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.

[quote Knittingnanny2]@mariominder if I ever have had to accompany anyone I’ve just written chords underneath their tune and faffed about with arpeggios! Plus a few cadences at the end.[/quote]
Thanks, that sounds like great advice. And manageable!

It will sound very flowery and complicated to your audience but very manageable

Hello all. Took grade 5 theory online yesterday (the only way you can take it now- they've scrapped paper theory exams for grades 1-5). Had the usual technical difficulties but hoping it went okay- won't find out the results for another 4 weeks.
Excited for Finchcocks- 4 weeks today! Decided with my teacher that we're going to persevere with the Chopin nocturne and waltz until then, and afterwards start on some jazz and some pieces from the grades 5 and 6 syllabus. I love Chopin but need to play something else!
@mariominder your piano is amazing. Sounds like you're a similar playing level to many of us here!

@LilaGracehow did you find taking the exam ? How much study did you do for it ?
I've nearly finished working through the g3 book, did a bit of work on compound rhythm with teacher yesterday which was the last bit I had to do so I've got the G4 book coming tomorrow. I'm hoping to take the exam in April which leaves me able to book either the July session or November for my practical exam depending on how I get on.

Which Finchcocks course are you on again ?

@DaphneDeloresMoorhead I took grade 4 theory in September then spent about a month after finishing that going through the grade 5 books. Then I shelved it for 2 months as I was busy with other stuff and picked it up again 2 weeks ago. The exam was okay- it's the technical challenges around the online format that make it difficult. They use a host called PSI that isn't smooth running- I had to spend 30 mins on the phone to the technical helpdesk which doesn't make for a good start to an exam! Make sure you watch the video about the room scan/proctoring and which forms of ID are acceptable before you start. I had the same problems with grade 4 so was expecting it.
I'm on the Chopin course at Finchcocks on 11 Feb- hence the frantic nocturne practising!

I have fond memories of my Grade 5 theory exam. I was heavily pregnant with twins at the time and the examiner let me wander around the room as it was really uncomfortable to sit down - I was the only one taking it!

Tbh it’s the technical side that had put me off doing theory exam for now - I don’t actually have a computer, and doubt I could do it on my phone! I do plan to get one for my newly furnished study though.

Well the festival schedule came through. Is it weird that I'm a bit disappointed I'm the only entrant in the classes I've entered ?
I'm planning on playing thr buccaneer from the grade 6

According to my piano teacher the adjudicator this year "will love that, it's absolutely a festival piece, you've got to do that one" God help me

Eek! I’m playing my piano and it suddenly started talking!!!!! Sounded like a play! Maybe radio 4 archers?? What’s going on? Is it something to do with my mobile phone sitting on the top? It stopped after about 5 mins

Whaaaaaaat?!?

Erm……..call the manufacturer?

(or your doctor if you’re hearing things?!? )

I’ll email them, and ask my son in Singapore with same model if it’s ever happened to him
I shouted at my husband to come upstairs quickly and he raced up with his torch thinking it was another pesky mouse!
Played for another 40 mins and didn’t happen again, very weird!
It was a man and woman having a conversation and mentioning someone called Lauren, I googled radio and on radio 4 the archers was on, another google told me there is a Lauren on the archers
I’m a secret digital piano detective!

Well as I only use it to play I had no idea it’s Bluetooth enabled! Someone walking or living nearby must have clicked on my piano by mistake! Going to have a look at the manual to learn how to switch off Bluetooth
Of course if it’s not switched on the mystery continues!

How’s everyone doing?

I’ve had a bit of a turbulent time of late. My mum has been diagnosed with cancer and everything is up in the air. She got me watching The Greatest Showman at the weekend, not seen it bedore, but she loves it.
So now I’ve downloaded the sheet music for this medley and trying to learn it. It’s not beyond my capability but some rapid runs and big jumps of octave chords will need a lot of practice!

Also can anyone recommend a good books for someone who was only ever grade 1-2 standard? Mum is thinking of giving piano another go now she’ll be at home more unable to get out and about. But she’s much more elementary level than me so I find it difficult to judge what would be suitable .

Can anyone actually play that chord? Right hand, C# minor. So 4th finger G#, 5th finger C#!!! Surely no one can play their 4th and 5th fingers a 4th apart especially with your thumb an octave lower! Will be fudging that one

Sorry this one :-)

@lemon violet, I'm so sorry to hear about your Mum's diagnosis. Sending best wishes for her treatment and recovery.

Book 1 of Play it Again Piano by Melanie Spanswick starts around Grade 1/2 and progresses. I find her advice on how to play the pieces really helpful and the selection is a good mix. The Faber Easy Piano Anthology also starts at that level.

@LemonViolet I’d miss out the bottom c# on that chord, the only other way I could do it is to do a spread chord. What piece is it?

@LemonViolet

Can anyone actually play that chord? Right hand, C# minor. So 4th finger G#, 5th finger C#!!! Surely no one can play their 4th and 5th fingers a 4th apart especially with your thumb an octave lower! Will be fudging that one

@LemonViolet

I can play the chord on its own, just about, not sure sure how easily it would flow with the rest as it's quite awkward isn't it.
I'd leave out the bottom note of the chord, the C#, sound is much the same but not such a stretch or the F so you get the full octave

I'm stumbling through Love Is Blue at the moment. My left hand is finding it hard-working and begins to ache after a few seconds. Persistence, though. It's happened with other tunes.

Is just spread the chord out between two hands. Can't do it otherwise.

[quote Knittingnanny2]@LemonViolet I’d miss out the bottom c# on that chord, the only other way I could do it is to do a spread chord. What piece is it?[/quote]
I think it's the one @LemonViolet linked, the Greatest Showman

@absolutelynotfabulous good idea, especially as it then all moves to treble clef in both hands. I’m going to google the whole piece and have a closer look

Wow Barney Walsh played that tricky Chopin waltz without any music just now on Breaking dad!

Got two of my g6 pieces pretty much in the bag now, just need polishing up. Piano teacher is pushing me to do summer exam not November. And in honour of this I've bought the grade 7 book as it turns out you can play the 2021/22 syllabus until the end of 2023. So gives me nearly 2 years to prepare as I'm going to start playing around with one of the pieces now. Has anyone heard Pink Minor by Madeleine Dring, it's one of the c pieces. It's just fabulous.
In other piano news I've tracked down and made contact with my old piano teacher who, incredibly, is teaching the son of one of my colleagues ! I can't wait to hear from him, I'm sure he will be delighted to hear I'm playing properly again as he always said I never worked hard enough to play as well as I was able 😀