Why is a piano like a PC?
(Yes, I'm stealing - and altering - from Alice in Wonderland
- the blog title, in case you were wondering...)
I spent my first day of the extended weekend over in Eastbourne
at a musician's haven known as Bonners. My purpose was to
investigate the digital pianos.
I can see the advantages of them - no need for yearly (or more)
tuning, no sticking keys, much lighter, the ability to wear
headphones so no one else can hear, not to mention the much lower
price.
Also, as I played my way through a Casio, Roland, and a beautiful
Yamaha, I discovered they have truly improved so much from their
origins that, with the Yamaha, at least, it felt like I was
playing my lovely acoustic at home. The Yamaha's keys were
weighted beautifully and responded how I expected; the tone was
rounded (and in tune!).
I enjoyed my foray into the world of digital pianos, and, from a
purely practical sense, I can certainly see the benefits.
However, something in me still feels the difference of my beloved
acoustic upright. The music seems to come from all around you
courtesy of the hammers and strings in a way that speakers simply
can't match. Maybe I'm stuck in the dark ages from this point of
view, but it's a feeling that's hard to shake.
Which brings me to my writing.
Despite the obvious advancements in PCs, and the greener (and
probably more efficient) approach of writing direct to PC, I
still find myself heading for my trustworthy notepad (more
specifically, a Pukka pad - as I love their Jottas) whenever I am
writing a story. I can see my creative process much more with a
notepad than with the rather more sterile environment of a PC,
which whips away your incorrect sentence, replacing it with the
new one, and leaving no sign the original ever existed, despite
its obvious faults.
These are purely my personal feelings on this matter, and I'm
sure a lot of people find it easier to write straight to PC, as
much as pianists find it cheaper and less costly in maintenance
to own a digital piano.
Still, I'm going to wander down the path of less advancement and
more history, and keep to my acoustic... or, in the case of
writing, my notepad :-)
And there endeth my musings for the day!
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7 Comments
I agree with you about computers. You immediately change your original sentences and the original thought goes too. more musings please.
Acoustic v electric: I love the honky-tonk piano sound, it boogies! And it comes from being out of tune. Do any of these electric keyboards reproduce that? I play guitar. I've got 4 electrics and 2 acoustics (and one of them is an electro-acoustic). My electrics can do pretty much anything, but I have to fiddle around with amp and FX settings. It can be very liberating to just pick up a koo stick and let rip. It keeps you honest when it's just you, 6 strings and some wood.
Did you know there's such a thing as piano porn? No, really! I found it by accident (ahem) on a site called slutload. Dozens of videos of girls in compromising positions with pianos. I guess you could find pretty much anything if you look hard enough: girls with squid (yep, those Japanese girls will do anything!), maybe not even girls + something. Alligators with cheese? The mind boggles.
And Wrathnar - Rule 34, mate!! XD
As for PCs, if you don't want to loose your original imperfect sentences use Tracking in Word so you see your original struck out as well as your amendment.
So, why is a piano like a PC? Well the obvious answer is, they've both got keyboards. What else? You can compose great works on both. You can earn your living with both (really?). They can both play music. With both it's 'garbage in; garbage out'. Oh, and they're both very highly strung.
Finally, why is a good woman like a piano?
If she's not upright, she grand.
Now that wouldn't work at all with an electric. Maybe you're right after all, cdm :-)
Mike: I remember the original digital pianos, which didn't have quite the same feel or sound as the acoustics. Today's are SO much better and I can understand your mother approving. I'd also love a grand piano, but my flat barely has room for my upright.
Wrathnar: Yep, definitely a biro-squeezer (or in my case, one of those rollerball things). Plus, my notepad is so much more portable than my laptop, and is certainly easier to get out on the train journey to work. I have never managed to play guitar, despite my dad trying to teach me.
Ely: I know what you mean about the red and green lines! Even when I'm copying my writing to the screen, I'm ALWAYS distracted by those lines and find myself going back to them to find out if they're present for a reason, or the computer is simply playing "I know best" when it doesn't.
Tony: I certainly liked the digital Yamaha I tried and I'd be happy to play on it. I just don't think I could give up my acoustic for it. And what would happen if there was a powercut and you simply HAD to play the piano (yeah, OK, highly unlikely situation)? I do like the idea of the ease of transposing as well as the ability to attach the piano to the PC. Speaking of the PC, I turned Tracking on in Word when I started my re-writes, but it simply tracked that I had changed a whole section and not the changes I then made to that section which rather defeated the purpose. Consequently, I have several documents of the same chapter, so I can go back and see the differences (I'm sure I do everything the long way round...). Your answers to the "riddle" are priceless :-)
Weens: Absolutely. I've tried reading an e-book, but I still find it easier to read a printed book. Due to copyright, etc. the e-books can't be printed. I can't imagine having to stare at a screen pretty much continuously. What with my work, then my writing, if my reading was also computerised I don't think I'd see anything but some sort of screen!
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