Does anyone fancy a piano chat thread?

[LemonViolet]

I’m awaiting delivery of a new piano, squeee!!! I haven’t played regularly for 20 years. I got to grade 6 as a teen, failed grade 7, carried on tinkering for a bit but have not really lived anywhere with a piano since age 18 so am well out of practice.

Whilst I hope/plan to put a baby grand in our front room, once it is done up - which may be some time - at the weekend I just realised, what am I waiting for, I want a digital anyways for playing at less sociable hours, so went ahead and ordered myself a nice Kawai digital and it arrives on Friday!!!

There’s a music chat thread on the extracurricular board but that’s more parents discussing their offsprings’ exploits, I have seen on the music board it’s quite pianissimo but there clearly are other grown up women around here playing/learning/relearning piano for our own pleasure, entertainment, therapy etc! So thought I’d post to see if anyone else is interested in hanging out on a piano thread to chat about our piano journeys, successes and failures, pieces we like, what we’re practicing etc?

It could be called the piano bar or the pianist beaker, seeing as this is MN

If there is one I’ve just failed to find, please point me in that direction.

Thanks @GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER!! Hope that’s useful @RaraRachael

Welcome @MacaroniSaysShetlandPony where did you get to when you were younger? Have you got a piano now?

I have a question: how would you play this chord (you’ll know which one!!). The (a) footnote says “for small hands this chord may be broken” but would you break it upwards or downwards? Seeing as the next note is lower? It’s Chopin Nocturne in G minor Op15No3. Just trying it out this evening (another one from that “introductory album” book).

I really should get some practise in. I haven't had a lesson since July but I have one on Friday 20th and I haven't played at all recently. Hope I haven't forgotten how to play.

You’ve got a week! Can you promise yourself 10 minutes a day?

Were you set any specific things to work on?

I'm back at work on Monday for three days worth of twelve hour shifts. I'll see what I can manage on Thursday. I do have one piece of guidance to follow but my lessons are over Zoom at the moment which rather blunts the learning process so I'm not expecting to achieve much. I'm sure all will be better when Mrs Teacher has got rid of the MIL and proper, face to face instruction can resume.

@LemonViolet I'd break that chord downwards.

I didn't even know one can convert uprights to digitals! I donated my old piano to a hospital, now it's sitting in a waiting room as a communal piano.

@LemonViolet

Same with the lots of pieces. I think especially at beginner/intermediate level, when none of our pieces are especially long timewise, it’s easy to do that. Which obviously is fine when it’s just for our own pleasure anyway. But I do want to work on this concept of ‘active repertoire’ where you maintain 3 pieces at any one time that are performance ready, that you can sit down and just play.

That’s the goal I’ve yet to achieve - 3 performance-ready pieces! More than once I’ve had one piece very nearly ready, but the final polish has eluded me - or rather I’ve just got a bit bored with it and moved to another.

Still, it’s all been good for the sight-reading, which was virtually non existent when I first took it up again. The piano tuner of the original upright told me to just get lots of music and play it, without bothering about perfecting it - just keep going. So I did - piles of it 2nd hand from Amazon, and of course he was absolutely right.

@LemonViolet: I'd normally break that chord upwards even though the next note is lower.

You can pedal to keep the flow.

I reality, I'd probably cheat and just play a normal g chord and sneak the bflat into the chord somewhere else to keep the minor feel.

Thanks LemonViolet I'm in the back of beyond so not sure if that would be possible.

I tried playing a few weeks ago but found that, as soon as I came on a bit that needed practice, I didn't have the enthusiasm to do it. It was different when I was young and went to lessons and had to practise for exams, but I really have no motivation any more.

I really wish I’d broken a chord a few years ago, instead of trying a 10 note stretch - I knew at the time it was a stretch too far, idiot that I was. I damaged a ligament or whatever it was - had to keep that thumb immobile for several days and still have trouble with it now and then.

It was in ‘To A Wild Rose’ which I loved but then abandoned.

I should dig it out again and reapply myself, with a suitable modification of course.

Hi, I'm so glad I've found this thread, it's inspired me to dust off the sheet music and start playing again.

Like a lot of you, I played as a child, did Grade 8 in 6th form and since then I've hardly played. I've lugged my Clavinova around countless house moves and refused to get rid of it!

I know I need to practise scales and arpeggios, I can hardly remember the keys anymore 😳

Any tips? I can sight read Grade 4 and just want to play for fun. I'd love to try jazz, blues, improvisation, pop. Where is good to get cheap sheet music? I've got lots of classical already.

I have looked at the Pianote app and I like the idea of the structure but not sure how I'd get on with sheet music on a laptop....

Any recommendations for YouTubers that would be good to subscribe to?

I am toying with the idea of having a few lessons online but not sure where to start with that, any advice?

@Jackieweaverishere: abrsm have grades 1-5 jazz, and a theory book by Charles Neale called Jazz Piano from scratch.

Hal Leonard has blues and boogie woogie resources. And have you thought of Rockschool? Some great pieces (though no improvisation required).

For theory, I found Popular Music Theory good. Mark Levine is the go-to resource for Jazz Theory.

Online: for basic impro, I like Piano Jonny. Piano Pig also good. There's loads of jazz resources on YouTube. I don't always like the style of presentation though - too much jabbering on for my liking.

If you want to borrow some books, I've got loads if you pm me. .

Beale not Neale.

Place marking 😊

Hi
I’m an adult beginner - just at Grade 1 (jealous of anyone who’s learned as a child!).
I’ve made progress, but our old Yamaha Digital is irritating me. The keys aren’t weighted/ sometimes it just sounds too electronic.

Does anyone have a Digital Piano that they would recommend? For our modern house (no soundproofing), digital would be best.

I was looking at the Clavinova’s, but there’s quite a price range! Do I just need a basic one - or is worth paying extra?

Are Roland/ Casio well thought of too?

I’d just like an instrument that feels lovely to play/ sounds good too. Unlikely to be buying another piano ever - so would like to get it right.

Thank you, if anyone can help.

I’ve just picked up a second hand Yamaha Arius and I am loving it!

Now I’m on the hunt for new pieces to learn but no idea where to start! I just keep playing the same things. Can anyone recommend me a lovely book of cheerful, upbeat classical music at around grade 4 standard?

@LifeIsBetterWithADog

www.gear4music.com/Keyboards-and-Pianos/SDP-2-Stage-Piano-by-Gear4music/1D57

I got this. I'm in the same place as you. learning-wise

My brother knows a lot more about music than I do, and recommended this piano. I didn't think it'd be much, for the price, but when I played the very first note I got tears in my eyes. It's lovely. My piano teacher's impressed by it, too.

Can I join? I'm right at one end of the spectrum - I started learning (and to read music, too) more or less at the start of Lockdown last year. A year earlier I'd nabbed a free and ancient upright off a local recycle group and it was mine for the £100 it took for three strong men and a van to manhandle it into the house! It's absolutely knackered too (used to be a school practice piano, still has endearing graffiti from bored pupils scratched into the varnish on the lid) and I really do need to have it tuned, if indeed that's actually possible. Now I'm back to in-person lessons with my teacher, when I use her piano I realise how shite mine is!

I'm very slow, find learning to read music from scratch INCREDIBLY hard and curse the fact that I never learned any music at all as a child. I've now worked my way through the first two Bastien beginners books and some exercises books and my teacher thinks I can start Grade 1 work. So be gentle with me!

Listening-wise, I live for Bach and Chopin, and I know I'll never, ever be able to play pieces like that...

@TheFoundations

Thank you!

Off to Eastbourne today for a day trip, Bonners to look at the pianos ( as a direct result of this lovely thread) and fish and chips on the pier.
I’m on another thread at the moment , things you wished you hadn’t bought!!! In my case it’s a Remoska and an overlocker machine for my sewing room. The latter may have to go to make room for today’s ( possible) purchase.
My husband ( non pianist) has commented that he hopes a digital piano doesn’t join the “ unwanted purchase” thread
I’m certain it won’t. My youngest local granddaughter (3) is full of eager anticipation and is convinced I’m going to be playing songs solely chosen by her! She is also fascinated by my sewing room in general though.

Photo to follow later if I make a purchase!

Ooh exciting!

I played a bit just now - started Mozart’s sonata 12, I think I’ve played the first movement a couple of times but then I remembered why I never worked hard at it as I turned the page to the second movement and thought WTF. 😳🤣

My parents are visiting later in the week - they haven’t heard me play in years and they are keen to hear me on the new piano, I didn’t get round to it the last couple of times they visited. So I will choose a few things - definitely Chaconne by Yiruma, and probably a Clementi sonatina.

My aim is to start learning pieces off by heart, so I can play them without sheet music. I am glued to the sheet music at the moment. My goal is to have active repertoire of 5 pieces that I can play to a decent standard without sheet music. Let's see of that's possible 😂

Bought the Kawai cn39 like this but in white, being delivered Friday

Now having fish and chips at the seafront

@knittingnanny Nice! I bet you are excited!