3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of starting to play the piano

There are a lot of information on the internet about the benefits of starting and playing the piano.

However, there are not many sites that summarize the disadvantages.

Even when someone tells you, ``Piano is great!'' or ``You should definitely start playing!'', you end up thinking, ``Is that really true?''

So, this time we will introduce three typical disadvantages of piano.

Disadvantages of starting to play the piano

Requires large space

First of all, it's about space.

Not only is the piano itself large, but it also requires enough space for a chair.

*Each size of grand piano, upright piano, and electronic piano

Including the space for the chairs, an electronic piano will require an area of ​​0.9 tatami mats, an upright piano will require 1.2 tatami mats, and a grand piano will require at least 2.4 tatami mats.

To give a simpler example, an electronic piano occupies enough space to fit a semi-single-sized bed, an upright piano takes up a single-sized bed, and occupies enough space to fit a king-sized bed

I think it would be a big loss to lose valuable room space for a single bed unless you live in a very large house.

To make matters worse, they cannot be easily moved like furniture like a bed.

Sometimes there are pianos that claim to be easy to move because they come with casters, but this is not at all easy.

As you will understand once you experience it, the piano is extremely heavy .

If you try to move such a heavy object with all your strength, you will end up damaging the walls and other furniture.

Digital pianos are the smaller and lighter of the three, but require a power cord instead. You need to find a place that is close to an electrical outlet or where you can extend the cord without getting in the way. Of course, you will need to pay close attention to the power cord when moving.

From the above, it can be said that the number one disadvantage is that it requires a large fixed space.

It costs money

Next comes money.

After all, the initial investment is large.

Needless to say, grand pianos and upright pianos are expensive (at least 500,000 yen), and even cheap digital pianos cost about 50,000 to 100,000 yen.

It's not an easy thing to start , as it requires more money than you can afford to quit just because you're tired of it or it's just not for you .

Maintenance costs also be required.

A piano needs tuning. (Excluding electronic pianos)

Piano tuning is not something that even an amateur can easily start tuning like a guitar, so much so that there is a profession called ``piano tuner.''

If you don't have the special tools and techniques, you could end up damaging the piano.

This is required at least once a year, and even if it is cheap, it will cost around 10,000 to 20,000 yen per time.

The sound is especially likely to go out of order when you move or move from place to place, and you will need to tune it each time.

Once you buy something, it doesn't mean you can use it forever .

Cost is also a disadvantage of starting to play the piano.

noise problem

Just like other musical instruments, pianos also require attention to noise issues.

can surprisingly resonate quite a bit in the surrounding houses (rooms) even in a room with some soundproofing equipment . We don't always perform completed songs at lunchtime like we do at recitals. Even when I practice, people around me can unexpectedly hear me.

It's true that you can use earphones to block out the sounds around you or reduce the volume of the electronic piano, but you want to enjoy the songs you've practiced at their original volume.

At such times, if you receive complaints from your neighbors, your mood will immediately drop and you will no longer be able to play the piano.

If you live in a single-family house surrounded by rice fields, you don't have to worry about it, but many people probably live in apartments, apartment complexes, or other places where they need to be careful about their surroundings. think.

The disadvantage is that you always have to pay attention to the volume of the sound while practicing.

These are the typical disadvantages of starting to play the piano.

After seeing all this, I think there are many people who think, ``I should look for another hobby after all.''

As a piano lover myself, I would like to introduce the benefits, so I have summarized them into three.

Advantages of starting to play the piano

・Anti-aging for the brain

If it's for children, I'd say it's ``helpful for brain development,'' but I think anti-aging is more appropriate for people whose brains have developed to a certain extent.

Playing the piano moves your eyes, ears, hands, feet, and brain all at the same time.

The brain is trained by fully using and stimulating all of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell) other than smell .

In addition, when it comes to the brain, it is involved in various activities such as memory, concentration, judgment, reasoning (guess), and imagination.

According to Hiromi Motoyoshi's doctoral thesis, `` Study on the effects of piano learning on elderly people's physical and mental health,''

・It has been suggested that a healthy piano course for the elderly may be effective in improving finger motor function or preventing its decline.

・The brain activation effect of playing the piano was shown by the amount of change in blood flow in the prefrontal cortex. Its activation was significantly higher compared to singing.

Research results have been published. (Activation means “to be activated”)

Playing the piano is effective in maintaining a healthy brain, and may be a way to prevent brain diseases such as dementia

・Can be made into a long-term hobby

This is definitely a big advantage.

In hard sports such as soccer and tennis, physical strength and power rapidly decline with age compared to when they were at their peak. In extreme terms, even if you play a match against elementary school students who have not mastered the techniques, you will likely lose.

Of course, you may not be able to play the piano as fast as you did when you were younger, but by practicing daily, you can still perform at a very high level.

Playing the piano can be said to be one of the hobbies that can be continued for a long time even into old age

・Music becomes fun

Not only will you be able to enjoy music classes at school, but you will also be able to enjoy the music that is abundant in the world.

This is common to all genres of music, from classical to J-POP and Western music.

By knowing the scales in more detail, it will be easier to imagine how the song was composed, and easier to empathize with the song .

You will find yourself crying more often when listening to classical music.

Also, with ear training, it will become easier to copy by ear.

It would be cool to copy your favorite song by ear and play it yourself on the piano.

These are the three benefits of starting to play the piano.

If you are thinking about starting to play the piano, please use this as a reference.