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Which Instrument
Piano: Percussion Family |
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I am pleased at the moment that I play piano. A few years ago I wanted to stop but I carried on and I am happy now. |
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| Sheena Shah |
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The piano is a versatile instrument on which you can play a wide range of music. A good starter age is when your child can reach the keys and has enough strength to press them down, probably around six years, although many start earlier. It can be hard to get going but it is worth sticking with. Because of its size it tends to be played solo; it might be good to find another pianist to play with your child. Being able to play the piano is a very useful musical skill especially for composers, singers and teachers. It may need tuning about once a year, which should cost around £50. Playing piano takes good coordination; your child will need to learn to move their fingers and hands independently of each other.
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| An interview with mother and daughter |
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| Dipti and Sheena Shah |
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It is very accessible.
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Dipti Shah, Sheena's mother |
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| Top Tips |
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- A large instrument from the percussion family with keys attached to pedals and strings, it is used in almost all forms of music
- Full name "Pianoforte" which is Italian for "soft-loud"
- It is not hard to play - but hard to play well!
- A basic upright piano suitable for starting on can cost around £1,000
- It can be costly to repair
- Recommended listening: Glen Gould, Martha Argerich, Herbie Hancock, Alfred Brendel, Joanna MacGregor, Artur Rubinstein, George Shearing
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Other Percussion Instruments
Conga drum - African-Cuban, fairly tall barrel drum
Bass drum - largest orchestra drum played standing, low and deep tone
Xylophone - wooden bars of differing size and pitch, set in a frame and played with a stick
Triangle - a simple one-note steel triangle hit with a small steel stick
Cymbals - metallic discs when clashed together or hit with a stick - come in various sizes
Timpani - (kettledrums) often made of copper with a thin skin covering the top
Snare drum - cylindrical with a skin covering the top and a set of wires or strings strung across the bottom
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| Interview Transcript |
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Sheena: I took up the piano when I was eight because my sister played it. She was a couple of years older than me and I took it up to be like her.
Dipti: I think when the girls first started to play the piano the downside was finding a good piano. But that is no longer the case because keyboards are such good quality now that often one does not need a piano when they first start - it is only in the advanced stages that they need to have a piano in the house.
Dipti: One of the things with the piano is that it is a very isolated instrument, whereas with other instruments children can join other children to make music together. So try to find people and children who play the piano, so that your child can play duets with them so there is a communication. It is really important to have someone to share that with.
Dipti: The pro is that it is an instrument that is just there and it does not have to be taken out of the case. Children can just go and play as it is always there in front of them; so it is more accessible in that way.
Dipti: The advice I would give to parents whose children are thinking of taking up piano is to encourage them. Piano is such a good instrument. It is a basic instrument, and can help with any other instrument.
Dipti: When the children get to a higher level it can become a family activity where the children can play the piano and sing together and just have a lot of fun.
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Further Reading
The Right Instrument for Your Child, Atarah Ben-Tovim, Douglas Boyd (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1995; ISBN: 0575058943)
The Rough Guide to the Piano (Rough Guides 2000; ISBN: 1858286522)
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