Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Does anyone fancy a piano chat thread?

878 replies

LemonViolet · 28/07/2021 23:01

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
40
DaphneDeloresMoorhead2 · 31/03/2023 19:23

Totally agree @RaraRachael. I was fortunate to find a teacher that didn't see the syllabus as the only music worth learning but a vessel to show your skills. She now teaches DD too and the difference has been most marked.

buggerthebotox · 31/03/2023 19:54

So envious of you being able to go to Finchcocks, @DaphneDeloresMoorhead2@DaphneDeloresMoorhead.

DaphneDeloresMoorhead2 · 31/03/2023 20:55

@Buggerthebotox it really is wonderful. I consider myself very fortunate, it's well worth the overtime I have to do ! We are only 25 miles away so fir me it's a lovely break with less travelling than going to work. You can't arrive until late afternoon so I make a day of it on the Friday and visit Scotney Castle in the afternoon which is one of my favourite places on earth and Merriments Gardens and Nursery for lunch.
a testament to my now confirmed Middle Age ! Although those have been thr sort of things I really enjoyed since I was about 7 🤣

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Music
DaphneDeloresMoorhead2 · 31/03/2023 20:59

And you meet the most fascinating people. Lots are retired and have had the most interesting careers and lives; the conversation round thr dinner table is always very varied ! One end of the table may be discussing sailing in the Faroes while the other end is taking about virology and how the covid vaccines were developed (we had a recently retired virologist on my first course which was the first one after lockdown).
in fact going to Finchcocks has really made me look forward to retirement, it looks brilliant !

WildRosie · 01/04/2023 11:24

I'm learning 'Love Is The Sweetest Thing' at the moment. It's an old Ray Noble song covered by Peter Skellern about forty years ago. I have the music but I only really need it for the introduction, which is about ten bars long. I know how the verse and chorus go and I came up with my own chords. So far, it's one of two tunes I've chosen myself that seems to be working for me. The next difficult bit will be finding another suitable piece!

Playing by ear seems to be my strength and my teacher has highlighted this as a positive. I admit I struggle with sight reading, especially on the bass stave.

buggerthebotox · 01/04/2023 11:24

DaphneDeloresMoorhead2 · 31/03/2023 20:59

And you meet the most fascinating people. Lots are retired and have had the most interesting careers and lives; the conversation round thr dinner table is always very varied ! One end of the table may be discussing sailing in the Faroes while the other end is taking about virology and how the covid vaccines were developed (we had a recently retired virologist on my first course which was the first one after lockdown).
in fact going to Finchcocks has really made me look forward to retirement, it looks brilliant !

Is it a piano museum as well?

RaraRachael · 01/04/2023 18:42

I'd never heard of Finchcocks before. It looks very interesting but 600 miles away 🤩 plus the dinner table chat would be my idea of hell.

DaphneDeloresMoorhead2 · 01/04/2023 19:27

@Buggerthebotox it used to be. I went there when I was at school and thought I'd take DD there. Looked on the website, thought "oh dear no museum but this looks AWESOME", booked a course and the piano renaissance hasn't stopped since 😂. Since that first weekend I've done two exams, played in two festivals, my daughter has enjoyed the musical atmosphere so much she was awarded a music scholarship at school.

you could say Finchcocks has changed our lives !

DaphneDeloresMoorhead2 · 01/04/2023 19:29

@WildRosie i adore Peter Skellern, my mum played his albums along with Barry manilow a lot when. I was growing up.
I've been playing a bit of Barry too :)

Buttalapasta · 02/04/2023 07:41

@WildRosie I love that song! I'm learning Debussy's First Arabesque which I think is a bit too hard but my teacher is very enthusiastic!

WildRosie · 02/04/2023 08:07

There's a seemingly bottomless pit of music to be had. Not all of it is suitable for piano but it's likely that anything Peter Skellern wrote or recorded will be. Cold Feet is a great tune but more suited to brass and accordion.

StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 09/12/2023 14:34

Hello everyone on this thread. I am DaphneDeloresMorehead but reappearing under yet another PG Wodehouse inspired name change !
how are we all ?

buggerthebotox · 14/12/2023 11:20

Hello. Glad to see this thread is still going. I haven't been playing much, but I have been having a bash at some of Nikki Iles' christmas tunes, which are lovely.

Treated myself to Nikki Iles gig at Cadogan Hall in London in November too.

How's everyone else?

StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 14/12/2023 13:07

I love Nikki Iles, this year I've been doing Winter Wonderland and Santa Claus is coming to town. I tried them a couple of years ago but they were too tricky but this year 🍾
do you have book 2, I'm debating it.

buggerthebotox · 14/12/2023 14:01

Oh well done. I'm using Jazz on a Winter's Night. Made some progress with Merry Little Christmas and the Christmas Sing. The arrangements are lovely and not too difficult. 🎵

Buttalapasta · 14/12/2023 18:15

I have her Christmas book but haven't been able to find it for a few years and am too stubborn to buy it again!

StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 14/12/2023 18:26

Have you seen the Christopher Norton Microjazz Christmas book ? I've had it a couple of years, might actually be up to it now 😂
my piano teacher has a couple of them on her YouTube channel

Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls by Christopher Norton

https://youtu.be/DWd1BuKfvwg?si=yG0E68coo7H4DYbY

buggerthebotox · 15/12/2023 09:00

I didn't realise there was a Christmas Microjazz, so thanks! Just about to watch those videos.

buggerthebotox · 15/12/2023 09:02

Your teacher has a lovely light touch, @StiffyByngsDogBartholomew

StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 15/12/2023 10:17

buggerthebotox · 15/12/2023 09:02

Your teacher has a lovely light touch, @StiffyByngsDogBartholomew

Thankyou on her behalf ! She's fab, RCM trained and very talented. She is incredibly busy with choirs and sea shanty groups and all sorts of stuff. I was very fortunate to find her and that she had space as she doesn't have too many pupils.

Buttalapasta · 25/05/2024 11:57

Anyone still here? How is the practising going? I am working on some Beatles arrangements which should be relatively easy but can I get them up to speed? Can I heck! What are you all playing?

ChicChicChicChiclana · 25/05/2024 15:37

Hello, I am battling through JS Bach invention no. 13. Which I love, but it's tricky.

Do you use a metronome really methodically for getting up to speed? My quite strict piano teacher insists on this, sometimes the damn thing drives me mad and I have to switch it off and just play ... but she's quite right of course. It does work if you stick with it!

I'm on the lookout for pieces that sound impressive but are actually quite easy to play, for an informal small concert in the summer. Any ideas anyone? Around grade 5 to 6.

buggerthebotox · 25/05/2024 15:52

ChicChicChicChiclana · 25/05/2024 15:37

Hello, I am battling through JS Bach invention no. 13. Which I love, but it's tricky.

Do you use a metronome really methodically for getting up to speed? My quite strict piano teacher insists on this, sometimes the damn thing drives me mad and I have to switch it off and just play ... but she's quite right of course. It does work if you stick with it!

I'm on the lookout for pieces that sound impressive but are actually quite easy to play, for an informal small concert in the summer. Any ideas anyone? Around grade 5 to 6.

Well-Tempered Clavier, if you like Bach?

Buttalapasta · 06/01/2025 15:40

Buttalapasta · 02/04/2023 07:41

@WildRosie I love that song! I'm learning Debussy's First Arabesque which I think is a bit too hard but my teacher is very enthusiastic!

Anyone still around? I am still working on this plus The Beatles. I actually hadnt realised that I had started the Debussy so long ago....😮

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 16/01/2025 13:38

Buttalapasta · 06/01/2025 15:40

Anyone still around? I am still working on this plus The Beatles. I actually hadnt realised that I had started the Debussy so long ago....😮

Show quote history

Hello! I started reading this thread and then skipped to the end to see if anyone was still posting. Looks like it's all gone quiet.

I have a piano being delivered tomorrow after having not played for about 20 years, so feeling simultaneously very excited also very daunted and in need of encouragement!