10 Reasons to Play the Piano

The piano is a versatile and enjoyable instrument that can bring satisfaction to players of all ages. Here are ten reasons to learn to play it today:

10. Solo performance
The piano is a very effective solo instrument and can be played in a variety of styles, from pop to jazz to classical.

9. Accompaniment
The piano can accompany a vocalist or another instrument, such as a a violin, very effectively. It can provide backing harmonies or alternate melodies & harmonies with another instrument or group of instruments.

8. Extended listening
The piano can be listened to for extensive time periods without causing "ear fatigue." Could you see yourself putting on a CD of solo music for the piccolo and enjoying it for several hours? Perhaps not, but the beautiful sounds of a well-played piano are never tiring.

7. Mental Stimulation
Playing the piano exercises every part of the brain, and is excellent mental stimulation for students young and old, right-brained and left-brained. My 80-year old grandfather recently started taking piano lessons in an effort to engage his entire brain and keep his mind sharp. It's never too late to learn to play!

6. Sustained Sound
The sustain pedal is one of the most unique and beneficial aspects of the piano. When used effectively, it allows the soloist to produce fuller and richer music than would otherwise be possible.

5. Ubiquity
From homes and churches to hotels, clubs and convention centers, pianos can be found virtually everywhere. Portable keyboards have made it possible to play in more places than ever before. If you can't find a piano to play, you probably aren't looking very hard.

4. Range
With 88 keys, the piano can produce tones matching the lowest bass and the highest treble instruments. A single pianist can play 10 simultaneous notes (one with each finger), and two musicians can play 20 simultaneous notes, in addition to effects added by the sustain pedal. This makes the piano the perfect instrument for composing orchestral works, or for playing orchestral reductions.

3. Other keyboard Instruments
Learning to play the piano opens up possibilities for learning other keyboard instruments such as the organ. Featuring one or more piano-like keyboards (often including a keyboard to be played by the feet), the organ is certainly different from the piano in both technique and sound. But a competent pianist will find the organ easier to learn than a non-pianist.

The pianist can, even more readily than the organ, apply his or her skills to a digital piano or synthesizer. A quality synthesizer or computer/MIDI keyboard combination can duplicate the sound of almost any instrument, allowing the pianist to play everything from drum sets and woodwinds to sitars and strings.

2. Expressiveness
The piano is a very expressive instrument, able to project emotions and nuances of sound almost as expressive as the human voice. It can be played with a delicate beauty or a hammering intensity, allowing the musician to express himself or herself quite effectively.

1. Lifelong enjoyment
Playing the piano can bring lifelong enjoyment and fulfillment. The piano can be a social instrument as the center of family singalongs or neighborhood get-togethers. The piano can be a personal instrument, a way to express yourself even when you are the only audience. I have even found that playing the piano helps me to reduce stress.

Whatever stage of life you are in, make the piano a part of your life and make your life a little better.