Black and white keys

Know how some things just remind you of specific places, times, and people? For me, the piano is one of the few things that will remind me of nowhere else but home. Because the only place I’ve ever played the piano seriously is at home.

My first piano lesson was on 10 June 2001. I remember the blue book that I had to bring to class (which I sometimes misplaced or forgot to bring). I remember the old, brown piano with the soft keys. And then there’s the black Yamaha with its stiff keys and muffled sound. I’ve always loved that muffled sound, even though my fingers would hurt more than usual when I play on that piano.

Every pianist will tell you that mastering a challenging piece gives a sense of accomplishment like nothing else can. Because it is true that nothing else can quite compare to it. Letting your fingers fly over the keys with confidence – that cannot be replaced. The feeling of hitting that high note in the last cadence of the piece – that brings a sense of finality that only comes with the knowledge that you’d finished off a piece very precisely.

In piano playing, there is so much to take into consideration. That legato arc, that small staccato, that major leap, that crossing technique, that tempo rubato to follow – every piece has its own demands, its own story. Personally, I prefer classical and romantic pieces although I tend to do better in baroque pieces. Baroque pieces are structured and clear in the sense that you know where you’re going pretty well. Classical pieces lend a sense of calmness and peace while romantic pieces, with their unique tempos, paint pictures. 20th century pieces, with their quirky jumps and stunts, can make one feel slightly edgy in anticipation of what’s to come next.

I admit, throughout my years of piano playing (5 years excluding the time since I stayed outside the home in December 2007), there have been several occasions on which I got so frustrated to the point that I didn’t even want to touch the piano keys. At times, the dry spells got so long that I begun questioning why I even bothered to learn how to play in the first place. But when I finally came to terms with my frustration, I always arrived at the same answer. I just needed to feel the piece. My first piano teacher used to tell me that. Once you feel the music, you can play that demanding piece well. It’s just that sometimes the stubborn side in me wants to rush through the whole piece despite all the slips and stumbles.

Playing music is an art that is priceless. The rigor involved tests one’s will and patience, no doubt about that. But the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment more than compensate the hours spent at the instrument toiling away to perfect that last bar with the trill.

So what got me getting all nostalgic on why I love playing the piano despite all the times when I literally bang on it out of frustration? (Sometimes it gets so bad I feel like whacking the keys over and over even though my fingers already hurt like mad – yes, believe me) This video below is what it is. It’s a video of David Sides playing Beyonce’s Halo. His playing is AMAZING. Check out his other videos too. My favourite picks are Ice Box, Dead and Gone, and Man in the Mirror.

Reflecting on all this makes me miss my piano and especially my home. I’ll be back soon!