Piano Vs Singing Essay

Billy Joel once said, “I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music” (“Music Quotes”). Although many instruments exist to enliven human existence, two of the most stimulating are the piano and the voice. While piano and singing both create poignant music, they differ due to the instruments themselves, the training involved, and the musician’s individuality. A traditional piano consists of strings, keys, hammers, pedals and pieces of wood (“Piano”). When an individual hits a key, the hammer attached to the key strikes the string. The string is attached to a wooden board. Each note has a different string length; the

All implements necessary are housed in the human body. As a wind instrument, the voice requires air. Air can be found in the lungs and forced up the windpipe. The pushed air vibrates the voice box, creating sound. Chest and head cavities then magnify the sound. In order to shape the sound into coherent words and phrases, the mouth, including the teeth and tongue, is utilized (“Singing”). Individuals all sing at different ranges. Generally, people have a one octave range (“Vocal Ranges”). The starting point of that octave determines whether singers serenade at low pitches or trill high tones. The higher sound is produced by a shorter string, exactly like the piano. Singing differs, though, because the voice box stretches all the strings at the same time. This results in only one note sounding per individual. Some people are assigned different notes to create a harmonious, rich

However, the way in which each of these is employed differs. Instead of learning only the note positions, one also studies the note sounds. The goal of studying sound revolves around hitting the note flawlessly every time. This is also known as perfect pitch. Voice students still learn the note names and positions so notes can be “read” and then sung. Rhythms are learned so that the notes flow effortlessly together. Piano focuses on getting better at hitting chords and multiple notes where voice training focuses on expanding vocal range and strengthening the sound of the voice. In order to achieve these ends, the pupil learns many drills. One of these drills consists of singing scales in ascending pitches. Others involve lip trilling notes to teach breath support or relaxing the jaw to create more space. Often, these exercises look and sound utterly ridiculous, but as one performs them, improvement appears. Even as training seeks for uniformity, people strive for individuality in their musical style. Piano players vary in their “touch” of the piano. Certain people only pound the keys while others barely tickle the ivories. As different dynamics are written in the music, people will interpret these louds and softs differently. Depending on the feeling of the piece and the individual playing, various emotions fill the soul. However, if one person plays the G above middle C, another