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What I have learned about the piano is that the type of piano directly impacts your rate of progress and the quality of your playing. As a piano teacher, I have found that Yamaha digital pianos (for example, the Asus series and Clavinovas) are better instruments than they are given credit for in pianist circles, but if you're more than an early-advanced player you'll need to graduate to something else. The Kawai Concert Artist hybrid pianos are my favorites even above acoustic uprights, and handle fairly advanced repertoire with the needed nuances. But, most of all, acoustic grand pianos are the best. I ended up choosing a Yamaha GC2/SH2 grand piano over Kawai, as I have learned I like the warmer sound of the Yamaha. The "SH2" is a moniker for their silent system, which somehow and through dark magic lets you play the acoustic piano with headphones. My playing ability has skyrocketed since I purchased the Yamaha last fall.
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The thing that I have found most unusual about studying piano and learning to sight-read chamber music (as a total amateur!) is how much more quickly I can process mental math. When I was a kid, I noticed that I could do mental calculations more quickly than my friends who didn't do music.
I guess it has to do with processing more lines of notes "on the fly"?
It comes in handy in business meetings!