Time for a decision. Goodbye keyboard, welcome my white revolutionary

Ten days until the recital. I've realized why my "Moonlight" is always as fragile as a game of Jenga: it's because my practice partner, my keyboard, is just "too kind."

The keyboard's keys are light. No matter how limp my inexperienced fingers are, the spring tension makes them sound effortlessly. But the grand piano at the studio is different. It has gravity and the weight of the hammers, and there's no room for faking it. "I can play it at home, but not at the studio." I realized the true nature of this phenomenon isn't just nerves, but an overwhelming "difference in physical environment."

"...Should I buy it?"

Past 11 PM, after finishing my practice, I whispered to my silent room. Ideally, I would want an upright piano, if not a grand. I want to be enveloped by the resonance of real strings. However, that is a dream I cannot fulfill in my current living situation. Returning from work, I mostly practice at night. If I played an acoustic piano in this room without soundproofing, it would be far beyond just being a nuisance to the neighbors.

Then, there is only one option: a digital piano. And not some toy-like thing, but one with a touch as close to the "real thing" as possible.

My actions after that were swift (perhaps there was a bit of escapism from practicing involved). I drifted through the sea of the internet, devoured reviews, and stared intently at comparison videos. My conditions were that it must have wooden keys and blend into the room as interior decor.

Out of the many candidates, my finger stopped on one piano. KAWAI CA701A. The color is Premium White Maple.

Equipped with Kawai's unique wooden key structure, it has a reputation for realistic touch. And above all, the soft texture of the white wood seemed like it would blend gently into my home. (Well, just so you know, I'm definitely not a Kawai shill.)

Right before I clicked 'buy,' my reason hit the brakes. 'Hey, it's only 10 days until the recital! If you arrange for delivery and installation now... there's almost no time left to practice for the actual performance. Isn't this just an impulse buy?'

That's true. Changing my equipment now won't magically make my playing dramatically better. But a different voice spoke from deep within my heart. 'This isn't just for this recital. It's proof of my resolve to spend the rest of my life with the piano.'

Oh, to hell with it! With trembling fingers, I pressed the 'Proceed to Purchase' button. Perhaps it was my own ritual of 'burning my bridges.'

***

And a few days later, that beautiful instrument arrived in my room. The KAWAI CA701A. The maple white body was more elegant than I imagined, and I felt as if the air had suddenly become clearer.

Nervously, I turn on the power. I place my fingers on the keys.

...It's heavy. That flimsy plastic feeling is gone. I can clearly feel the mass of the wood and the resistance of lifting the hammers at my fingertips.

"Thrum..."

I got goosebumps just from playing one note. Even though it should be sound coming from speakers, it has a thick, deep resonance as if strings were vibrating inside a piano. When I press the pedal, the sounds mix intricately and melt into the air.

"Amazing... it's completely different."

To be honest, I probably haven't mastered even 10% of the functions my digital piano has. The touch panel is lined with settings I've never even seen before. But none of that mattered. Just playing a simple scale gives my fingers such a sense of fulfillment. If my keyboard practice until now was just 'finger exercise,' this is undoubtedly 'performance.'

There are only a few days left until the recital. The timing might be close to the worst possible. But if I can build up my fingers with these weighted keys, the fear of the grand piano on the day of the performance should fade a little.

“Nice to meet you, partner.”

As I stroked the white keys, I felt a pure sense of hope for practice for the first time in a while. This isn't just a frivolous expense. It is the best investment in my piano life. Believing that, I decided to make my final push.

***

By the way, as a postscript: the 'too gentle keyboard' that had been relieved of its duties traveled to the home of an acquaintance who lives in the neighborhood. I remembered him saying he had learned a little piano a long time ago and wanted to try moving his fingers again.

“Oh, this is great. It's light, so it's easy for my fingers to play.”

The old man was delighted, smiling like a child. That lightness, which couldn't handle my immature tension, seems just right for his gentle fingertips now. If my old partner can play someone's music in a new place, there is nothing that makes me happier.