I liked the idea that there was an instrument that let me play music without having to master the basics for years. (No shade to violinists.)
Chapter 1 — Carnatic Music
I started learning the keyboard in the context of a South Indian musical tradition called Carnatic. I wasn’t at an age where I could appreciate the nuances and beauty of music — but I was just happy my tapping could create sounds. I really enjoyed playing the keyboard. I’d practice just for the joy of it, just to get the song to sound a bit better.
I appeared for a few examinations — played a few pieces practically, wrote theory about the composition, its raga, tala, composer, intent. Completed 4 grades out of 8, which focused up to varnams.
The thing is, these examinations are intended for more traditional instruments like violins or veena, or for vocal students. The skill level to get to playing is just different. (I found singing them much harder.)
And these exams got a bit repetitive — every year, 3–4 new songs, learn the theory, perform, finish a grade. Seeing piano covers on YouTube, hearing composers like A.R. Rahman talking about combining western and Indian influences, my curiosity peaked.
Chapter 2 — Western Classical
Now I wanted to learn the western way. I started basically from scratch — unconventional fingering techniques, learning to read sheet music, time signatures, key signatures, scales, chords, triads, tritones, circle of fifths. Despite having played the keyboard for 5 years, the initial grade was harder than my 4 Carnatic grades.
We didn’t even use the left hand earlier — apart from changing presets and rhythm, it was mostly idle. Now I had to train my left hand to be just as competent as my right, which I found disorienting. It required some extra hand–mind coordination and the timing felt very weird.
I had always just played based on the “groove”. Carnatic compositions were consistent with the tala system — clear in timing, the notation left interpretation open, guided by a Guru always present to teach. The western approach is more for self-discovery. Everything was clearly stated. If it’s a quarter note, you don’t play it as a dotted quarter — that extra half beat breaks the piece.
Half the time I hadn’t even heard the original piece. I kept adding a groove instead of staying on tempo. I also didn’t understand how chords worked — I just knew C maj = C + E + G, and if the next chord is Gm I had to go G + B♭ + D, so I ended up memorising every chord I came across. And dynamics? Best I could do was staccato or not. Don’t ask me for ff, p and all that.
Amid COVID it got really boring. I just attended classes for the sake of it, barely practiced, my class session was my practice time. My poor tutor had to hear that nonsense — watching me play the wrong thing over and over for hours.