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Chuck Hinman: IJMA No. 343 Lost: Middle C It's Just Me Again 343. A classic story for piano players, wherein Chuck Hinman relates the importance of the belly button to understanding the vagaries of piano keyboard Next earlier Chuck Hinman story, Halloween When I Was a Kid Reader comments to CM are appreciated, as are emails directly to Mr. Hinman at: charles.hinman@sbcglobal.net by Chuck Hinman Anyone whose Mom forced them at the tip of the family gun to take piano lessons when they were little has heard of "Middle C." It's where a piano teacher starts in getting little people oriented to the vagaries of the piano keyboard. Just consider, there are eighty-eight keys, and they all look alike; there are seven different key names running the alphabet from "A through G" and to make it absolutely formidable there are eight of each of those keys named "A through G." And that's just talking about the white keys -- there are a jillion black ones! Give up? Well, help is on the way! There are some tricks you can learn which for an ornery eight year old boy are pretty exciting. What boy at that age has not explored his body enough to know all about that cute little medallion in the middle of his stomach with the B-word name -- "BELLY BUTTON"? My Mom tried to shush me into softening that B-word by saying "na-vel" but it didn't take! Smart-aleck kid! Most moms don't have a clue as to what a boy can do with his belly button; apparently girls don't come equipped with belly buttons and its just a little boy thing. But I'm not sure about that. It took my piano teacher to explain that it is a "navigation tool" (oh -- yeah!) used by famous piano players like Paderewski to know where to sit down in front of the piano so you will be able to play the whole song without having to scoot around on the piano bench. She demonstrated that when I stood in front of the keyboard my little "tummy" button should be lined up with the middle of eight C's on the piano keyboard. "Swell!" (same word as "cool!") I enjoyed that gem of information almost more than anything else I learned at that first lesson. And it has served me well until about mid-life when I started putting on weight! To be truthful, I haven't seen my belly button in going on forty years! I could, if I could see better, stand in front of the bathroom mirror and tug at my considerable gut and with a flashlight tell that I have a belly button somewhere in there! I gave up doing that because Connie was always barging in the bathroom without knocking and it got embarrassing explaining what the flashlight was for! (eight batteries!) Well, after 83 years I still play the piano but not as well; but I have some good excuses. My vision has gone to pot so I can't see the notes; my hearing has gone to pot so that I can't hear what I'm playing; and worst of all, my "pot has gone to pot" so I have difficulty sitting in front of Middle C when I sit down to play. I have lost my belly button -- the nemesis of a piano player! Chuck Hinman, former Nebraska farm boy, spent his working days with Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and Houston, Texas. He lives at Tallgrass Estates in Bartlesville where he keeps busy writing his memories. His hobbies are writing, playing the organ, and playing bridge. This story was posted on 2009-11-08 02:31:25
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Chuck Hinman - Reminiscences:
Chuck Hinman, IJMA 336: Halloween When I Was a Kid Chuck Hinman IJMA No. 043: Somebody's sitting in my chair Chuck Hinman IJM No. 344: Mealtime When I Was A Kid Chuck Hinman, IJM 374: Wash Day Chuck Hinman IJM No. 306: Chuck Hinman IJMA No. 172: Depression Days Chuck Hinman, IJMA #10, My Dad, Arley Hinman Chuck Hinman: IJMA #176 Not in my boat Chuck Hinman: IJM # 353 Mom's Aprons Chuck Hinman, IJMA #149: Half-soles. Remember them? View even more articles in topic Chuck Hinman - Reminiscences |
 
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