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Extended definition of the Piano
Anybody who has the slightest interest in music has experienced the marvelous effect of the piano in his favorite music. In the layman’s language, the piano is a musical instrument played using a keyboard. Apparently, this definition was wrong as I came to learn later in my first piano class. I remember the day as though it was yesterday. My piano teacher defined the piano as ‘the only musical instrument required creating magic in any rhythm’. When I recall it now that I am older, I tend to think that his definition was correct. I cannot think of any song that is a world- sensation without the piano incorporated in its beat.
The piano is played at different places for various reasons. Professional pianists called the virtuosos showcase their skills in events. When I was a piano student, I would play the piano at the piano school together with other conservatoire pianists. Quite often, I played under the guidance of my teacher. However, as I began to learn the ropes, I found myself playing for longer with minimal guidance from my teacher. My dream was always to go pro in the piano playing business. I dreamt of being among the best virtuosos in my country. As people grow older, dreams change and priorities turn upside down. I am now a lazy piano player under the fancy title of recreational pianist. I play at low- level social events. I cannot help but notice that my skills are fading by the day.
According to my teacher and the internet, the piano originated from Florence, Italy in the 1700’s. Back then, piano playing was a preserve for the men. Initially, I had thought that the piano originated in America because of the many genres of American music that rely on the piano. RnB, blues, classical, and jazz derive their popularity from the piano. The country has numerous piano schools that make it seem like piano playing is an element of American culture. The piano has spread to virtually every continent. The prevailing stereotype is that Asians are more inclined to violin playing than any other musical instrument. The truth is, the piano is equally popular. In China alone, there are over 100,000 piano schools. The piano is also popular in Africa, despite its over- reliance on drums. The piano forms the baseline of the beat in many African genres.
As my teacher once told me, there is no single key to being a successful pianist. He however did point out that the best piano players have one thing in common- resilience. Contrary to popular belief, learning piano is a very tedious venture. It involves playing the same keys over and over again until they come off as pitch perfect. It may take a student over one month to play a stanza to its perfection. My teacher always told me that the best pianists spend more time at the piano than their peers combined. The cliché, practice makes perfect, always donned our conversations. He always told me that a good piano student should spend at least six hours in a day playing the piano. Although I tried my best, sometimes I would only manage to play for two hours in a day or in some instances, 0 hours.
In conclusion, the piano is a musical instrument popular in many parts of the world. The four types of piano players are the professional pianists, virtuosos, piano teachers, recreational pianists, and piano students (conservatoire pianists). Historians trace the origin of the piano to Florence, Italy in the 16th Century. Although there is no single path of being a successful piano player, the recurring commonality among genius piano players is one- numerous hours of practice.