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Lately I've been bored with playing piano. There's like no cool effects you can use like with guitar or anything. You can just play the notes, and they don't even sustain long enough to get some emotion into the song. What should I do...

Go back to guitar!

Sorry, I simply can't relate to "bored with piano."

If you're not enjoying piano, either you're not doing enough with it or it's just not the instrument for you. How long have you been playing? What are you playing? Are you taking lessons? What kind of music do you want to play? What kind of piano are you playing?

You can try to learn new pieces (that can be very motivating) , or take a little break from playing/lessons, that can also give you new motivation, or watch a good pianist play.

With a piano you can express yourself differently then with a guitar. (I also play (electric)guitar.) Indeed you don't touch the strings with your fingers, but playing notes soft/loud, slightly after each other, etc. Also gives a lot of expression.
Just try to find some pieces you'd like to play, or even try to write your own. A piano has different effects, for instance you can sound more notes at once then on a guitar. (and i'm trying hard to think of other effects, but ehh. :rolleyes: )
But anyway, when you are bored with piano, just leave it alone for a while. (In the meantime you can play guitar till you get bored with that, then piano, then guitar, then piano, then guitar, then pia...)
If you get bored easy, then ever thought about also getting a drumset, singinglessons, baseguitar and trumpet?

Stan

Move to from Acoustic Piano to digital Piano/Synth and learn to program your own voices. A synth can be infinitely more expressive than an acoustic piano.

You can start with a piano voice and then (dynamically) apply effects, pitch bending, volume changes, and many other forms of modulation.

The piano in itself, while very expressive, is extremely limited when compared to modern digital instruments.

Here is an example:

Being a percussion instrument, the acoustic piano lacks the capability to adjust the volume of a single note/chord that has been struck. This is obviously not the case with a digital instrument so this opens a huge window of opportunity for expressiveness.


Rodney

Jordan Rudess, a pianist/keyboardist you can get inspiered from. I suggest you by his book "total keyboard wizardry" other than his solo cd's he currantly plays in Dream Theater and played in a group called liquied tension.

Here's the thing that seperates piano and keyboard from other instruments; Piano is a combination of percusion and strings on a keyboard format with one of the most complete regestrys, and a keyboard is a combination of technology and craftmenship.Not to diss the Casio, but no wonder you're bored.

Even Herbie Hancock would get bored of piano on that thing. If you don't want to get bored your're going to have to lay down some serious cash ($800 and up)

Play around with a digital piano for a while. I used to be (and to some extent still am) infatuated with the expressiveness, "tricks", and effects you can do with instruments such as the electric guitar, so I went the digital piano route. After playing that for a few years, if I have a choice between a digital piano and a "real" piano, I always pick the acoustic piano. Even though it doesn't have those neat effects, there's something about the tone and action of a real piano that is attractive.

I say listen to great pianists of any genre for inspiration.

Hi Tremolo. I myself have "taken a break" from piano a few times. It is very sad to admit- but then, like an addiction I go back to it. Of course, I get rusty but it is a very hard instrument to just give up. Sometimes it doesn't fulfill all of your needs. Don't worry. I found a quote today by Zoot Sims: "If I don't play for a while, it's just like getting hungry." His instrument was Tenor Sax, but I certainly relate 100%. awhile to him was probably a lot shorter than to me, but all the same...

Hi Tremolo. I myself have "taken a break" from piano a few times. It is very sad to admit- but then, like an addiction I go back to it. Of course, I get rusty but it is a very hard instrument to just give up. Sometimes it doesn't fulfill all of your needs. Don't worry. I found a quote today by Zoot Sims: "If I don't play for a while, it's just like getting hungry." His instrument was Tenor Sax, but I certainly relate 100%. awhile to him was probably a lot shorter than to me, but all the same...

Just putting this out there but maybe you should try and find a teacher that could teach what youre looking for.

Hey, If anyone who has a lack of interest in piano, then i encourage you to at least challenge urself. I havent been playing very long, but I have excelled at the piano because i took a little time to take up something that I never thought I could play. For everyone out there, you dont know ur own abilities until you really put an effort into it. Once you make a breakthrough and learn a great new piece, then ull love piano all over again.

if you're bored, play around with it. Maybe you'll find some wierd chord combination or something. I dunno, that's what my friends all do.

Find some new pieces that you like and work towards them

I have an old harmonium you have to pedal. It's a keyboard, but it's totally different to a piano. Apart from basic techniques, these are all sorts of tricks to learn, like how to use the swell pedals without loosing vacuum etc.

It's a refreshing difference ot the piano (with more sustain than you could hope for, if your legs can stand it!).

nick

If you are good with a guitar I would pick that up and hone my skills. Maybe the piano will turn you on at a later date. There is nothing wrong with that as far as I am concerned. When I started playing the piano almost two years ago I was not sure I was going to like but I do. It just one of those things. I played guitar in high school and I think the guitar can offer a heck of a lot, I wish I would have stuck with it.

Regards,
Steve

I'm bored too. I play pretty well, but can't seem to get motivated for the life of me. I've tried EVERYTHING. My teacher is coming on Friday to try something. I don't know what that is. Music come easier than ever to me right now and I still don't want to play. I went from a Grand to an upright because of hearing damage, maybe I just don't love the piano I play on. I really don't know. I think it's possible to just be done with it. No one really believes this and in spite of everyone's wonderful input, it just may be the end. Although, I'm finding it hard to just cut it off. I think I'm returning the piano I have (rent to own basis) and maybe one day returning. I really don't know. My heart aches for the passion and my head can't handle the boredom. I don't know what happened but it's just not working out well ( playing). Maybe I just really miss my grand. Maybe I'm so afraid to hurt my ears more, maybe my experience (emotionally) from the piano damaging my hearing has left a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe it's all of the above. I would do anything to get the passion back. I loved the piano as much as anyone and more than some, but I don't love it any more. It is what it is...

sorry but that's not a piano you were playing. It's an harpsichord... :rolleyes: