and UMS era). But for at least the past decade, she's mostly just been strumming some chords here or there. I can hardly call that playing guitar tbh. And whenever she plays the piano, I want to cry out in frustration at her finger placement, which is so "first couple of piano lessons". None of this would be an issue for me if she didn't act like she was actually good at these instruments, or if I could at least see some progress compared to 20 years ago, but there doesn't seem to be any tbh. Of course, it's possible she has gotten better and, for whatever reason, just doesn't like to show it on stage or in music videos? But tbh, I doubt that... :/ agree with you I have about this too much controversial opinion so Im not even dare to post it here
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blackmage
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Post by blackmage on May 22, 2024 0:03:23 GMT
It's not surprising that some pop singers don't sing that well, lol... A LOT of them are terrible at singing! So, imagine being the most skilled instrumentalist. This is the entertainment industry, guys, not a music conservatory. If you compare Madonna, one of the biggest female artists of all time, playing the guitar to Avril, you'll see how good Avril is at it. Tori Amos is considered one of the best pianists in the music industry and doesn't even know how to read sheet music. Some big artists, like Mariah Carey and others, don't even know how to play basic instruments for musicians like the piano. At this point, I think some people are just trying to find things Avril is not good at... and she is not good at a lot of things... and that's OK I think! π€£
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TamyXD
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Post by TamyXD on May 22, 2024 0:50:22 GMT
As I said, Avril not being that good an instrumentalist wouldn't bother me as much if she didn't act like she was. But she calls herself a "professional rocker" and has, throughout her entire career, put emphasis on how she plays the piano, and the guitar, and the drums... and then she plays them all in such a basic way with seemingly zero improvement over the last decade or two. Maybe other pop artists do this too; maybe it's some sort of "thing" in the pop industry? I genuinely don't know, as I don't really follow any other pop artists. But it's something that would bother me whether it was Avril or Billie or Miley or Mariah or Madonna.
Also, you don't have to be able to read sheet music to be a good instrumentalist. A lot of great musicians can't/couldn't or can/could only barely read sheet music. Just google "famous musicians that can't read music" and you'll find lists featuring Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles (all four of them), Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Freddie Mercury, and many more.
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blackmage
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Post by blackmage on May 22, 2024 1:20:17 GMT
I just mentioned these artists not for comparison between them, but rather to highlight what would be a norm in the music industry that applies to several artists. I don't think they are pretending to be good or elevated instrumentalists, but it's just part of their persona, most of them just play what they are to able to and what they know, not for some kind of music recital purposes but actually as pure entertainers. For instance, look at Britney Spears trying to play Everytime on the piano. She could barely sing and was even worse at playing, even though people consider this one of her most famous performances. I think Avril's skills are fine for what she is proposed to be in terms of entertaining mainstream artist. When we were younger, we used to look at her as something over the top, but now it's clear that she's closer to every other mainstream pop artist, and to me I just accepted that. Even she is assuming that. I remember more recently she once said she does rock-influenced pop music. I liked this definition, it seems more mature of her to be "labeled" like that.
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oneofthoseguys
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Post by oneofthoseguys on May 22, 2024 1:34:15 GMT
I just mentioned these artists not for comparison between them, but rather to highlight what would be a norm in the music industry that applies to several artists. I don't think they are pretending to be good or elevated instrumentalists, but it's just part of their persona, most of them just play what they are to able to and what they know, not for some kind of music recital purposes but actually as pure entertainers. For instance, look at Britney Spears trying to play Everytime on the piano. She could barely sing and was even worse at playing, even though people consider this one of her most famous performances. I think Avril's skills are fine for what she is proposed to be in terms of entertaining mainstream artist. When we were younger, we used to look at her as something over the top, but now it's clear that she's closer to every other mainstream pop artist, and to me I just accepted that. Even she is assuming that. I remember more recently she once said she does rock-influenced pop music. I liked this definition, it seems more mature of her to be "labeled" like that. The way Britney played piano in Onyx Tour isnt much far from they way Avril played piano in Slipped Away during Bonez Tour.
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oneofthoseguys
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Post by oneofthoseguys on May 22, 2024 1:38:04 GMT
Her instrument playing is extremely basic, and has been for years. I used to think she was really good; 10-year-old me admired her for her instrument skills. But I've learned to play the piano and taught myself guitar since then (I'm not that good, though, lol). I've also learned some theory regarding drums, though I've never played them myself (I'd love to try one day!). And I've watched tons of other artists play these instruments. Ever since I've gained these skills and this knowledge, I can't help but cringe whenever I see Avril play piano or guitar, because she's just not that good (I don't really mind her super basic drumming that much because I never got the impression she was serious about it; I guess she just wanted to fool around with it a bit). Her guitar skills are fine, I guess; I think you can see that mostly in older videos (LG and UMS era). But for at least the past decade, she's mostly just been strumming some chords here or there. I can hardly call that playing guitar tbh. And whenever she plays the piano, I want to cry out in frustration at her finger placement, which is so "first couple of piano lessons". None of this would be an issue for me if she didn't act like she was actually good at these instruments, or if I could at least see some progress compared to 20 years ago, but there doesn't seem to be any tbh. Of course, it's possible she has gotten better and, for whatever reason, just doesn't like to show it on stage or in music videos? But tbh, I doubt that... :/ Hell yes! She seems allergic to study anything. She refuses to evolve. She also said that she doesnt like to learn and rehearsal new songs during HAW era. To me, nothing is more cringe than Avril playing drums. Song 2 was cool way back in 2005. After that she started using this moment on her show to reforce her "brand". This is just another lazy strategy to occupy the space of an entire song during her 60 min concerts.
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oneofthoseguys
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Post by oneofthoseguys on May 22, 2024 1:45:40 GMT
Some artists are critically acclaimed by various music-nerd bubbles on the internet and by respected magazines and sites, yet they remain comfort, 'basic,' lighthearted, and entertaining artists who haven't changed or evolved much, like these Carly Rae Jepsen-type of artists. I have a theory that these artists aren't pressured to change or evolve and keep being acclaimed for doing the same just because they haven't achieved massive commercial success, so people don't constantly hear about them or care enough to complain. I don't think Avril's artistic growth and versatility is much different from that of artists like those that fall under Charli XCX, Carly, categories... However, because Avril doesn't sing about doing drugs or staying up all night at the club, people often perceive her songs as not as mature as those from these musicians who haven't grown or evolved that much from their first records. And there's nothing wrong with writing about that, of course. I appreciate them a lot myself. But just look at the reviews for 'Love Sux': some say it's immature, while others claim it's a more 'adult' album just because of the f-bombs. I can't take this too seriously. Mature sometimes is so abstract even for those who write critics. I think she is just restrained in her song writing, she doesn't like revealing too much. Its not like we're asking her to reveal names on her lyrics. That's why good songwriters use metaphors
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TamyXD
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Post by TamyXD on May 22, 2024 2:02:08 GMT
I just mentioned these artists not for comparison between them, but rather to highlight what would be a norm in the music industry that applies to several artists. I don't think they are pretending to be good or elevated instrumentalists, but it's just part of their persona, most of them just play what they are to able to and what they know, not for some kind of music recital purposes but actually as pure entertainers. For instance, look at Britney Spears trying to play Everytime on the piano. She could barely sing and was even worse at playing, even though people consider this one of her most famous performances. I think Avril's skills are fine for what she is proposed to be in terms of entertaining mainstream artist. When we were younger, we used to look at her as something over the top, but now it's clear that she's closer to every other mainstream pop artist, and to me I just accepted that. Even she is assuming that. I remember more recently she once said she does rock-influenced pop music. I liked this definition, it seems more mature of her to be "labeled" like that. I guess the thing for me is, that I never truly saw Avril as just another mainstream artist / entertainer (that's one of the things why I'm a fan). Why should I, when she's always described herself as a singer, "professional rocker", and always liked to put emphasis on how she writes all her songs and can play multiple instruments? Of course this was also a marketing gimmick back in the 2000s. But then why is she still doing it? Why does she still only strum a chord here and there when "playing" guitar on stage? Why did we see her sitting at the piano, very poorly pretending to play in her music video for TMIO? Does she really still need this marketing gimmick 20-ish years into her career? I don't think so. From what I see nowadays (i.e. Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo), I don't even think that's a "thing" anymore in the pop music industry? So, the only conclusion I can draw, is that Avril is still using her limited instrumental skills as not much more than "show". And I just don't like that. I wish she'd either just not do it and instead focus more on her voice, or that she'd actually work a bit more on her skills, at least get them back to what they were like during the first three eras.
I must've missed that interview when she described her music as rock-influenced pop. I quite like this definition, too, it suits her / her music very well.
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Post by πΊπππππ . πͺππππ β
on May 22, 2024 3:08:04 GMT
Well.. even though i think your opinions guys ^ are a little harsh, something is right here. I used to have guitar lessons, and the very first song i wanted to learn was MHE. I remember the teacher doing some listening and knowing the chords by hear. He listened to a few Avril songs here and there.. then went "Pretty much all of her songs have very easy/basic strumming patterns. Not much of a challenge honestly." And it was like, back in 2007-2008 ? So, yeah. This (sadly) says it all.
But it makes me wonder then.. how much can she really play guitar ? How far can she get with this instrument ? Y'all know i'm french canadian, but you get where i'm going..
I've always seen Avril like such a hard worker, dedicated person about her music. Like, she gave her all. But sometimes you guys make me see things from a very different perspective. Or maybe it's because i'm all grown up now haha! Joke aside, this is true, as much as i hate to admit it. She doesn't really seem to make effort anymore, or, from a general public eye it may appear so. But the fanbase, and long time fans knows otherwise ... huh.. it really sucks.
I wonder why she just.. takes it easy? Sometimes i feel like she's bored or i don't know. She gave a really good show when i saw her live, but then, again, no really big surprises. If not, at all. Singles.
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lucasm
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Post by lucasm on May 22, 2024 5:41:48 GMT
I'm a big fan of Avril because her music (and her voice) speaks to me. From the happiest moments to the most intimate ones. From when I was a teenager and listened to Sk8ber Boi or Tomorrow or Mobile (I felt something there), to Innocence with my girlfriend haha, or Hush Hush when I was 18, or Remeber When, today, as a young adult remembering love.
There is a beauty in Avril's music, in her voice. Even if she ignores the non-singles at this current stage of her career.
I thank God she is alive and active after Lyme. I just LOVE how she doesn't create gossip about her life and doesn't frantically expose herself. Would you like to know more as a fan? Yes, but I believe that this is the space she has a right to in her life. Avril is not the darling of the industry, because she doesn't submit to certain things. She put her foot down with record companies, from GL onwards. This has consequences for this industry.
I hope Avril's team can be smarter and bring the fandom vision to her. We support her and we want her to see this: we want good production at AL8, we love unreleaseds, B-sides and even commemorative editions, like UMS 20.
Yesterday, I watch a video saying "the next Avril tour is starting in a few days", and do you know which song people were screaming and jumping to? Avril's most popular hits. Avril is right, release a GH album and tour, paving the way for AL8.
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katy
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Post by katy on May 22, 2024 6:26:15 GMT
I canβt comment on her skills with instruments cos Iβve no idea but I would like her to incorporate more into her live shows again. She used to play them quite a bit during the Bonez/TBDTour but slowly stopped. If she canβt give loads of energy itβs a good way to have her doing something on stage rather than stand around or do the odd jump.
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oneofthoseguys
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Post by oneofthoseguys on May 22, 2024 11:53:18 GMT
Yesterday, I watch a video saying "the next Avril tour is starting in a few days", and do you know which song people were screaming and jumping to? Avril's most popular hits. Avril is right, release a GH album and tour, paving the way for AL8. Hell yes! We're so ready for the GH Tour. It's been 10 years since Avril gently started preparing ourselves for the monumental moment (at least for more than 2 tours). The way for AL8 is paved for more than one decade!!!
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whateverjustaname
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Post by whateverjustaname on May 22, 2024 11:57:24 GMT
I agree that it would be great if she played more guitar or piano in her shows again. The other day my husband watched an old concert from the UMS era, some AOL show, she played 11 songs and in 7 of them she played guitar!
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falling
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Post by falling on May 22, 2024 12:11:50 GMT
Thanks to Avril, I learned to play guitar! I started with those songs that she herself played on the guitar during LG-UMS. And yes, these are the simplest tracks. All her songs are very simple in this regard and I'm sure she could play them all if she wanted. She plays very basic chords, but with a capo she can play the same chords but in a different key. And as others have said, I also think that her skills are quite sufficient for a pop artist.
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