Hello Nord Piano 4!!!

I've missed playing the piano. The MIL doesn't mind sharing her Steinway Grand. But. NO. I keep going to the BFF's to play on her piano. Her solid thirty-year-old Yamaha is easy to maintain if it's played often; she gets a tuner in twice a year. But it's kinda dumb to let myself into her home to do so. She said I could, but naaah... a bit rude lah.

I'm an adequate player, not an accomplished player; a piano will never take centerstage in my home. I avoid classical pieces and jazz. They're not the kind of music that flows out of my fingertips and neither do I want to sit through long concerts of those genres. They represent pain and meaningless examinations to me, not fulfilment, joy and creativity. That ABRSM Grade 8 Distinction certification meant loads to my parents, but it means nothing to me.

I don't want to shift either one of the standard upright pianos (in storage) into this flat. They're too bulky. To be honest, unless the pianos stay in a temperature controlled room, the maintenance will be hell because they're so vintage that they require more than simple tuning. I didn't intend for any pianos to sit in the living areas. I kept spaces for a piano within the rooms. But the more I looked at the space and the more I mulled over it, I decided that a standard upright isn't quite the right fit in this home at this point of my life

So I went out to buy myself a Nord Piano 4. Hehehe. It didn't take long for me to set it up in the music room. The keyboard sits tight on a metal frame, with its two monitors upright and not distorting the sound at all. The Nord Piano 4 comes with the triple pedals, which means that they factored in the cost and I needn't do an additional purchase. Yay! I've never had a digital piano, so this is fun. Nord's weighted keys are beautiful. The one worry was whether I'd hate playing on it. I don't. I love it. I wouldn't be utilizing all the synth functions, and what little bit of transitions and models in this model are sufficient for my needs.

The first song I played on the Nord off-the-cuff, was Jenny Lewis's 'Wasted Youth' (from On the Line, 2019). Next, I'm going to do 'Heads Gonna Roll'. I'm going to work my way through this album. I can easily sing her songs. I have no idea where to find legit piano chords. I suppose I can pay for downloads, but if I want to play and make music this way, it will have to come from my head and my heart. I took a glance at the guitar chords. That helped. I have a good ear for pitch and melodies. This is a song I know well. Closed my eyes and allowed the fingers to lead. Transcribed it rather easily onto the keys. Took me four hours to work out a satisfactory cover version. I'm glad that I still got it.