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.

@Knittingnanny yes you will need one with weighted keys. I can’t stand keyboards. They all feel so weirdly light. Digital pianos are very good. I really love my Yamaha. I can even transpose with a touch of a key. (Great to sing with).

@DreamingofBrie

I love that music. It’s on the Darcey Bussell Pilates DVD, and I didn’t know exactly what it was, although I guessed Chopin.

I would also love to learn that piece. I got to Grade 8 as a teenager, and now don’t play nearly often enough.

Oh that's so exciting!!

Similar story here. Got up to about grade 8 at school but never sat the last exam as i found it too much with A levels and violin all at the same time.

Nearly 20 years later, we've bought a house and finally have space, and for my birthday my husband bought me a digital piano! Weighted keys and everything.

My parents had kept all my old music, which they dutifully handed over to me the second I had my own attic to abandon it in 😂 so I've been having a go over the last few months.

On the plus side I've found that muscle memory is totally a thing, and I can do lots of things still without even thinking about it. On the downside I've had to go back to my grade 4/5 level stuff, which is a little disheartening! But I'm hoping to improve. My toddler also loves to sit at it and very seriously play me "tunes".

Can I join please? I failed grade 8 when I was 16. Stopped playing.
Bought a tinky tonk off gumtree for £50 a fair few years ago and started again but it's fallen by the wayside.
I desperately need to start again as when I play well I adore it.
But pushing through the pain barrier trying to remember that you will get better the more you play is proving difficult for me.

I’ve played on and off for years and my greatest regret is not working harder at it as a child.
I like playing lesser known repertoire - as well as exercises, Czerny wrote some lovely compositions called Album élégant des dames pianistes ( one of these featured in ABRSM exam pieces recently).
Also Gustave Lange who is considered very sentimental these days, and I love some of Smetana’s piano works. I’m learning his Bettina Polka at the moment - very jolly.

So glad to see other Chopin enthusiasts! I love the 2nd piano concerto, the slow movement is an absolute joy .

There is a short animation on iTunes called "The Magic Piano" which showcases all of the Chopin waltzes, played by Lang Lang. I saw it on the big screen with a live pianist. It's a beautiful bit of animation.

itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/the-magic-piano/id663274306

For those who find it hard to motivates themselves to practice, I was given a good tip (this can also be used for housework etc):

Say to yourself ‘I’ll just practice for 10 minutes’. This almost always turns into longer.

Dreamingofbrie - thanks for the Magic Piano link.
My dd and I luffs Lang Lang.

I never learned as a child but started learning age 40 after my daughter started lessons. I went along to a recital she was in and was really inspired by several more mature students giving it a go. I absolutely love it. Haven't taken any exams and don't plan to.
My teacher is Russian and so enthusiastic. He said he really likes teaching older students because they work so hard, they really want to learn.
We have a Yamaha digital piano with weighted keys.
I love Bach, Handel and Lully. Sometimes I switch to harpsichord and love the sound.
I even played Bach for Christmas.
My most recent pieces are a foray into jazz. I'm doing the Pink Panther and James Bond main title theme.
I've bought myself some books to tinker with over the summer.
It's been great during lockdown and it really feels mindful.
Love this thread.

Great thread OP!

We have a keyboard, it's a fairly decent Yamaha. I did Grade 6 in my teens but have hardly piano played since then - I did continue to play clarinet in bands etc

I love tinkering around on it, but whenever I do the kids come and 'join in', and either spend the time turning it on and off/volume up and down, or I'm nudged off the chair and the cacophony is horrible! Lol
We have headphones so I should play more when they're in bed.

Looking forward for some Pianist Beaker chat and swapping of good tunes to play.

@Andante57

Dreamingofbrie - thanks for the Magic Piano link. My dd and I luffs Lang Lang.

Ahh, me too! Sorry, Magic Piano is the Etudes, not the Waltzes. Introduced me to this wonderful piece:

That's great, congrats on your new purchase! We also bought a digital piano recently (Casio Privia) as we moved our acoustic out into our annexe and everyone missed having a piano in the house. DS11 is having lessons and has got me interested in playing again. I passed grade 8 years ago but failed the teachers diploma, which sort of put me off it. Are people getting refresher lessons? I don't know where to start, just looking at some Grade 7 ABRSM music but I am definitely rusty!

I would love to join. I played for many years as a child/teenager. Didn't take many exams, but passed grade 5 and carried on playing for a few years after that. I also played clarinet.

When I lived at home, my parents had the most amazing Welmer upright, which apparently was the only upright used in concert halls.

When I got married, we didn't have room for an upright, so I bought an electric (Roland). I've still got it, 18 years later and occasionally play. I really want to start playing properly again, but just don't seem to find the time. The other week, I was seriously thinking of looking into taking lessons again and doing some of the Trinity exams, just for my own satisfaction!

My Yamaha YDP144 has just been delivered this moment!
I had lessons as a child and got up to about grade 6/7 but haven't played since.
Was planning to get a piano for the kids to have lessons on when they're older but then thought 'why wait' if I can get use out of it in the meantime!

Ooh can I join please? I got up grade 8 at school but haven't played since 18. I own an old Kawai digital and have quite a lot of music from earlier attempts to get into it but have realised I don't have the mental energy at the moment with a toddler and a job.

I got one a Roland digital a few years ago - I was never good as a kid, never took grades so I’m trying to get better but starting way below you guys.

I find the flowkey app really good - you can Bluetooth it to your digital, and put it in wait mode so basically you play as the sheet music scrolls on, but if you don’t play it right it stops. I’m finding it really helpful but still at the stage where it takes me ages to learn to play anything!

@Undervaluedandsad

It looks great but beyond my budget at the moment ☹️

It is worth looking around to see if any companies rent out pianos in your area. I have one near me and they deliver it and tune it and the cost is very reasonable.

I think this is the thread I need. I started learning the piano 4 years ago when my therapist told me I needed something physical to do that wasn’t related to food or exercise. I think she meant knitting but I came back the following week saying I’d bought a digital piano

I’ve got out of the habit of playing since lockdown. I hated virtual lessons so we stopped and I haven’t got round to restarting them, and it feels harder to practice with DH at home all the time - I don’t like playing with headphones so much though probably need to get over that.

I have a list of pieces I’d been learning before I got lazy that I’m going back to finish and polish. Some Einaudi, very easy Chopin and the Ski Sunday theme.

I will touch my piano today.

I find the flowkey app really good
I tried it but it made me feel seasick. I need my sheet music to keep still!!

@broccolibush, my knitting and crochet habit is almost as expensive over the years as the Kawai digital piano I’m looking at.....

Those of you with children, we always had a piano in the house when I had three at home. I encouraged them all and started them all off but only one carried on. He could pick out tunes before he went to school, certainly before he could read! Although he wasn’t interested in formal lessons after about 9 he taught himself to play whatever he chose and also went on to play guitars in local bands etc. It’s turned out to be a lifelong passionate hobby and the collection of guitars ( plus the new digital piano) have followed him in his moves across the Far East for work. His little ones are just starting to want to join in on the piano and on FaceTime the other day I reminded him that age 3 was a good time to stop letting them “bash” the keys with whole hands and encourage fingers only!

I’ve just remembered one of my friends still has an upright piano so will go and have a go to see if my fingers still actually work
I still have a desire to master Rondo alla Turca. Which I remember a much cleverer friend being able to play and I found phenomenally difficult. Every time it comes on classic fm I tell my husband how hard it is to play!

Can I join please?! I have a similar story...got to grade 5 as a teen, then left home and didn't play for 30 years. I bought a used, three quarter size piano at the start of lockdown and thought I'd just be able to sit down and play. Eh...no. I'm having to relearn, but it's going ok. I can manage fur Elise, Clair de lune and some Coldplay so far.

Very interesting about pianonote!

I did a music degree and specialised in performance. I now teach French, no desire to teach Music, but I still play quite a lot. Chopin, Debussy, Beethoven, Mozart. I like working out my favourite songs on the piano I inherited from my grandad 20yrs ago. It's the piano I learned on and practised for all my exams on.

[quote Knittingnanny]@broccolibush, my knitting and crochet habit is almost as expensive over the years as the Kawai digital piano I’m looking at.....[/quote]

I daren't add up how much I've spent over the years on the piano, shedloads of sheet music, the new piano because I wanted a better one

I have a Kawai CA98 digital now. It's possibly the ugliest piece of furniture I own - I hadn't realised the side profile or nasty silver strip on the lid when I ordered it - but it sounds divine. I did have some trouble with it though, several visits from the (admittedly lovely) engineer to deal with wonky keys, odd keyboard resonance and the most annoying click from the sustain pedal. I'd still recommend them after all that - the feel of the keys is so much nicer than the yamaha clavinovas (IMO) and the sound from the soundboard is amazing. And their after-sales service has been pretty good in that they've fixed everything, even if the pedal needed a few visits.