March 31, 2012

YAMAHA'S iPad

MUSIC. When I was a child we always had a piano at home. My mother played the piano very well, my sister played it well too. My brother was very good. I wasn't bad either.
My grandfather, as a child, took piano lessons with the Church Organist  of the largest nearby town - Markina - 8 miles from the small countryside town where he lived. That was even before cars. He did not use to play but a few notes when I knew him, his music lost into many years of a dedicated career as a doctor. But he bought me a brand new piano, that was the  70s already, as a substitute for the old Erard we had, as a present when I got one of those children prizes as a piano student at the Conservatory. So I guess it was only natural that I would wish my two boys to learn to play too. But not being a pusher - when I was a child I do not remember my mother to give us any option about playing or not - I have waited patiently until they, who now play the flute at school, could be convinced that it would be nice and easy to try the same pieces on a piano keyboard.
Then, at the piano shop we have settled for a Yamaha. My grandfather bought me a Yamaha too, revolutionary at the time for a piano. But this time it was to be a Yamaha YDP-S31, an electronic piano! Unbelievably it sounds like a piano and the keyboard - identical - feels like playing a real piano too. 
And only for the price of an iPad, and tactile too :-) A piece of art.
As an information, for those like me who didn't know, real pianos are now called acoustic pianos!


Cuando era niño siempre tuvimos piano en casa. Mi madre tocaba muy bien, y mi hermana tocaba bien también. Mi hermano era muy bueno tocando y yo tampoco era malo.
Mi abuelo, de niño, iba a dar clases de piano con el organista de Markina, el pueblo grande más cercano a donde vivía en Munitibar. Esto era antes de que hubiera coches siquiera. Cuando le conocí apenas tocaba algunas notas a veces, su música perdida detrás de muchos años dedicado a la medicina. Pero me compró un piano nuevo, esto en los 70 ya, como sustituto del viejo Erard que teníamos, como regalo por uno de esos premios de piano para niños del Conservatorio. Así que imagino que era solo de esperar que quisiera que J y N aprendieran a tocar también. Pero como no soy un mandón - de niño no recuerdo que mi madre nos diera opción entre tocar o no - he esperado pacientemente hasta que ahora que tocan la flauta en el colegio pudiera convencerles de lo fácil y bonito que suenan las mismas piezas al piano.
Entonces, en la tienda de pianos, nos hemos decidido por un Yamaha. Mi abuelo me compró un Yamaha también, revolucionario en su tiempo para un piano. Pero esta vez iba a ser un Yamaha YDP-S31, un piano electrónico! Increiblemente suena como un piano y el teclado - idéntico - se siente como tocar un piano de verdad también.
Y solo por el precio de un iPad, y es táctil también :-) Una obra de arte.
Como información, para aquellos que como yo no lo supieran, los pianos de verdad se llaman ahora pianos acústicos!

10 comments:

  1. To me, a piano will always just be called a piano. We also grew up with one and we all took lessons throughout school. It's a pleasure to be able to play for oneself, even when you're rusty, it comes back. Like riding a bicycle. I like the picture, so peaceful and culturally rich.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Pet. As a young girl I learnt piano for 10 years,was taught by a wonderfully gifted Chinese teacher, successfully passed several examinations, then.. other things in life distracted me. Sadly, I have not played for years and have lost the confidence to do do so :( The photograph of your son sitting at the piano is beautiful...it made me feel quite emotional. x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dzień dobry Pet!
    Me ha gustado mucho el nuevo piano, ya lo he cotilleado con J hasta en you tube para ver como suena...si a mis hijos les gusta tocar, es una buena idea, pero mejor nos esperaremos, aquí haremos mucha vida en casa y es bueno tener aficiones indoor, hoy domingo de ramos está nevando!!! puede que salgamos y hagamos un muñeco de nieve...estoy muy poco inspirada con el blog pero os sigo a todos y genial to keep in touch!

    ReplyDelete
  4. We have a keyboard - such a great invention for those without the space or cash for the 'acoustic' one. I hope your boys (and you?) are enjoying playing it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I haven't been so lucky to have the sound of the piano in my home. I think it's one of the most aesthetic pleasures in life.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello:
    Great minds think alike as they say. Our current post is also about our newly acquired piano!!!

    But, how wonderful that you have players for your piano and can fill your home with the most marvellous music. Enjoy, enjoy!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mi hermana y mi sobrino tocan el piano y entiendo muy bien lo que dices al respecto de su sonido, la belleza de sacar una armonía a las teclas. A mi me parece muy difícil.
    Eso si, llevo unos meses dando clases de violín ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Pedrito, ¿no estarás perdiendo ese oído tan fino?

    ReplyDelete
  9. nunca he sabido tocar un instrumento y lo lamento.Recuerdo que de pequenya mi mejor amiga y vecina de rellano practicaba el piano y me pasaba horas oyéndola y recuerdo que yo sabía cuando se equivocaba y todo.... mal oído no tengo. Tocaba una pieza que se llama el Caballero Andante , si no recuerdo mal... y todavía hoy la tarareo en mi mente!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I loved ready this story Pet... Part historical and the remainder of a history to be written by your children.

    Bises,
    Genie

    ReplyDelete