Piano
I decided to treat myself during the summer to a new digital grand piano. I don’t have room for an acoustic one so this is the next best thing. It has eighty-eight full-size weighted keys, hammer action and has the feel of a real piano. It has a small range of piano types, including harpsichord, but it’s not a synthesiser. It wasn’t designed to provide a wide range of sounds and styles. Its job is a piano, and it does it remarkably well. I’ve been involved with music and technology all my life, and it’s great that I’m still impressed when I get a new bit of kit.
Switching from a standard keyboard to this was interesting. The feel of the weighted keys, the stretch of the fingers, additional travel of each key as its pressed and the touch sensitivity, took time to get used to. I’ve worked through that and I’m pleased with progress. I’ve been lazy over the years with scales and actual practicing, so I’m back to doing the daily routine with theory and pushing myself with some challenging pieces. My sight reading is getting up to speed, though I can feel my brain struggling with the sheet music. I do a bit of the usual pop/rock stuff of just sitting down and banging out chords and riffs, but my goal is to get back to the classics. No point in making it easy for myself. As an aside, I mentioned the classics as a catch-all term there. I’m studying pieces from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, but will not be limiting myself to them. Any period is of interest to me, it’s just my focus is on those periods at this time.
I’m back into Bach, battling my way through Beethoven and carrying on with Chopin. It’s hard to believe but I noted in part 33 of this series of blog posts in February 2023, that playing in public at a railway station is on my bucket list. I’m on my way. I’ve never played piano in public or for anyone for that matter, and one excuse was the worry about being faced with a real piano. This new purchase has taken care of that and should make for a smooth and easy transition. I’ve already chosen the pieces I’m going to play and rehearsals are underway. I don’t know when I will go for this, I just know I’m going to do so at some point.
I’m reading a book on music theory to refresh my memory. I recall a good deal of it, but I need to fully understand this and be able to translate what I’m learning back into the pieces of music I’m studying. I’ve raked through my music collection for examples of the classics and making time to listen to them, to help fully immerse myself in this journey. I’ve also bought a few more CDs as I like to collect physical media. Many charity shops in the towns have stocks of old CDs, and classical music is no exception. It means I can pick up copies for around a pound which is a great bargain.
The Fiction Factory 