<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C4A405.327ED0A0"> <title>Re: Practicing on a not so good piano:  was RE: tax = deductions?</title>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple = style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> Please disregard the last two = sentences in my comments.  They were = meant as a joke, not to offend anyone.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net <o:p></o:p> </div> -----Original = Message----- From: = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Andersen Sent: Sunday, September = 26, 2004 7:11 PM To: Pianotech Subject: Re: Practicing = on a not so good piano: was RE: tax deductions? <o:p> </o:p> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> I would say that = the idea that practicing on a not so great piano makes you a better pianist is at = least counterintuitive, at most, pure BS.  Much of learning and refining = piano skills has to do with developing your sense of hearing and connecting = what your hands do to what your ears hear.  It is not, afterall, the same as learning to type.  The poorer the piano, the more you learn to not = listen, to ignore what you hear and therefore surrender control over what you = are trying to accomplish musically.  Wondering whether the mechanical = problems you are encountering in executing a difficult passage belong to your = fingers or the action can only serve to confuse the issue more and force you into = some bad habits with respect to relaxation that will not serve your technique or = tone production at all.   And as far as advocating poorer pianos = for our adult piano students to improve their technique…well that would be counterproductive.  Remember, critical thinking is a privilege, not = a right.  You have to earn it.     David Love<o:p></o:p> </blockquote> Bravo. Fascinating topic.  Have talked to so = many concert & jazz pianists about this; they almost have to armor up = with a kind of grief, I guess, and just go ahead and attempt to enable and = create beauty on a less-than-good-sounding-and-feeling piano. It injures, IMO, = their ability to be vulnerable enough to really FEEL any piano they play.  It’s a problem that literally no other instrumentalist deals = with, and it adds to the fear of understanding how a piano works, or even = disdain for the mechanical nature of the instrument---why else would an artist = resolutely refuse to find out how a piano works after playing it for years or = decades? Food for thought.... All the best..... David Andersen <o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>