Why do you play the piano???

[eyeballnick]

Why do u play the piano? what made you start learning?

Sheer fascination?
Parent decision?
Enjoyment?

etc etc

For me i think it was just the love of the sound and the pieces written compared to the modern stuff. Started listenin and prefering and leaning

[oscarr111111]

for me its a secondary instrument I play as a hobby, I play electric/upright bass as a profession so I need a little variation .

[hyrst]

What made me start learning?  Well...
I loved anything to do with movement and music when I was little.  I wanted to dance, sing and my mother had an old organ in the house I played on a bit - like a 4 year old will.  I was a determined child with a mother who was plain cruel.  (Not complaining, but it is true.)  Part of me always had enough spirit to not want her to defeat me :-)  Anyway, I desperately wanted to learn dancing or music.  She always refused - I couldn't dance cause I was too fat, clumsy, etc.  When it came to music, the answer was I couldn't read books so I couldn't read music.  That was an answer I could, and did, fix.  I won!!!  :-)

I have never lost that passion - I play because I want to.  Nobody can or will take that away from me!!  I love the sound and I love the movement.  Now I also love the intellectual stimulation and challenge for achieving my own goals.  

[general disarray]

I have never lost that passion - I play because I want to.  Nobody can or will take that away from me!!  I love the sound and I love the movement.  Now I also love the intellectual stimulation and challenge for achieving my own goals.  

I love your passion, hyrst.  That's a great story of transcendence.

I started at four because I ran headlong into sliding glass doors and crashed through them.  Everything that could have been lacerated was . . . including hands and arms.  Well, my two great aunts were rather well known concert artists and insisted that piano lessons begin then and there to help in the healing.  I sat down at the keyboard and haven't gotten up since.

p.s. you should read Tricia Tunstall's very moving memoir about teaching piano, entitled "Note by Note."  Published by Simon & Schuster so it should be available in Australia.

Best,

Whit

[dnephi]

Because ... well... to quote someone who shall remain anonymous, "Scriabin is BETTER than drugs." 

[concerto_love]

After heard someone's playing beethoven He's a local pianist and I really impressed that a local pianist could play like that...

[eyeballnick]

for me its a secondary instrument I play as a hobby, I play electric/upright bass as a profession so I need a little variation .

Ah thats good, what profession? session? or band?
I used to play a little electric and acoustic guitar. didnt get very far butttttttt was still enjoyable

[eyeballnick]

What made me start learning?  Well...
I loved anything to do with movement and music when I was little.  I wanted to dance, sing and my mother had an old organ in the house I played on a bit - like a 4 year old will.  I was a determined child with a mother who was plain cruel.  (Not complaining, but it is true.)  Part of me always had enough spirit to not want her to defeat me :-)  Anyway, I desperately wanted to learn dancing or music.  She always refused - I couldn't dance cause I was too fat, clumsy, etc.  When it came to music, the answer was I couldn't read books so I couldn't read music.  That was an answer I could, and did, fix.  I won!!!  :-)

I have never lost that passion - I play because I want to.  Nobody can or will take that away from me!!  I love the sound and I love the movement.  Now I also love the intellectual stimulation and challenge for achieving my own goals.  

Thats fantastic!!!!!!

[eyeballnick]

I love your passion, hyrst.  That's a great story of transcendence.

I started at four because I ran headlong into sliding glass doors and crashed through them.  Everything that could have been lacerated was . . . including hands and arms.  Well, my two great aunts were rather well known concert artists and insisted that piano lessons begin then and there to help in the healing.  I sat down at the keyboard and haven't gotten up since.

p.s. you should read Tricia Tunstall's very moving memoir about teaching piano, entitled "Note by Note."  Published by Simon & Schuster so it should be available in Australia.

Best,

Whit

Yeah i'll have a read of that.........sliding through doors, Ouch!! but its interesting how things unfold, and how a bad scenario can lead to possible the best thing in your life, i bet when that happend you wouldnt have though ouch this herts but i bet i will be playing the piano in the future becuase of it.......

[eyeballnick]

After heard someone's playing beethoven He's a local pianist and I really impressed that a local pianist could play like that...

What piece was he playing?

[hyrst]

I love your passion, hyrst. 

Thanks  

I started at four because I ran headlong into sliding glass doors and crashed through them.  Everything that could have been lacerated was . . . including hands and arms.  Well, my two great aunts were rather well known concert artists and insisted that piano lessons begin then and there to help in the healing.  I sat down at the keyboard and haven't gotten up since.

Your story is also inspiring.

[aewanko]

Mainly to release tension. Often get stressed at school. Most of the time, I play Scriabin, Beethoven funeral march, Chopin funeral march and Bach-Busoni Chorale Preludes.

[webern78]

So that i can look pretentious and feel superior to others.

[dnephi]

So that i can look pretentious and feel superior to others.

What a noble cause!    Almost as good as mine.

[eyeballnick]

So that i can look pretentious and feel superior to others.

Haha yeah nice answer

[Petter]

To overcome depression and fear.

[oscarr111111]

Ah thats good, what profession? session? or band?
I used to play a little electric and acoustic guitar. didnt get very far butttttttt was still enjoyable

Session mainly, but I only session part time right now as well as a little private teaching.  I'm studying music at uni and doing temp work like crazy at the moment mainly to fund moving to London and putting everything into getting somewhere with music for a few years after I finish uni (which I'll hopefully get a first for).  I've got loads of little bands and projects going, but nothing serious at the moment.

Yea I think its always good to play a little guitar, its just a fun 'casual' instrument and theres always one around at friends houses and stuff.

[arensky]

Not sure. I just do.

[quantum]

Because I want to lean how to fly a plane, but piano is much safer. 

[eyeballnick]

To overcome depression and fear.

I think  for alot of people its about somthing deeper isnt it? just like you. Its somthing about the piano that calms people, that talk for them, songs without words.

[enderw20]

Chicks dig it.

[eyeballnick]

Chicks dig it.

Hahaha V true, was a gold mine in college

[elbert]

I don'nt....or not always.....It plays me....draws me....calls to me.....holds me there.....and gives to me more than I can infinately concieve.

[lostinidlewonder]

It keeps a roof over my head.

[eyeballnick]

It keeps a roof over my head.

Ah right, what do you do ? teach? perform?? ok - What made u start playing? it wasnt always a career was it?

Nick

[hyrst]

Pardon me, as this is probably pathetic, but this creates a weird cartoon in my mind.

It keeps a roof over my head.

ok - What made u start playing?

I see the ceiling starting to crumble.  The hole is getting larger by the second.  "Oh no! What can we do?!"  I  see a piano in the corner of the room,  "I wonder what that does?" 
Starts playing and the roof, wouldn't you know it, starts rising again like a film reversed.  Better keep playing the piano!

I told you it was pathetic - but when I get a silly idea in my head, well ....!

[alpacinator1]

Because my mommy told me to.

[rc]

Pardon me, as this is probably pathetic, but this creates a weird cartoon in my mind.
I see the ceiling starting to crumble.  The hole is getting larger by the second.  "Oh no! What can we do?!"  I  see a piano in the corner of the room,  "I wonder what that does?" 
Starts playing and the roof, wouldn't you know it, starts rising again like a film reversed.  Better keep playing the piano!

I told you it was pathetic - but when I get a silly idea in my head, well ....!

HAhah!  I love it, I always have moments like this...  I'll be sitting with my friends and start laughing at some weird cartoony idea that pops into my head and nobody knows what's going on

[pianochick93]

My mum and dad started me off when I was 4, but I didn't really want to do it. I stopped but towards the end of primary school started mucking around teaching myself from the choir books. In high school I got into music class and had to prepare a solo, I did one of the choir songs, which was a basic melody with chord accompaniment. One of the other pianists (who is really good now) played his own composition and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. he played both really really well, and I swore that I'd start learning piano properly rather than mucking around so someday I could be as good as him. He also plays classical pieces very well, he's musical, technical...everything. I probably wont ever be as good as him and I don't really want to anymore, because that would require more time than I have, but I have gained a love of classical music and a desire to play and express myself. Very few things could stop me loving piano right now.

[concerto_love]

Well... I hate piano for such a long time.... But now, I LOVE it... 

[pianochick93]

Why did you hate it?

[concerto_love]

I was a VERY difficult student b4, I never practice n my teacher scolded me, that's why....

[pianochick93]

Ah, ok.

[m]

Why do u play the piano?

No idea.

what made you start learning?

Sheer fascination?

Sheer stupidity

Best, M

[goldentone]

I play because I love it.  And because I need it.

[concerto_love]

We can't life without playing piano