I’ve always wanted to play the piano, but I don’t have one and I don’t know how to. But I can type quite fast on a QWERTY keyboard (while looking. Not that fast while not looking, and I make a lot of mistakes too). Is this an indication that I’m not going to make a good piano player? FYI, I’m already 18 and I have long fingers.
One of the most popular types of musical instruments in the world is the piano. It has existed for hundreds of years and inspired performers from Mozart to Elton John, to put their fingers on the keys to bring awe-inspiring music to the entire world.
An instrument that makes noise when strings are struck by a keyboard has been around for a very long time, most notably in the form of the hammered dulcimers. However, the modern piano came into being in 1698, when Bartolomeo Cristofori invented it while working as the Keeper of the Instruments for Prince Ferdinand de Medicini.
The early piano was built on the technological innovations of previous inventions, including the clavichord, which uses strings struck by tangents, and the harpsichord, which is struck by quills. It is not surprising that the harpsichord played such a large role in the creation of the piano, given that Cristofori was an expert in the making of harpsichord.
Typically, piano design had a problem that caused the construction to be nearly impossible to built, which was the hammers needed to struck the string but not remain in contact. Cristofori solved this problem and his designs have been used by nearly every piano designer since that point.
It was not until 1711 that the piano became known to the public after an Italian writer praised it and included a diagram of the mechanism. After this, it became widely distributed around Europe. One instrument that was spawned by this proliferation of piano designs, was the piano.
Since that point, the piano has gone through surprisingly few changes, with the exception of the pedals which are used to dampen all the keys at once. However, without the piano, we would have never heard the music of Mozart, Beethoven, or any of the other giants of music that have dominated the landscape of the song for the past 200 years.
The piano has become so popular, that many children in North America and Europe go through piano lessons in their youth to teach them about music. Often, unlike the drums or guitar, the piano is seen as the high-class instrument, played by the intellectuals of the world.
The truth is, the piano is for everyone and its cheaper cousin, the keyboard, can be played by anyone who wants to learn. Despite its history and high-class myth, the piano has been the first instrument many people have learned, including some of the hardest rocking rock stars in pop culture history.
Today piano’s come in different shapes an sizes. There are two main shapes, the grand piano shape which the strings are parallel to the floor. These are used in concerts and professional venues of playing. The second type of piano is the upright. This type of piano has the strings perpendicular to the floor. These are used for practicing and home use. These models are much more compact the the grand piano style.
Both of these come in different sizes. The number of keys, eighty eight remains the same. The difference is that a larger instrument resonates more than a smaller model and has a richer , more complex sound.
OK so I’m 21, about to go off and join the forces with any luck, but during leave I’d like to learn how to play the piano. I am, however, worried about a few things:
1. I have the dexterity and reflexes (with regard to my fingers) of an ape- I am a boxer and a rugby forward, not an artist. Can this be changed?
2. I haven’t got the cash or time for lessons and tuition, and I have heard that the sort of keyboard that you need to learn on is very expensive to buy- true?
Thanks!
Also, am I too old at 21 to ever be any good- I thought all of the piano stars were giving concerts when they were still breastfeeding!?
I do scales and play some fast pieces I know really well before I do the actual playing, but there are some passages that I can never play comfortably. My hands stiffen unconsciously when I play something is repetitive in a short period of time, or something really fast. This keeps me from playing the piece smoothly, and sometimes I have to stop because of the pain. It might have something to do with finger dexterity, but I’m not really sure. My piano teacher doesn’t know what I should do about it.
Any suggestions about what I might be doing wrong and how I can fix it?
When I sit down and play the piano, my fingers have been feeling stiff, and so is the rest of my body. At times, I hear my brain telling me to play this note and that, and in the end I get all confused and screw up the piece. Also, I can never finish a peice without making a mistake. I feel tense, and even stressed. Can anyone tell me why is this so? And how to I get into that relaxed state of mind?