Internet Information Service

Bringing the Joys of Piano Playing to all.

Posted in Music |

Few can resist the enchantment of hearing a piano being well played, especially when the tune is familiar or a favourite. There are all sorts of piano available nowadays, but that certainly wasn’t the case in the early 1700s. The piano was invented in Padova, Italy, by a skilled craftsman called Bartolomeo Cristofori at the turn of the 18th century.

Do you know the full name for the piano? You may think it is the pianoforte, but actually the word piano is derived from the ancient Italian name for the instrument, gravicembalo col piano e forte. Roughly translated, that means ‘harpsichord with soft and loud’.

Nowadays we have a great range of pianos to choose from, depending on our circumstances and needs, from the mighty Grand Piano to the ingenious, portable Playanywherepiano. Each has its place. The Grand Piano, with its strings stretching horizontally away from the keyboard, is a very large and imposing instrument, usually highly polished and played by an elegantly dressed pianist. It looks and sounds supreme when played in a spacious room with high ceiling, and especially in a concert hall. A ‘Baby Grand’ or ‘Boudoir Grand’ is much smaller than a Concert Grand, but is still spectacular to see.

Perhaps it is the Upright Piano that is most familiar to us all, from the conventional sitting room variety to the honky-tonk pub instrument -perhaps with its back panel removed- often irreverently used as a surface for beer glasses in crowded pubs. The Upright is also known as the Vertical Piano, since the frame and strings are placed vertically.

As long as 150 years ago, those who loved to listen to piano music, or who aspired to play, could be entertained by a Player Piano. It was in 1863 that Henri Fourneaux invented this ingenious piano, using special rolls that struck the piano keys without a pianist in sight, seemingly automatically. This was seen as great fun and very modern!

In the 1980s, digital keyboards made their entrance, with new technology that could reproduce the sounds of other instruments. These keyboards also introduced a range of tones, rhythms, demo tunes, and other effects. Conveniently, a solo keyboard player could become a one-man-band in pubs and clubs, being equipped with his own rhythm section, with a separate amplification system, and a microphone for singing and announcements.

After all these years, live piano music is still enchanting to us. What is it that sends us into a little trance when we hear music?

Handel, in Rodelinda, says:

‘Art thou troubled? Music will calm thee. Art thou weary? Rest shall be thine. Music, source of all gladness, Heals thy sadness at her shrine. Music, music, ever divine.’

Shakespeare, in the voice of Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night, says:

‘If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it……’

Clearly, music has great power over our moods. It has always been known as a soother for stress, and anxiety, and as a fan for the flames of romance. How much more emotionally rich is the person who can appreciate music, and better still, express himself by playing an instrument. A whole new side of one’s nature can be awakened, and an overall balance brought to one’s life with music.

Learning to play the piano used to be the province of the rich because a piano was - and still is - an item of some privilege. Owning a good, well-tuned traditional piano requires money, for it requires more than its own space, regular tuning, polishing, an even temperature, and, of course, spacious accommodation so that all the family does not have to listen to the practising novice! These factors somewhat restrict the popularity of traditional pianos in current times, when houses are generally smaller, people move home more frequently, and furniture is more regularly replaced with new styling. But surely every home needs the opportunity for learning a keyboard instrument?

Think of a young child, confident and fully-equipped with curiosity for all types of learning. Should we not capitalise on his eagerness to master another skill? There is so much more for the child to acquire in the process of learning to play the keyboard - there is the discipline of regular practice, the joy of gradually mastering a new skill, the concentration of working at a project alone, and the carry-over effect of learning to harmonise, and eventually to blend in skilfully with other young musicians in a group. Every child has the potential to be musical, whether as a performer or composer, or by just deriving joy from ‘tinkling the keys’.

Have you developed your musical personality yet? It is such a shame that every family cannot afford their own piano, but the truth is that, for reasons already mentioned, a bulky upright piano just does not fit the bill in most modern lifestyles today. Luckily there is a superb alternative. It is the roll-up, portable Playanywherepiano.

The Playanywherepiano is made of top-quality silicone, and weighs in at less than a kilo. It comes in four sizes, with 32, 37, 49 or 61 standard size keys, and fits into a neat little carrying pouch that is much smaller than the average handbag. The roll-up piano uses four small batteries or a mains adaptor. My family has found this to be a brilliant instrument, with all the fun of the ‘Old Joanna’ but without any of the disadvantages. It took just a short while to get used to the different feel and pressure of the keys, and the instrument has 16 key polyphony, which means that you can play as many notes in a chord as you like. The larger models have 124 different tones, 100 rhythms, and 20 demo tunes and the smaller models have a reduced number, but still a generous amount. All of the keyboards include ‘Happy Birthday’, as well as other seasonal favourites in the demo tune list, so you can have live sing-along music at your party while the candles are being blown out!

This amazing instrument is particularly popular in Japan, where young children are encouraged to learn music from a very young age. Many musical child prodigies emerge from Japan, as we all know. The smaller keyboard versions are perfect for the classroom since they fit on a desk top so easily. Being a teacher, I have found these pianos really versatile in my classroom. I love to see the satisfaction on young infant and junior faces when a new tune has been mastered, or even when a scale can be played evenly. Each child can work at his own pace without any feeling of pressure or competition. The sense of self-satisfaction is tangible! I believe that every school should have a set of flexible keyboards so that children of all ages can have the chance to develop their musical talent while absorbing all the bonuses that go along with acquiring musical skill - concentration, perseverance, cooperation, self-expression, and lasting satisfaction. The added beauty of the Playanywherepiano is that practice needn’t be heard: just plug in the headset while the learner is perfecting the fingering or the tune, and it is silent for all nearby. For a more dramatic performance, the Playanywherepiano can be linked by a cable to a PC or Midi system for a full ‘orchestral’ sound.

No longer does the BBQ, the beach, camping, or the picnic have to rely on the radio for background entertainment - now the Playanywherepiano can take its place of honour and accompany the musical gusto of the assembled guests, anywhere you choose.

This instrument is ideal for young and old alike, whether beginner or professional. Even the accomplished pianist can have a last-minute rehearsal in his or her hotel the evening before the concert without anybody hearing a single note!

So, the enchantment of live piano music is still with us today, but now the disadvantages of the unwieldy, expensive traditional instrument have been completely removed with the high-tech development of the roll-up piano. From the stately Grand Piano to the superb roll-up Playanywherepiano, live music can still be enjoyed by us all.

I love the piano and those who love the piano. The piano as a medium for expression is a whole world by itself. No other instrument can fill or replace its own say in the world of emotion, sentiment, poetry, imagery and fancy. How I agree with Leopold Godowsky, who wrote these words in Paris in 1931. For more details of this brilliant invention, visit www. playanywherepiano.com.

Margaret Sheridan-Wallis, M.A., has devoted her life to working with children, as a highly-acclaimed teacher, a parent, and now a grandparent. She is passionate about bringing out the best in young people, helping them express themselves effectively. Music, she believes, should be in everybody’s life, as this article shows.

Courtesy of http://www.articles-hub.com

Share and Enjoy: