What made you learn to play piano?

[tril]

I got a much older cousin who had an old piano and taught me to play a four hand song for kids at a bday party. Can't remember which... then a music school opened in my small town and my mum asked me if I wanted to go! I was like YES!! I was 8 or 9.

[p2u_]

What made you learn to play piano?

I heard Sviatoslav Richter for the first time and I knew I wanted to be like that. Besides, he had the same physique as one of my favorite uncles who had just died around that time. Those same features in the face, reminding of a Soviet colonel. And hands so huge and strong, but still capable of incredible tenderness.

Paul

[zezhyrule]

I was five and my parents threw me into piano lessons. So them, I guess 

My (somewhat) newfound love for classical music is what has recently pushed me to actually practice and improve instead of just playing around on the piano every now and then like I used to.

[black_keys]

I saw the hungarian rhapsody no. 2 in Tom and Jerry and i liked it 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

My aunt got me into it.  At first, it was kinda mandatory.  My parents and aunt forced me to start piano. 

But little did they know, they would have trouble getting me to stop playing when they were trying to sleep at night!

[j_menz]

I always wanted to.

[hfmadopter]

As A child I was attracted to the keys of a relatives upright piano. I liked organ music  and again the keys attracted me. Had no clue what to do with them. One day my parents rounded me up and asked if I would like music lessons. I hadn't thought of it but ya that sounds good !  Then what instrument. Immediately said piano or organ. Those were too big an investment. Well then saxaphone or maybe violin but a remote maybe. So being a Polish household I recieved accordion lessons and a new accordian. Took lessons for 4 years at the Delray School of Music in Worcester Ma. US. then dropped it.

In early adult hood that piano I sat at as a child was starting to eat at me, how do you work those keys compared with the accordian. One day I was driving down the road at luch time from work and here was this upright piano on the side of the road outside an old general store, waiting to be disgarded I believe. I bought that for I think $75, got it home on the back of a borrowed truck with a lift gate on it, had it tuned and started piano lessons. A few years later I got my Grand I still have now and most likely will still own when I check out of this word..

[tril]

No, no, no! "Tenderness" was something I associated with Richter and his Schubert. Couldn't think of any other word.

Paul

I know, I was just kidding

[refugepiano]

You see, it came in a time of need. Let me explain:

I wanted to learn the piano as far as I can remember right now. However, since I come from a poor family in Chihuahua, Mexico, where only two places I know have pianos (which were only available to students), so learning piano was out of the question for a long time. Instead, I learnt to play the recorder and violin (not willingly, as I wanted to learn piano) by myself. When I was eleven my parents finally had enough money to buy a really cheap keyboard, but still it was not a piano and I had no teacher, so I'm not sure if I could consider it as learning the piano.

A year and a half later I joined a then-new local orchestra in violin, but I did ask the percussion teacher to teach me piano. However the violin teacher criticised me very harshly and I wanted to stop music altogether, as I felt very hopeless and as it was a waste of time, as I would never be good. The percussion teacher did suggested for me to enter the Conservatory of Music and learn piano there, and so I did.

I joined the Conservatory in 2009 under a very good teacher and it was my first time I played and actual real acoustic piano, but because the previous disappointment with music I rarely practised. Furthermore, I hurt my wrist about 3/4 a year with this teacher, and couldn't play with my left hand for 5-6 months. When I finally managed to play I did practised more than before, but not a substantial amount.

Then in 2010 something happened. A very close friend to me died by a stroke. He was only 15 years old. This made me think something: I could die at any moment. I can die by a stroke, a heart attack at any age, or worse I could be killed in the war that is currently raging on. So why is life living? Every day was worse than the one before, family and friends constantly dying. I became suicidal, and to a certain degree I wanted to commit homicide.

Music came to me as a need. I had lived and seen too much suffering, and the music through the piano helped me overcome my situation. I wanted to become better person, a better musician, and almost unconsciously I decided to become a performing pianist. Will I succeed or fail, I don't know and I have yet to live. But I will not give up.

Music gave me hope in my life, in a time of need. Now I want to make music to give hope to others who need it.

And that made learn the piano.

[newkidintown]

My mom signed me up in kindergarten because she played piano when she was in kindergarten. However, she quit after two years and I didn't, so.

Nothing exciting, haha.

[unholeee]

i was broke over the easter break last year so decided to clean up, hidden in the hallway was an old cheap keyboard. i then opened up youtube..

[chadbrochill17]

I took lessons until I was about 10 or so, but they were never my idea so I despised the piano. My dad has always been a huge fan of classical, but I never understood it. However, this last year, I'm 20 now, I have become addicted to it. Last summer I bought a Chopin CD containing all the nocturnes, preludes, waltzes, ballades and concertos and I fell in love with the piano.
I still remembered how to read sheet music as I played alto saxophone in high school so I decided to pick the piano back up. I printed off Chopin's Nocturne op. 9 no 2 in E flat and I learned it note by note as a present for my then girlfriend.
And now I have no idea what I'm doing as I don't have a teacher hahaha. I also decided to pursue a music minor and I will be taking lessons from Cleveland Institute of Music folks, but until then I'm just stumbling about the piano.

Cheers

[danhuyle]

Rhapsody Rabbit - the Bugs Bunny version of Tom & Jerry's Cat Concerto. Liszt pieces played in the movie Shine.

[roseamelia]

The piano said to me "one day you will be good at playing me!" So it inspired me to do it. just kidding! When I first played that first key..... it hit me I LOVE this instrument!then my mom said to my my dad "I think we should get her lessons!" so here I am doing lessons for 2 and a half years and in level 5. I'm currently learning, 3 part movement with Allouette,Au claire de lune and sur le point de'avignon

[twinklestarpurgatory]

Long story short...  Always wanted to learn but never thought I could do it (too many keys, too few fingers... lol).  Fast forward to my 49th birthday, I get an xbox and some months later I discover Guitar Hero.  Played guitar hero 2-3 hours a day and after a couple months I came to the realization that time I was spending pretending to play a guitar, I could use to actually learn to play a real instrument.  So I bought a cheap keyboard, found a teacher willing to teach an adult (not an easy task in my area) and started learning.  After a month, I bought an $800 keyboard and have learned I love classical and baroque music (I used to rank them down the list with opera and rap). 

At 8 months, I finished Alfred's all-in-one adult level 1, half way through level 2.  Completed Exploring Piano Classics Prep and Level 1, Completed the book Favorite Classics, Learned two Clementi Sonatinas, Learned Fur Elise (teacher started me on this in my 3rd month -- still polishing it-I don't think it'll ever end). 

Currently, I'm working on Chopin Nocturn in Cm (Op.27.1), Mozart' Ah Vous Dirais-je Maman (I can play variation 2 at half speed, variation 3 at half speed and learning variation 4), Well Tempered Clavier Prelude and Fugue in G, plus I work on my Alfred's All-In-One in an attempt to round out my playing into areas other than classical and baroque music.

My only regret is I didn't do this 20+ years ago.

[benjamindunnett]

What made me learn? - my parents!
What made me keep going? A love affair with the piano that has never ceased! When I'm sat at the piano I feel connected to something deep, something really special. You know that feeling where music expresses the thoughts/emotions you can't find words for?
That's what playing the piano does for me.
All the best,
Ben

https://www.benjamindunnett.com

[hfmadopter]

What made me learn? - my parents!
What made me keep going? A love affair with the piano that has never ceased! When I'm sat at the piano I feel connected to something deep, something really special. You know that feeling where music expresses the thoughts/emotions you can't find words for?
That's what playing the piano does for me.
All the best,
Ben

https://www.benjamindunnett.com

I like this, also I can't sing. If I could sing I might sing, so instead to have that outlet I do it through an instrument. The piano is my instrument. One thing is for sure though, if I sang I could never have the tonal range in my voice that the piano gives. Secondly, since taking back up with my piano I'm not singing my thoughts in my head any longer. I thought maybe I was going crazy there for a while ! Ya know when you think to yourself  I'll go to the store now too pick up afew things and that thought is in musical rythm and notes of Ave Maria you really need to get back to some kind of musical outlet.

[williamraym]

It looks fun when I was a kid and I saw some great pianist on some videos and was much more inspired so I decided to learn it and I am enjoying learning, and I am currently teaching myself to play.

[pianoplayjl]

Rather, who made me play piano. Mum made me. And for that I am grateful.

JL

[timothyvanwing]

I wanted to learn it because my older sisters started lessons. After a couple of years, my piano teacher stopped teaching, and I stopped. But I always enjoyed it. When high school came along, I decided to take lessons again. I very quickly excelled and now I am very glad that I took lessons again. I'm thinking about majoring in music when I go to college next year.