Busted damper pedal ~ legato pianist
I busted the tip of the damper pedal rod on my piano almost six months ago. Instead of fixing it right away, I took the opportunity to get used to playing without it. It proved a big boost to my legato technique. I repaired it yesterday, but still haven't gotten used to using it again, because keeping the legato all in my fingers rather than my foot results in a much cleaner smooth tone. Just as I've heard it said that an electric guitarist's real technique shows in how they can play lead on an acoustic, without resorting to all the possibilities of electrically altering a guitar's sound. This is probably why I chose to own acoustic guitars and a traditional acoustic piano rather than one of those late-model fancy electronic keyboards like the Korg, which to me are a sonic playground. By eschewing as much technological assistance as possible in music making, I've concentrated more on building solid keyboard and fretboard technique in my hands themselves.