--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe in using the entire piano as a…" description: "\"I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea.\" — Oscar Peterson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/oscar-peterson-23825_believe_i-believe-in-using-the-entire-piano-as-a_2459344.png" --- # I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument… ![“I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea.” quote by Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/oscar-peterson-23825_believe_i-believe-in-using-the-entire-piano-as-a_2459344.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/oscar-peterson-23825_believe_i-believe-in-using-the-entire-piano-as-a_2459344.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/oscar-peterson-23825_believe_i-believe-in-using-the-entire-piano-as-a_2459344.png) > “I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea.” [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He treats the piano as a unified expressive tool, capable of conveying any musical concept, emphasizing holistic playing. **In simple terms:** Piano is a single expressive instrument. Key Takeaway Play the piano as a whole voice. Themes music creativity instrumentation Mood inspirational artistic Type musical educational When to use this quote - music education - composition - performance critique Key Concepts Holistic performance musical expression technique Questions to Reflect On - How does holistic playing affect improvisation? - What techniques support unified sound? A Different Perspective Focusing on parts may miss overall unity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [Too many jazz pianists limit themselves to a personal style, a trademark, so to speak. They confine themselves to one type of playing. 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The only appeal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-think-i-always-thought-of-the-guitar-as-the-vehicle-to-be-able-to/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [All I tell artists is, 'Do what you love. Never let anybody talk you into changing what your musical idea is just to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/all-i-tell-artists-is-do-what-you-love-never-let-anybody-talk-you/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [Sometimes I start just on the piano with a melody or musical idea that kind of leads me to certain lyrics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/sometimes-i-start-just-on-the-piano-with-a-melody-or-musical-idea/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Nobody in my family was musical. I had no idea you could be a songwriter and make a living at it. 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If it sells one, it sells one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/i-don-t-do-something-because-i-think-it-will-sell-30-million-albums-i/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [First of all, I swore it was two people playing. When I finally admitted to myself that was one man, I gave up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/first-of-all-i-swore-it-was-two-people-playing-when-i-finally/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [If you have something to say of any worth then people will listen to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/if-you-have-something-to-say-of-any-worth-then-people-will-listen-to/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [You not only have to know your own instrument, you must know the others and how to back them up at all times. 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You don't need any prologues, you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/some-people-try-to-get-very-philosophical-and-cerebral-about-what/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [Some people try to get very philosophical and cerebral about what they're trying to say with jazz. You don't need any prologues, you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/some-people-try-to-get-very-philosophical-and-cerebral-about-what-2/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [He's not a performer, he's not a composer, he's not even a musician, but Norman Granz is Mr. Jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/he-s-not-a-performer-he-s-not-a-composer-he-s-not-even-a-musician-but/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [Montreal was a very active jazz center until club owners started putting in strippers instead of music. Before long, there was nothing to hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/montreal-was-a-very-active-jazz-center-until-club-owners-started/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [The music field was the first to break down racial barriers, because in order to play together, you have to love the people you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/the-music-field-was-the-first-to-break-down-racial-barriers-because/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [Too many jazz pianists limit themselves to a personal style, a trademark, so to speak. They confine themselves to one type of playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/too-many-jazz-pianists-limit-themselves-to-a-personal-style-a/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [I despair about the lack of proper respect shown for the piano. If you want it to sound like a traffic jam, go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/i-despair-about-the-lack-of-proper-respect-shown-for-the-piano-if-you/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) > [I play as I feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-peterson/i-play-as-i-feel/) [Oscar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) [Explore all 25 Oscar Peterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-peterson/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? 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