I've only been playing the piano for about a month. I can feel its presence in my apartment the way people who love food can always feel the pull of the fridge. When I don't play for a day or two, I feel terribly guilty and neglectful. So for a little while every day, as the weather becomes warmer and warmer I sit and force myself to play Christmas carols. Eventually, Layla will show up.PLAY
So far, I've moved from Jingle Bells to Good King Wenceslas.
My goal is to play the piano break in the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos. I figure if I can tackle that, Professor Longhair can't be too far behind. I'm not in love with Eric Clapton like everyone else seems to be, but I do like this double record. There he is, in all his cliched rock and roll glory: rich and famous, well-respected and drug-addled. And miserable. There are some moments when he is simply crying out from the pain. The result is a visceral, guitar-strewn testimony to love. Duane Allman as the counterpoint to all that blue-eyed wailing is a thing of wonder. Talk about an instant classic. All of that over his best friend's wife.
Now I'm singing Bell Bottom Blues aloud to myself as I play O Holy Night.
If I don't learn how to play
this piano, it's going to turn into a very expensive piece of furniture--and
I can't live with that level of excess. Especially when its something
that I need to know. I love to play the guitar but Betty Carter was
right. Every vocalist should know their way around a keyboard. It's
not easy but I'm enjoying the process. Each day I return to it, I get more
comfortable. I have to forget how bad I am and just play.
COPYRIGHT 2002 QUEEN ESTHER INC.