Yesterday, after I had exhausted my attention span for job searching and apartment hunting, I did something unexpected. I practiced piano, of all things, for more than 10 minutes. For those who do not know me, this is an achievement.
If any of you have never attempted to play the piano, I will be the first to let you know that it is ridiculously difficult. I believe one must be a little masochistic to have the patience to get through the extreme frustration I feel each time I sit down at the instrument. Singing is different. Singing is instantly gratifying, even when you don't know what you're doing. You can feel the vibrations of your voice flowing through your body, and you know that you, personally, are making the sound happen. I feel this power of direct connection with wind instruments, too. With piano, it's different. All I have to do to make a sound is press a key, and until chords and rhythms can be smoothly interwoven to make a piece, the sound is foreign - detached. I find myself staring down at the keys, thinking "Oh GOD, where is 'A'?" It's all a black and white blur.
Something amazing happened yesterday, though. I started improvising. Instead of reading the music note for note, I began to play by ear, skipping over difficult chords if I couldn't decipher them in time, and something that sounded like a song began to take shape. It gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, if I practice every day, I will be able to learn to accompany myself. Say, at a small concert for my friends, on my next birthday, perhaps...
Guitar, now that's another story.
