AIBU to want a piano?

[ShouldIStaySelfIsolated]

I'd love a piano. I've looked on ebay, marketplace etc and they are a lot cheaper than I thought it would be. We don't currently have the space but are looking at buying a new house after Christmas (not completely piano related).
I have lovely ideas about Christmas songs round the piano, my children being very cultured, learning Mozart, and having time to myself to play...

So, does anyone already have a piano and can confirm that my piano related dreams will become a reality, or will it just be another thing to dust/hoover around?

Do you play piano OP?

The things to consider are the cost of getting it delivered - piano movers aren't cheap. You will also need to pay for a tuner.

Piano lessons around here ar £25 per hour so you'd be looking at min £100 per month for each child to learn
In terms of playing unless your kids are prodigies it's unlikely they will be playing Mozart in the next couple of years.

Do you play/intend to play?

I’ve played piano for a long time, so mine is used most days. Depending on where you live having it tuned can be expensive, with an older one be mindful of the humidity level that the wood will require.

Get one if you think you'll use it.

I've got a piano - they are big things - I had uprights for years and now I have a baby grand.

If you already play then you know your commitment levels.

If you don't then I would have a think about getting a cheap keyboard and having some lessons.

My Dad wanted to learn for years and years - eventually they were given a piano and he had about 6 lessons and gave up because it was just too difficult.

Unless you are really lucky it takes hours and hours of practice to be any good at it and that's after you have learned how to read music and all the theory side.

Having said that - I love mine and get real pleasure out of playing it - all the time! Never had anybody come and sit around me at Christmas and I can play Motzart - but am definitely not cultured so your expectations may be a little high!!!

^ see so uncultured I even can't spell Mozart!!

Why not get/borrow a keyboard and see how much you use it? Also a digital piano is a great choice, requires no tuning, you can put on headphones etc

The majority of pianos on marketplace etc will be very old, out of tune and basically the owners are trying to avoid paying someone to remove it.

If you genuinely want to learn and have lessons in the family then look at investing in a decent instrument, possibly a digital one that can be played with headphones. I adore my piano and lessons but when I learned as a child it was a huge cause of friction as I hated practicing so unless your DC are showing signs of wishing to play then probably best not to push them into it.

Even if nobody plays they are beautiful and a handy photo display area

I, like you, got very excited by the cheap pianos on marketplace, then I looked in to the costs and logistics of moving it. I opted for an electric piano in the end (not a keyboard). Not quite the same but I love it and much easier to move around.

Go for it. Just make sure it's a nice looking one in case it turns out to be no more than an expensive shelf. (Caveat: we have two so I may be slightly biased .)

Consider a digital piano. Light and easy to move, no need for tuning, can practice with headphones, some have other instrument sounds too. On a low budget digital generally gets you better quality than acoustic (on a high budget it's the other way round).

We have a piano. We have family singing / playing time by the piano, with lots of other instruments involved too. My eldest is only two, so the children don't play Mozart yet, but she knows some well enough to sing it just about recognisably.

However... I used to be a professional musician, and after that I was a music teacher and more recently piano teacher. My husband also has a music degree.

If you want a musical household I think it will have to start with you.

If you can afford it

1. get a piano that has been tuned regularly
2. get out transported by professionals
3. get a piano tuner
4. have piano lessons yourself

If you have no spare money

1. find a free piano
2. hire a van to transport it, keep it upright, and tie it up so it doesn't move
3. teach yourself from books and videos

Either way, play lots of classical music in the house if you want to grow to love it as a family.

And then you, too, can have all your friends tease you about being the Von Trapps!

I am into year 16 of piano lessons for 4 children.

The boys played beautifully but gave up at grade 6.
The girls are starting grade 7 and 8 at the moment and don't really play for pleasure either🙄.

It is the most wonderful skill and I console myself with the hope that they may develop a love of it when I am long gone.

The key thing is would I go through it all again?
The expense, effort, endless nagging and encouraging.....I don't think so.

I have had moments of pure joy listening to them play some wonderful pieces beautifully.
But the truth is, despite them being well able to and having great ability they are just not bothered.

I am not alone in the experience.
Friends with kids that were wonderful on the flute and chello, also ditched it the first chance the got.
Grade 6 tends to be that point for a lot of kids.
It has been a long, tedious road to here.

Strongly recommend you rent a good keyboard and see how it goes.

Oh and online tuition for the past year has not been a success.

You can often get pianos for free - the cost of moving them is so much that people find them hard to get rid of. But be very wary of those - they might be a bargain or they might be unplayable. Then you need to get it tuned at £80 a throw.

I have been to some Christmas/NY parties with singing round the piano - in each case, the host didn't play well enough, but made sure there were pianists invited. Don't assume that knowing someone who has had lessons means they can play random songs, though.

Digital piano all the way

@ShouldIStaySelfIsolated you have the lovely picture in your head, and that is lovely.

The reality is that most children learn the piano for 2-3 years before giving up because they hit teenage years, or an age where homework increases and/or they don’t want to spend the increasing practice time it takes to improve. Children might start needing 10 mins/day in the lower levels, but it usually increases by 10 mins each year, and by grade level it can be hard to find 30-40 mins every night (not some nights, every night). You can’t just do three hours on Sunday and call it a week - practice really must be spread out properly.

But that’s fine - 3-4 years for kids is lovely and they move on to something new, but can always read music and return to it.

Reality as an adult learner is that (if you
can’t read music and are a true beginner), learning piano (like learning a language) will be hard and you will need to practice a lot in order to improve. The first bit will be ok - your excitement will motivate you and the quick wins of being able to play your first pieces, but the monotony of practice and work, as well as the fact it is hard to learn things as an adult will make it hard after awhile. You have to really want to do it to make it last. Piano practice can be like going for a run or to the gym - you know you should but you just want to do anything else but that. And if you don’t, lessons become hell, you stop and then you don’t get anywhere.

But that’s the worst. And is it so bad? You have a piano you can play abit, and kids who can too. And if you learn enough you can always re-teach yourself the Christmas carols each year.

Disclaimer - I love piano and have one. I learnt as a child and an adult. I have a teacher and am quite advanced in the grades etc, because I put in the work now, but I spent years just messing around and not getting any better, because you need to practice to get better, and I had too much of a life to do that. I was going to quit prior to lockdown (just needed a break), but didn’t and it was great during that time.

I would not buy one from eBay that are very cheap. There is a reason for this. The majority of acoustic pianos are left to gather dust in homes. They are like cars. They need servicing. You will spend a lot of money on that piece of junk to make it useable. They will need tuning at a minimum. They might also need parts replacing.

It doesn’t sound like you play. If you do then I will take my comments back. You need to test the piano out by playing it. And I assume you know you need piano movers.

@billy1966 you might be right about grade 6. I stopped at grade 6 myself. I played much much worse now but still can sight read easy piano pieces. I got collections of easy piano Christmas songs, frozen, greatest showman etc. I didn’t play at all during my 20s and early 30s. I got a digital piano and play it occasionally since late 30s. I think it’s like gardening and hiking. It’s something older people likes.

As with others I'd recommend a digital piano.

Theres a lovely piano chat thread in the chat forum: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4308841-Does-anyone-fancy-a-piano-chat-thread

billy1966 don't underestimate what playing the piano will bring to your kids' lives when they're adults. Learning at a young age, to that standard, means the ability will always be there, even if they don't play for years at a time. I am so grateful my parents kept on at me with the violin, as even though I don't pick it up from one month to the next, I know I can if I want to, have been in and out of various musical groups and orchestras all my adult life, and it's brought me pleasure for decades. Very sporadic pleasure, trying to fit it in around kids, but still! You've done the right thing

@fungussingstheblues

billy1966 don't underestimate what playing the piano will bring to your kids' lives when they're adults. Learning at a young age, to that standard, means the ability will always be there, even if they don't play for years at a time. I am so grateful my parents kept on at me with the violin, as even though I don't pick it up from one month to the next, I know I can if I want to, have been in and out of various musical groups and orchestras all my adult life, and it's brought me pleasure for decades. Very sporadic pleasure, trying to fit it in around kids, but still! You've done the right thing

Thank you🙏.

I hope so.

Both boys were so capable, one of a professional career, but absolutely no interest.

The girls don't have the lightness of touch and ear the boys hard, but are putting in far more work.

Grade 7 is a big step up, no doubt about it.

I found the daily reminding exhausting.
Truthfully it nearly killed me whilst I was in the throws of the worst symptoms of menopause.

So I think I am very jaundiced about it all.

Funnily enough DS2 adores listening to piano music, and was incredibly talented but still rarely plays.
So strange.🙄

We've just given ours away. It was given to us by a relative and I happily accepted thinking I'll play it and both DS will have piano lessons and we'll play it everyday.

The reality - both DS started lessons but gave up after two terms because they wouldn't practice at home. I've only ever played it 5 times max in 5 years. It was huge and the only use it had was to display picture frames along the top 🙊. When we moved house it just had to go to make room for a IKEA shelving unit for toys.

Mum has one at home. Sadly health prevents her playing it any more. Had played since about age 8, brought her great joy, though not a great deal of singing around it (and I have not inherited the musical gene!).

It can bring great joy, but don't bank on 100% this being the case.

Oh a d forgot to mention it needed returning. Plus we payed £250 plus VAT to get a company to collect and deliver to us. When we moved house I paid the removal guys £150 to take it away 😭

Retuning not returning