The Awesome Piano
Blondes Don't Have All of the Fun: Pianists Do!
The piano is by far the most popular instrument in the United States, and in many other countries as well. Each year, over 750,000 new ones are made around the world. About 21 million Americans tickle the ivories. That’s about one in every ten persons. More Americans play this instrument more than all of the other instruments combined! The biggest year for pianos in America was 1909, when over 350,000 were sold! Tickling the ivories provides a richness of sound and large range of musical notes. Quite simply,it is the elegant, timeless choice. Generally speaking, the piano is the overall best instrument to learn. It's self contained, can be played as a 'one note' learning tool for beginners or chord based for those who don't particularly wish to read music. It has a visual layout so it is going to be easier to learn than something like trombone or clarinet. And, it gives young children a head start for learning to read and understand music, so when they're ready to take middle school band class, they'll be a big step ahead of their peers. It can be played alone or in an ensemble allowing for those who play it to enjoy a wonderful versatility. Frankly, it just sounds great and it continues to be one of the most popular instruments in the world. You have heard that blondes have more fun? Well,so do pianists! Consider the following: You learn to read notes in both the upper and lower registers. Additionally, you learn to read both upper and lower notes at the same time. You get to play big, fat chords! You are not limited to playing one note at a time. This allows for gorgeous, full melodies that you just can’t get with say one flute. You learn to improvise. As an individual develops their skills, they learn to experiment with music creating great sounding ideas and riffs on the fly. You learn to view music as a whole because you play the entire song structure written in multiple parts. Most instruments are limited to playing one note at a time in a given melodic line. You can always sit in with the band. Bands love to have a terrific keyboardist on board. It is a wonderful accompaniment instrument in any given situation. You sound great playing alone. It is a wonderful solo instrument. You will become more popular. I’m not kidding. When I enter a room and start tickling the ivories, my “cool” factor instantly goes through the roof. It doesn’t matter if the listener is 4 or 104. So, if you are “on the fence” about what instrument to learn, consider the piano. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose!
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