New Addition To The Home

Of the electronic kind. I picked out my piano today and brought it home. Had to return to the store twice. Once because I wasn't given the CD kit and had to go back for that. And the second time because after I got it home and set up, the sustain pedal didn't work. When I called about the sustain pedal, I was put off (they were very busy) and told to come back tomorrow.

And so I hung up and thought about that. Fuck that. I put out alot of money. I expect to be able to use it today. Not tomorrow.

So I returned again to exchange it. And they didn't have anymore. So the store had to order another one.

It isn't exactly what I wanted in terms of sound. When I did find that I wanted, I figured I'd have to spend another $2k or so. Certainly out of my affordability factor right now. So I settled for an decent sounding digital (that claims to sound like an acoustic grand but it really doesn't--it sounds pretty digital to my ears) with a variety of voices and most importantly, a built-in 6-track recorder/sequencer. Since my most immediate goal is to make some demos, I figure those will lead me to financial riches and then I'll be able to afford a top of the line Kawai or Roland digital. The two I played today--yummy. Felt and sounded as close to an acoustic grand as you can get for a digital. I got lost playing these babies. Oh god........just leave me here to live. Bring me food and clothing. Provide me with a shower. I'll do just fine.

The goddess of all pianos though--the acoustic grand. There is nothing in the world like an acoustic grand. Nothing. Nothing like the sound, the feel. Nothing like the experience of just sitting on the bench. Playing a top quality grand (the one I played retails for $28,000) gives you the sensation of floating on the clouds, of running your hands through room temperature butter.

I remember some guy, who was probably trying to impress me with his guitar playing abilities, once telling me years ago how the piano couldn't compare to the guitar in terms of playing it, sound, quality, etc. I remember giving him this "uh huh" look before asking "I take it you've never played an acoustic piano?"

Other than a few little melodies here and there, not so much. He hadn't played. Truly played. Hadn't poured out his entire heart and soul, eyes alternating between being open and gently shut, body swaying with each note. Hadn't experienced estatic joy, lustful passion, deep sadness, intense anger while playing. Hadn't experienced the pain when your hands say "enough" but the desires of the heart and soul over-ride the pain and say, longingly, "keep playing...keep playing". Hadn't played Beethoven while imaginging Young B pounding away on the keys with his ears to the floor in order to pick up the vibrations to help guide him in his compositions....hadn't played Hendrix or Stevie Ray while trying your best to get the feel for their music, singing and amazing guitar riffs and transpose it onto the piano keys, hoping you are doing their masterpieces justice...hadn't composed his own material while spending hours trying to come up with the right note or two, while knowing, while feeling what you have just isn't quite right.

The piano being uncomparable to the guitar.

Please...

It isn't so much the instrument but the connection the musician has with that instrument. Which is why my new piano is sitting alone right now. It feels like a stranger to me. But I know I'll fall in love with it just as I did with my little console acoustic. Even though the sound on my acoustic isn't top-of-the-line, that is when I stop and really think about it, I also know when I lose myself playing her, in my mind, to my ear, in my heart, at that very moment, there simply is no other sound on earth that comes close to that perfection.