Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Comparing a piano with guitar

I know,





I'll answer. :p

For one thing, you don't normally use all 5 fingers for your RH on guitar. Some contemporary guitarists do, but certainly for classical you use 4. I'd say the piano is probably more difficult at first. But after you get experienced with both, the difficulty is probably about even. Of course, these two instruments are played in a radically different manner, so each presents it's own special difficulties.

Takes two to tango.

Wow, I'd have never guessed. :rolleyes:

I believe it's referred to as residual tension in the medical world:


Dr Dick-Reads

OK, thanks. I now see that someone in the medical community recognizes your viewpoint. But who is "Dr. Dick-Reads"? Google turned up nothing.

bump:
(OP is asking)
and originally

Who would you prefer Christian Barnard?

This thread was answered days ago with post #2: "Seems like a question that'd depend on who you ask."

The only other relevant followups--"Why are you asking? Are you trying to decide which instrument to learn next? Are you frustrated with your progress on a certain instrument? Are you picking up instruments with ease and wondering how many others have done the same?"--went unanswered. Maybe hotwings just shrugged his shoulders once he realized his thread was hijacked. Or maybe he realized that the answer "depends on who you ask" is as good as you can really get.

So let klutz and howitzer duke it out.

I hear ya.

Nope, just wondering who he is. Seems your view has some weight based on the text you posted, but it's good to check out the source.

His last post was in this thread so presumably he has gone to 'focus on more interesting non-loser activities' as Danny would say.

Horowitzian, there is a Dick Read who wrote "Childbirth Without Fear". Kbk, is that whom you mean? Dick Read - Childbirth etc.

:t:

I don't understand the reaction. I found the quoted text attributed to Dr. Dick Read in "Childbirth Without Fear" and I can see how it would be applicable. The whole movement in around the 1960's or later in childbirth involves being able to relax the body while undergoing something which involves both pain and extraordinary physical effort. Surely that is applicable to playing an instrument while avoiding physical strain.

If you don't believe me, here's the Google result:" .
url= http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=dick+read+%22residual+tension%22&meta=
You'll notice it's your quoted text at the bottom. I was trying to help. Sheesh!

I hear ya. (though I can't say I'm listening)

That does make sense considering the context of the image kbk posted...though being a guy, I'll just take your word for what it contains...

Ok, now I understand kbk's perturbment at my finding that source. I brought two children into this world and that colours my perspective when I read that the quoted author was involved in the childbirth efforts. I can well see the bearing of such work on issues of tension and relaxation when playing an instrument. If the man was involved in childbirth research, that is nothing to snigger at. Maybe you have to have given birth to appreciate that - sorry guys.

This has made me curious about Dr. Read, in fact. Obviously he must have carried his work into other areas. I read a little bit of the part of the book was on-line. He discusses the role that fear plays in creating tension in childbirth, as well as negative expectations. Don't we talk about the same in music, especially performing?

Keystring,

That is a very interesting correlation.

Thanks for providing a nice summary of Dr. Read's main point.

I give it to kbk that residual tension exists.

I think that childbirth (BTW, I was mostly being silly :p ) is an excellent analogy, especially where performing is concerned. Many performers who have trouble with tension in the concert/recital setting could probably benefit from this information. I know I have to focus on positive thoughts while performing, or I'll end up failing miserably.

Thanks!

There's my perturbation, since you seem to be having trouble spotting it. On one hand you claim/complain about a thread being hijacked and on the other join in with the 'hijack'. What kind of weird thinking assumes somebody would ridicule childbirth?

Dang, (Thanks Steven! ) I don't recall keystring complaining about hijacking (that was in my post, remember?); she was only trying to call attention to the OP's question.

All of a sudden she comes in with some corroboration for YOUR evidence, and you are perturbed!!!??? Go practice your piano if you can't add any more constructive information. :rolleyes:

Thanks to both of you for expanding my understanding.