The Musings of Frederic

by BakaBoy

The Pianoforte and I

A piano key: an object wide enough to be able to be used by a hoof without the hoof touching any of the adjacent keys around the key. Pressing a piano key results in a hammer striking a string inside the piano causing a note to be played. Each piano key corresponds to a different note. A series of notes can be played in sequence in order to create a melody. A combination of several notes played simultaneously is called a chord... How am I supposed to play several notes with only two hooves?

I sat there, dumbfounded, staring at the piano as it mocked me with its mystery. For all the years I have played the piano it has only struck me now about how impractical it appeared to be if you were to be using a hoof. Sure, singular notes could be played quite easily in sequence with just two hooves but the possibilities of creating a complex piece would be hindered if it was composed for only two hooves. Admittedly this seemed more like a minor inconvenience, it was rare to see a solo pianist these days. Piano's were a group instrument in pony culture, rarely did they ever take the center stage and perform a solo, only true masters of the instrument were ever given the opportunity.

I myself am one of the lucky few who had been graced with the opportunity to play a solo, something that was used as a last result in a recent concert when one of the ensemble members was late in preparation for the upcoming performance. It was a quick piece, only lasting around four minutes, but it also was a simple piece. Simple, yet meaningful.

My train of thought ended there for the moment, nothing more could really be said about the solo. So instead I opted to just carefully observe the details on the old piano in front of me instead. The practice hall piano was an old but reliable instrument, it has served many a pianist for many years and will continue to do so for many more. The rest of the ensemble were busily preparing their instruments while all I needed to do was open up the piano lid and set my music out... Simple. Of course this simplicity has led me to my current train of thought, just what is it about piano's that fascinates me so much?

The inner workings of this particular piano is relatively standard for nearly all pianos in existence, that is not to say that it is not complex, rather the opposite actually. The inner workings of a piano is like an art piece, a feat of complex engineering that has been compacted to create one of the most successful instruments of all time, the instrument of choice for most composers. The existence of pianos has been firmly cemented throughout the history of music, from classical to modern, because of its famous reputation of being the large, centerpiece instrument for some, if not most, classical music groups throughout history.

So then, why did it all seem rather... unnecessary?

The instrument was far too big to be able to be used as a portable instrument, it was expensive to produce even a single piano, the range of possible notes was in between most instruments and it took years of dedication to be able to even play the keys properly without constantly hitting the adjacent keys. On top of that if you were an Earth Pony, like me, you would find it extremely difficult to play more than two notes simultaneously unless you were willing to think outside the box and use your muzzle or, Celestia forbid, your tongue.

Unicorns and pegasi would both have a generally easier time, magically skilled unicorns could easily manage several keys, if not several instruments, all at the same time allowing for controlled and precise manipulation of the instruments. Pegasi had amazingly precise motor movement with their wings allowing for a far more precise control over their instruments whether it be playing the instruments with their wings or even just holding the instrument in place, allowing for a far more comfortable position for the musician to play.

Even with all the distinct advantages that Unicorns and Pegasi possess in comparison to Earth ponies, it was rather strange that, even if it is fundamentally more difficult for Earth ponies to play the classical instruments due to the lack of magic or prehensile wings, the majority of classical musicians in Canterlot seem to be Earth ponies... Actually, I think they ALL are only Earth ponies.

It was another revelation, why were Earth ponies deliberately learning something that was naturally far more difficult to accomplish in comparison to Unicorns and/or Pegasi? Was it a tribalist instinct? Something to try prove to the other tribes that Earth ponies indeed could do whatever a Unicorn or Pegasus could do the same if not better? Was this all just a massive tribal conspiracy that led to a large number of Earth ponies, I myself included, into a delusional career involving long hours, days, weeks, months, years of practice just to achieve a sense of security of our tribe’s position in comparison to others?

“Earth to Freddy? Hello~?”

The voice snapped me out of my musings momentarily, derailing my spiralling train of thought. Beauty Brass looked at me quizzically but with a slight amount of amusement. “Have you returned from dreamland yet?” She inquired, a small chuckle escaping her lips. Trying to salvage some form of dignity, although in truth I did not know why I felt embarrassed, I quickly jumped off of my piano stool and faced Beauty Brass.

“Is one not allowed to be in deep thought every now and again?” I questioned, Beauty Brass just merely chuckled in response.

“Only if one wants to be a philosopher instead of a musician, come on, the rest of the ensemble is ready and all our instruments are set, let’s practice now okay?” She said, chuckling as she hobbled over to her position, wobbling slightly due to the large brass instrument that was wrapped around her carriage...

Now hold on, how did Beauty Brass even fit into her Sousaphone?