The Versatility of a Digital Piano
 

Recall the piano when it was first invented, through the pianoforte, clavichord and harpsichord.  These had their disadvantages as musical instruments.  The Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Contemporary, and 21st century musical periods and the myriad of unknown, lesser known and renowned composers produced beautiful pieces, but they were limited by the respective sounds from individual instruments.  Symphonies, concertos, and various compositions for multiple instruments were created.

Owning an "old-fashion," acoustic piano, I hesitated from even considering another piano.  Why would I want to replace my childhood piano, one my mother had played that I inherited and cherished?  "It has such a sweet sound."  "It sings when you play it," were some of the comments I heard about my 100 year-old, traditional piano.

Not until the 20th century and advancements in electronic technology did the digital piano come into its own.  I "fooled around" with one at the Musik Planet and discovered, with a touch simply of different buttons and the same feel of keys as my old piano and a wealth of various instruments.   Playing the same piece, I heard a vibraphone, magically a string ensemble, as well as on a grand piano.

When I pressed the demo button, as if it was an acoustic piano, I heard the digital piano self-play songs, such recognizable folk songs as Old MacDonald, Mary Had a Little Lamb and Clementine, Christmas Carols, to condensed arrangements of music by such notables as Strauss, Chopin, Debussy, and Mendelsohn.  There is another button for the metronome and the ability to record and play back.

One wall of my music room is graced by the old and now an adjacent wall you may view the new.  I was hooked on the versatility of the digital piano!

Felice Pope, piano student at The Musik Planet