A very happy World Piano Day to all piano lovers around the world. We celebrate today because it’s the eighty-eighth day of the year, corresponding to the piano’s eighty-eight keys. Piano Day provides the perfect opportunity to evaluate why we play the instrument and what makes it the perfect hobby. In my Facebook group, Adult Piano Returners, we often discuss the beauty of playing the piano and why we are all so drawn to it.
Here are my five favourite reasons for learning to play, alongside a short video I recorded for Schott Music last week.
Sense of satisfaction
Learning any instrument provides this, but the piano offers the chance to play a ‘complete’ piece, sounding like a mini-orchestra; you can play all musical parts or musical lines without needing any accompaniment. It’s a one-person ‘show’, meaning you can play any style or genre with ease, and you might find this gives you a great deal of satisfaction.
Focus and concentration
Playing the piano will develop your powers of focus and concentration. It’s not an easy instrument to play, and it could be described as a multi-tasking ‘workout’ for your brain. To play successfully, you need to be able to accomplish several elements all at once: keeping time, moving around the keyboard to play the correct notes, as well as thinking about phrasing and musicianship—and there are many other considerations, too. Your mind will be working overtime and, as a result, will, hopefully, become increasingly active and engaged.
Improved memory function
While you don’t need to play your piano pieces from memory, that is, without using a score or the music, memory is an important requirement. You’ll need to recall numerous notes and note patterns, and you will also need to rely on muscle memory so that you can physically find those notes with your fingers. Besides this, it’s necessary to remember how to keep a pulse and play rhythmic patterns. It demands astute thinking and retention of information, and you might find that your memory really improves as a result.
Discipline
No practice usually means no improvement; therefore, creating a structured ‘practice routine’ is an important consideration in order to make any great strides. This requires dedication and discipline. As we all know, the act of creating time in your day takes planning and commitment, but once you’ve factored it into your schedule and accomplished your practice, not only will you feel better, but you may also become more motivated in all areas of your life.
Explore new music
Irrespective of your current musical tastes, playing the piano will give you the chance to discover new music, whether that be works by Beethoven, Liszt, and Chopin, more unusual classical repertoire, or jazz, rock, and pop. If you can already play, why not purchase a piano anthology and enjoy making new discoveries?
If you are returning to playing the piano, do check out my series Play it Again: Piano, which offers a wealth of varied repertoire alongside detailed practice suggestions and advice for every piece. It’s the best-selling course for adult returners currently on the market.
Publications
Melanie Spanswick has written and published a wide range of courses, anthologies, examination syllabuses, and text books, including Play it again: PIANO (published by Schott Music). This best-selling graded, progressive piano course contains a large selection of repertoire featuring a huge array of styles and genres, with copious practice tips and suggestions for every piece.
For more information, please visit the publications page, here.
Melanie Spanswick 