What is fulfilling in learning to play piano?

[go12_3]

For me playing the piano takes me to another sphere, when I don't have to think about anybody nor anything except my music, how the notes blend together and so forth. 
I love the challenge of learning difficult pieces.....ah, the satisfaction when finally the fingering and tempo comes together, and how the sounds of the notes upon the score just comes alive.  And when the piece get polished, then I begin learning another piece.  I have several to work on, but that is what is fulfilling----the music and playing the piano never stops within me.....

best wishes,

go12_3

[db05]

When the result of my hard work, that is my music is being recognized, it all seems worth it...

and then they ask me to play a scale
and then they ask me to sight read
and then they ask me to improv

... and then they ask me to play guitar instead.

Cheers,
db05isnotrecognized

[authentic]

It's one of the most honest pursuits in existence.
There is simply now way to cheat playing well.
There is no drug that you can take or machine you can use.
I have the utmost respect for other players since I know that their performances represent the fruit of much labor.
For me, there is a an incomparable sense of personal achievement from learning to play a piece you like.

Listening to myself back also puts me in a totally different emotional state from playing.
Yes, playing is fun, but when doing so you cannot help but concentrate and mustn't abandon all cares.
However, listening to yourself back on a recording (and liking it!) is like a personal reward for work done.

I do think there is also a sense of fulfillment from playing for others.
If only we all could truly savour it and not be nervous.

[csharp_minor]

Some really nice responses; I can relate to, too. Here’s my mine ( a beginner’s view ):

I find being able to work on a new piece is an achievement as you then feel you have progressed on the previous one and can now tackle another, that may be harder or may have a technical aspect you can learn and overcome.
 
Hearing the very first bar of a piece you love and have always wanted to play come together, hearing those familiar opening chords or melody come out of your piano because it’s played by YOU! Even if at first it sounds uneven.

Overcoming the technical aspect of a piece so you can play it without needing to concentrate much.

Thinking ‘oh no! I will never get through this piece!’ but after some time you can and do.

After having learned a piece so well you hardly need to concentrate, the music just comes out and it is at this point you can fully enjoy your efforts and get lost in the piece you can now play .

Learning more all the time and getting better piece after piece. I find it is quite easy to see your progress in this activity.

Getting better at sight reading! Ok I can only sight read to grade one level okish but I am beginning to see I am making progress. Today I worked out that a piece I was looking at uses the C major cadences for the first few chords after just looking at it for a short time then my hands new exactly what to do. I know it’s not much but it’s the start of being able to identify the structure of music for me, and to be able to learn pieces quickly. Written music this time last year was a completely alien language to me.   

Geting better at improv that in turn will help you to work on some of your own compositions eventually! 

I'm sure there will be more things for me to discover I have yet to play of anyone properly (except my teacher)