by Dan Starr
Introduction
I
give up. There's too much brainwashing. Too many folks think that there
is some difference between an acoustic piano and an electronic
keyboard. Even though technically any acoustic piano IS a keyboard
(after all, it's a "board with keys on it for making music") the sales
people and even piano-only teachers have created the idea in the minds
of the public that somehow such a difference exists.
I keep hearing folks refer to anything with keys as a "piano" which it most certainly is NOT!
They
have also created the idea that anything electronic is somehow less
valuable, less worth having, than something acoustic. It simply isn't
true, however, and I (a professional player and professional instructor
with decades of experience in both) will tell you why I think so. There
will be several of these posts, one per day.
Today's Reason
It's
really simple. Most people simply want to be "hobbyists." Now I know
this irritates professionals, but it's true. The professional musician's
life is something only a tiny, tiny number of humans want. Besides, I
think our society would improve a great deal if more folks knew how to
actually create their favorite music rather than merely listen to it -
even if only as a "hobbyist."
And for the hobbyist - an
electronic keyboard makes much more sense that some bulky, unwieldy
acoustic piano. That's why companies that make bulky, unwieldy acoustic
pianos (such as Yamaha and Kawai) also "hedge their bets" and
manufacture excellent electronic keyboards.
Let me give you some more examples - as if price and portability wasn't enough!
Let's
also say that time is important. Now a person could learn to play the
sax, the clarinet, the flute, the violin, etc. or they could simply
learn to play a keyboard and then use that keyboard's sounds to play
those instruments. You might have been thinking of "the bad old days"
when such sounds we not very authentic. However, today it would take a
pro player of those instruments to tell the difference! These sounds
(and 100's more) are as real as you'd like them to be.
Can't
play anything? Hey, the electronic keyboard has many ways to help you
learn to play that no acoustic piano, even the world's best acoustic
piano, ever thought of having. I'll tell you about many of these in a
future blog post. If you can't wait, you can always email me directly at
danstarrorg@yahoo.com! I promise to respond
within 24 hours.
