What do you get out of playing piano?

[anacrusis]

So this is not so much a "why do you love piano" question, but rather, I'm curious what ultimately drives everyone to play at the end of the day. That applies to a broader set of reasons, including loving it, but it could also include purely monetary reasons, or other. In my case, for example, I'm not sure I actually like playing the piano every time I do it, but at the same time, I find that proper practice brings me a sense of peace and helps me take care of my body, and that is something positive that drives me to continue doing it even if I don't necessarily feel motivated or passionate about it every day. What does everyone here feel? What do you ultimately get out of playing? What drives you to keep doing it?

[ted]

Because improvisation, the spontaneous creation of musical sound at the instrument is the finest experience I know; a completely dependable and unpunishable ecstasy, these days made even finer by preservation through high quality recording devices.

[douweziel]

Because translating the written poetry of composers to sound moves me so much! Even better if I can move others while doing it, or if I can translate it together with someone

[anacrusis]

Because translating the written poetry of composers to sound moves me so much! Even better if I can move others while doing it, or if I can translate it together with someone

I can get behind this!

Because improvisation, the spontaneous creation of musical sound at the instrument is the finest experience I know; a completely dependable and unpunishable ecstasy, these days made even finer by preservation through high quality recording devices.

Do you collect and share your improvisations online somewhere? Youtube perhaps?

[ted]

Do you collect and share your improvisations online somewhere? Youtube perhaps?

I have posted a number of sections on Pianostreet ever since the improvisation board started and shorter bits in the ABF recitals on Pianoworld. I have never tried Youtube or public videos as I don't want to exhibit my slack technique and ursine groping to the world. Yes I collect them, now around seven hundred hours recorded in good quality and a big heap of earlier stuff on tape. Anybody who is interested can have the lot, as with a considerable pile of written compositions from earlier decades, but physical mailing of USB drives is the only practical way to do it. It is also very diverse in character. Unless I hear I have reached out into new territory upon listening each time I tend to think I have partially failed. This means that what listeners like is an ongoing mystery and I am averse to imposing my music on people.   

[sparkman123]

Playing and practicing piano composition is experiencing the composer's heart, thoughts and passion through sound. For me, I love history and playing piano pieces of the past is like having little snippets of the past and letting me experience what no history books or historical facts can adequately describe.

Also, like the other replier above, improvisation of melodies is something which gives me joy. There is something special about humming your own heart song spontaneously to the rhythm of walking steps. I think practicing piano pieces allow me to broaden my musical vocabulary to be more expressive with improvising and composing these little melodies.

[lelle]

I have been enjoying practicing with no goal in mind, just focusing on being where I'm at, so right now it's peace and some time in the moment Surprisingly some aspects of my playing seem to be developing faster now than when I was constantly hurrying and trying to get somewhere.

[zheer]

From a young age it has been my safe place, the practice rooms in school and college. Now as an adult it provides the same feeling of comfort. Basically everything will fails us, except music.

[anacrusis]

I have posted a number of sections on Pianostreet ever since the improvisation board started and shorter bits in the ABF recitals on Pianoworld. I have never tried Youtube or public videos as I don't want to exhibit my slack technique and ursine groping to the world. Yes I collect them, now around seven hundred hours recorded in good quality and a big heap of earlier stuff on tape. Anybody who is interested can have the lot, as with a considerable pile of written compositions from earlier decades, but physical mailing of USB drives is the only practical way to do it. It is also very diverse in character. Unless I hear I have reached out into new territory upon listening each time I tend to think I have partially failed. This means that what listeners like is an ongoing mystery and I am averse to imposing my music on people.   

I would disagree that making your music available to the world is imposing it on people. Say you created a youtube channel where you just shared some stuff you made, people would either watch and enjoy, or click away if they dont, it's their choice All you can really do is express yourself, document it, and put it out for the world to see. Who knows, maybe there is an audience for your music out there who are currently missing out? You never know unless you try!

Playing and practicing piano composition is experiencing the composer's heart, thoughts and passion through sound. For me, I love history and playing piano pieces of the past is like having little snippets of the past and letting me experience what no history books or historical facts can adequately describe.

Also, like the other replier above, improvisation of melodies is something which gives me joy. There is something special about humming your own heart song spontaneously to the rhythm of walking steps. I think practicing piano pieces allow me to broaden my musical vocabulary to be more expressive with improvising and composing these little melodies.

It sounds like you enjoy the communication aspect of it. The contact, human to human, even through time and space where the originator does not exist here in the physical plane any more

I have been enjoying practicing with no goal in mind, just focusing on being where I'm at, so right now it's peace and some time in the moment Surprisingly some aspects of my playing seem to be developing faster now than when I was constantly hurrying and trying to get somewhere.

That sounds awesome!

From a young age it has been my safe place, the practice rooms in school and college. Now as an adult it provides the same feeling of comfort. Basically everything will fails us, except music.

Sounds like a friend that will always be there for you in some form?

[lostinidlewonder]

Seeing a number of children grow into adults and some adults grown into seniors to me is such a great journey. Being a part of my some of my closer students social gatherings and bringing them together when I have special occasions myself is awesome.

Personally piano is a friend and mentor that has always been with me. A friend because it always gives me so much, beautiful music, soul replenishing sounds, sanctuary. A mentor because it allows me to input inexpressible emotions only to give me back something which somehow tells me what I couldn't resolve, this can be especially true when I improvise over a particular emotion or thought within me.

When I enter totally free improvisation sometimes I can enter a state where it feels like the piano is a creature of its own playing me. It is not about the quality created but the very act of being set free to go beyond my personal identity. It feels like being half asleep, like the cycle of dreaming and waking, dreaming and waking just before actually wakes up. If it wasn't wasn't recording devices I'd never really know what happened.

I'm sure this is what Ted experiences and why he mentions not wishing to impose his improvs to others. It is because the improvisation is actually beyond the need for audience, it is something between the piano and the pianist, a private conversation that isn't necessarily understood just by listening to the recording. What do we share with others often expresses something that might not actually be captured in the sound itself. This is hard to explain but i have recordings where I felt such amazing feelings but the result when listening back is highly peculiar! But we keep doing it because that feeling of freedom is just so intoxicating.

To me this is the ultimate way to communicate with your piano in a personal private setting. Yes it can be seen as being selfish for if we wanted to make improvisation for the purpose to satisfy the enjoyment of others we would submit to what might be musically valued by whatever particular niche of society, however we don't do such things because of how addictive it is to be totally free and free from oneself too.

[ted]

When I enter totally free improvisation sometimes I can enter a state where it feels like the piano is a creature of its own playing me. It is not about the quality created but the very act of being set free to go beyond my personal identity. It feels like being half asleep, like the cycle of dreaming and waking, dreaming and waking just before actually wakes up. If it wasn't wasn't recording devices I'd never really know what happened.

I'm sure this is what Ted experiences and why he mentions not wishing to impose his improvs to others. It is because the improvisation is actually beyond the need for audience, it is something between the piano and the pianist, a private conversation that isn't necessarily understood just by listening to the recording. What do we share with others often expresses something that might not actually be captured in the sound itself. This is hard to explain but i have recordings where I felt such amazing feelings but the result when listening back is highly peculiar! But we keep doing it because that feeling of freedom is just so intoxicating.

To me this is the ultimate way to communicate with your piano in a personal private setting. Yes it can be seen as being selfish for if we wanted to make improvisation for the purpose to satisfy the enjoyment of others we would submit to what might be musically valued by whatever particular niche of society, however we don't do such things because of how addictive it is to be totally free and free from oneself too.

Very well put. I personally relish that "very peculiar" listening response because it implies I have reached out into new territory. I cannot bear the prospect of spending my old age standing still, repeating the same emotional and intellectual reactions to the same sounds. Music for me is a dynamic, evolving, living process, not a static collection of sounds or a huge expanding bag of rules, technique and tricks. This is why I feel those posting all those innumerable "how to" videos about improvisation, while no doubt completely well intentioned, somehow miss the bus in a rather profound way. 

I would disagree that making your music available to the world is imposing it on people. Say you created a youtube channel where you just shared some stuff you made, people would either watch and enjoy, or click away if they dont, it's their choice All you can really do is express yourself, document it, and put it out for the world to see. Who knows, maybe there is an audience for your music out there who are currently missing out? You never know unless you try!

Probably just my laziness to a degree. I have posted a few recordings on Soundcloud but they attracted little comment, possibly because of their length of course.

https://soundcloud.com/super-bear

[pascalxus]

I like the state of mind it puts me in.  Playing a well known piece uses hot cognition and helps downregulate cold cognition/ sense of I / ego.  By playing a well known piece, it almost puts my mind in a meditative state.