We play at least two, and often five or six at once!
To make things worse, it just seems that other musicians get so much special treatment. We have to stop and go back to where they got lost, or played a wrong note, or didn't like their articulation. What would happen if the piano accompanist did that?
And other musicians get to carry their instrument with them! Everywhere they go to make music for the world, they get their own, private musical instrument that is all their own and that they know as well as if it was their baby. We pianists, we get whatever is at the venue, tuned or not, maintained or not. If the piano playing is out of tune and notes don't strike because the keys are broken -- the pianist must not be too good....
The melody instruments get the spotlight. They are the most important part of the music, supposedly. The music they play is what the audience hears, remembers --- hums on the way home. The piano was there too, you know, supporting them all!
And speaking of support, other musicians have so much less responsibility, it seems. The piano has to keep things moving, with a good rhythm. Try playing out of rhythm if you're the piano player! You'll be out of that ensemble in a flash.... (Yes, life is difficult for us....)
And on the subject of ensemble playing, we all know what happens when it's time to sightread something new: The melody players set the pace, and the pianist just has to do the best she can. Never mind that she plays chords and has to leap all over the keyboard and turn pages --- that's no excuse!
Yeah, we pianists have it hard......
Well, I suppose there are some things that they have to deal with that we don't, such as:
* having to constantly tune strings (string instruments)
* frequent broken strings (string instruments)
* calloused fingertips (string instruments)
* saliva in the instrument (wind instruments)
* sore, tired lips (horns in particular)
* different technique depending on the note (flutes in particular, winds)
* running out of breath (winds)
* the perpetual hickey (violin)
* steaming up the practice room (wind instruments)
* transporting your instrument in lots of small pieces (percussion, drumset)
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