My Story #59 - "Black Keys Only"

  

My Story #59

BLACK KEYS ONLY

At 10 years old I was not a very good pianist, but I played piano all the time. I was learning melodies often, but I knew nothing about harmony or chords.

Gum Lick Baptist Church needed a piano player, and the word got out that I could play piano, so my parents were approached about my coming to church there to play piano for them for a while, which I did.

Little did they know that I had no idea that songs were written in different key signatures. Since I played in what I later learned was 6 Flats (almost all black notes), every song was sung in this key of G Flat (I think).

Sometimes the congregation were singing so low that they could hardly make a sound; other times they were singing so high that they were nearly screaming. I was never scolded nor ridiculed for my playing, so we just went through this spell of singing too high and too low.

I don't know how many people would even remember those days, but I am sure that someone somewhere remembers the highs and lows of that experience.

Now that I have learned more about chords and key signatures, I can more easily adjust for highs and lows. By the way, I no longer play in G Flat (ever) unless it is for fun. God is gracious.