The piano , an instrument for the rich?

[DoubleBlade]

How far would you agree with the above statement?

Basically what I feel is that this is a common misconception that the piano is often associated with the rich. A generalised statement in fact...

 

[hifi_killer]

this reminds me horribly of my upcoming GP common test on monday.

I agree to a large extent.
in terms of price, piano >> guitar or any other instrument

besides piano is very big, you need a big house.
In addition, the expensive courses, that people usually take ( grade 1 to grade?)
piano is usually associated with the upper class of the society.

there maybe a few exception though, but its very few.

Generalised statements have some degree of truth. In this case i feel its largely true.

 

[soft]

DoubleBlade, how's your project on The Local Music Scene In Singapore going on?

hope you will put in more effort to make it a good one. not just for the grades but for the better of our music industry.

as for your question about piano, what do you want to find out? how will the result benefit anyone? :roll:

 

[DoubleBlade]

Well James , I can sense I'll be doing most of the work because some of my team members just want to do and get over it even if it means if we just manage to scrap through a pass , it is still a pass afterall but I don't want it to be this way. I feel I can gain some experience on what it's like to conduct interviews , do some admin work etc , to experience the corperate world in fact other than just grades....

Back to this topic , erm...this has nothing to do with my project but rather I'm curious of what kind of stereotypes people have on the piano. I'm not trying to boast about anything here , but whenever people find out that I play the piano , the tend to have this mentality like "wow!!! you play the piano?" and then they start to awe in wonder like as if I belong to the upper class society. When this happens , I feel a little bit uneasy about it...

I just want to start a discussion here...

 

[dric]

this reminds me horribly of my upcoming GP common test on monday.

yea man, ive got my gp block test paper on monday.

anyways, ad to your qn doubleblade. it does seem that many people in society relate the piano to the higher, wealthier class of people for reason alerady stated by hifi_killer. however, i'm not one of those. i feel that the piano isnt an instrument solely for the rich alone. i believe that instruments can always be self taught to some extent. it may be really difficult at first and frustrating. but usually, once one has gotten past the basics and all, learning new skills n techniques shld be pretty smoothe flowing. it just matters whether one has the willingness and true desire to strive on further. with better resources online and in libraries nowadays than in the past, this self learning is also made easier. one doesnt have to spend the money on lessons if they feel its expensive. for practice if you do not own a piano, one can always go over to a friends place once in awhile to prac. he or she may not improve at a very fast pace like this, but at least he is moving forward insted of getting nowhere. well, yea thats what i feel. and i hope this helps. im not sure if you feel im wrong, cos well, i play the guitar, so maybe its a little different.

 

[mikemann]

I feel that this is not the case. Although prices of new pianos have dropped about 30-50% since 10yrs ago. There were already people who own upright pianos staying in 3room flats, since I was a small kid.

My opinion is that the piano is more of an aspiration for parents upon their offspring to be more cultured in a sense. So poor parents also save up to get their child a piano if the potential is there.

I think that the general idea is aspiration, that a person who is proficient in classical playing will seem have a cultured air to his stature. So better chance of mixing with the "higher class" people if you fit into this shoe.

This is I think a common perception amongst lower to mid income bracket family.

So I think the topic would be different already, so just to give you my view..heehee.

 

[tany]

but learning piano is very ex dont forget! and ppl go for exams

 

[Mobius]

And u have pay someone to tune it and maintain it

 

[bongman]

The ABRSM pianoforte Grd 1-8 and Diploma is an industry by itself.

 

[DoubleBlade]

but learning piano is very ex dont forget! and ppl go for exams

I have to agree that piano lessons are very ex but it's possible to be a self taught pianists to reach an acceptable standard of playing....

Another generalisation I've come across is when people associate exams with piano playing. They have the impression that if you want to learn the piano you MUST take exams...

 

[DoubleBlade]

One way to cut cost on piano expenses is to jump grades. Although you still have to continue to pay for monthly lessons , at least it saves a bit of your money having to pay for the exams for each grade. For example I'm "certificate-less" now and I intend to take the grade 5 theory exam next year. You start from grade 1 all the way up to grade 5 but you only take the grade 5 exams at the end of it all. Since from grade 1 to 5 is called the foundation level , it is required from a candidate to possess a grade 5 certificate first before progressing from grade 6 onwards where the more advance stuff comes along...

I guess the main concern of money is not in the purchase of the piano , maintainance fees or tuning but rather on the lessons and exams fees....

 

[bongman]

lots of guitarist are self-taught

but for piano, normally a person may need to take some lessons before venturing into self-learning.

 

[tany]

because piano has all those stuff that u cant learn on your own, like how to count etc, unless ur a prodigy.

 

[seekz]

okay lah... when you desprate enuf you'll find a way no matter what lah...

I use VSTs instead lor, no money also can get piano sound.
and it was dirt cheap also, the plugin is a free download, I only spent money on a Creative prodikeys.

well of cos that shitty keyboard wont satisfy, so i got a m-audio radium61 instead and yeah... still trying to self teach myself piano. right now can only play a few chords and sing along haha

 

[DoubleBlade]

because piano has all those stuff that u cant learn on your own, like how to count etc, unless ur a prodigy.

No matter what instrument you take up , you still need to learn how develop your timing. Pulse is something which occurs naturally in your head and can be developed on your own without any lessons....

 

[tany]

No matter what instrument you take up , you still need to learn how develop your timing....

but provided if u know how to read semibreves, crotchets, minums, quavers, semiquavers, demisemiquavers, hemidemisemiquavers

 

[DoubleBlade]

that one can be self taught but requires some practice to familarise yourself with the different kinds of beat.

 

[gilbert]

hi

i took my grades from 12 til abt 18. supposed 2 step out of the hse 2 take grade 8 tat day but jus shut the door & went back 2 sleep. i told myself if i went 4 the exams, i will stop playing the piano completely cos i m so sick of playing the same damn pcs 4 the whole yr. dont know abt u guys but i think music must b enjoyed. it certainly cannot b graded on a few pcs.

 

[tany]

wow...so did u go for the exam? yes it's freaking sian to keep playing the same pieces over and over again for one year, but no choice. i just want the certs only...i was forced to play piano, but kinda like it after sometime...

 

[DoubleBlade]

whaoooooo it took you only 6 years to get to grade 8???? Impressive....