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?

I play the piano (badly).

My children also play (various degrees of badly).

We have an old fashioned upright piano. It brings us much joy.

You are not being unreasonable. Having a piano is rarely unreasonable.

anyone mentioned not upsetting the neighbours if you have any with constant plink plink

@thereisonlyoneofme

anyone mentioned not upsetting the neighbours if you have any with constant plink plink

One of many reasons why digital is the way to go. Volume button and headphone options and you don't disturb anyone.

When you move, make sure it is to a detached house.

@billy1966 I agree with everything you've said. My story is that I played the piano and gave up after sitting Grade 6 when I was about 18. Then when I was about 49 I started having lessons and a couple if years later got a shock distinction at grade 7 and in 2019 got my grade 8, and now just play for fun. It was a nice feeling to complete the grades around my family and I'm sure it was inspiring for them. I think getting over the hurdle of at least grade 6 before "quitting" means it's easier to resume playing many years later!

[quote MackenCheese]@billy1966 I agree with everything you've said. My story is that I played the piano and gave up after sitting Grade 6 when I was about 18. Then when I was about 49 I started having lessons and a couple if years later got a shock distinction at grade 7 and in 2019 got my grade 8, and now just play for fun. It was a nice feeling to complete the grades around my family and I'm sure it was inspiring for them. I think getting over the hurdle of at least grade 6 before "quitting" means it's easier to resume playing many years later! [/quote]
Wow!

Fab story.

To pick up at grade 7 is something else.

My daughter that is about to commence grade 7 is tempted to give it a rest for a bit, (which is completely up to her) but she is afraid she will lose momentum.

To get a distinction is just fantastic.

You bet it was inspiring for your children.

Massive congratulations 👏🥳

You can get electric pianos these days that have the "look" of an upright. I would probably go for one of those. I bought an old upright from a second hand store and I have regrets. It took 6 people to move it into the house (and a door had to be removed) and it needed tuning which was a long process. Also some strings need replacing because of the age. I like that it looks antique and fits in with the feel of my house, but I'll be honest... I tend to play my electric piano upstairs. Also if you live in a terraced or semi detached house, you become very conscious of how loud a piano is (which when played poorly is an absolute ear sore)

Definitely invest in a quality electric piano (Yamaha and Roland do really good ones) first as they're low maintenance and you can turn the volume down.

We have two pianos. Dh and the dc play beautifully, Mozart, Beethoven, the lot.

I was keen to participate and really tried, I honestly did. But having had no exposure to instruments or music really as a child, it has proved pretty much impossible. I have managed to teach my fingers a few pieces and scales, but there is no connection with the music in my head, so it is just a mechanical exercise. If you have never played before, you might want to try learning for a bit before taking the plunge.

If you do take the plunge, a few things to be aware of:

It costs a fortune if you are going to do it seriously. We spend about 500 a month on lessons, plus tuning twice a year.

It takes a lot of practice to get good, and practice does not usually equate to beautiful pieces being beautifully played, it can mean an hour or more of the same passage being played over and over again. Dh and dc play well over an hour a day each. I am very glad we have no neighbours, but if you do you may want to consider a silent piano.

Most cheap pianos are cheap for a reason, they may need a lot of money spent on them before they can be played. Don’t buy a piano without having had someone who knows what they are doing assess it and tell you what it needs.

@billy1966, the first thing I ever said to my teacher when I restarted after a 40 year gap was, ‘I’m never going to sit an exam!’ It was so liberating. I only ever play pieces I like a lot because as you know by grade 7 or so it can take months to learn a piece (might just be me to be fair).

I left off at about grade 4 in c1980 and restarted 2.5 years ago. I’m now able to tackle some pieces around grade 7-8 but there’s no pressure to get them perfect and I usually have an easy piece on the go for a bit of balance.

Do you play yourself?

The practice is key from the word go.
Mine started at 6 and it was recommended 3 times a day for 4 or 5 minutes.

Every single day.
Huge commitment from a parent IMO.

But if you persevere, the habit of daily practice becomes the norm and you get the best from the lessons.

Spending thousands on lessons and the practice not being done would be similar to burning money.

You have to practice continuously.
The fall off in the first two years is massive.
I can understand parents just not being up for the nagging, particularly after a days work.

Many parents felt life was too busy, too stressful, too hard, to add that into the mix.

I certainly understand that.

Thanks @billy1966, that's kind of you. Even my piano teacher said she'd never heard of a story like mine! My daughter plays the clarinet and has lost quite a bit of momentum with the lockdowns . I just go with what your daughter wants to do, but I'd say to her that playing music well is a skill worth having, it's so good for your wellbeing.

Another vote for a keyboard, ideally rent the kind where the keys mimic a real piano and which you can practise wearing headphones.

You can pick up a standard upright around here for the cost of taking it away. Keeping it in tune is another matter entirely.

God no, not a keyboard, a proper digital piano.

Get a piano! I learnt as a child, as did my brother / we have totally different skills. Both did the grades but I’m good at sight reading and can pick up a piece and play it, he has a great ear, and can sit down and make up a tune.

Practising was a grind when I was a kid, but I am immeasurably grateful to my mum for keeping me at it. Once I was good enough to play tunes I picked up, it turned a corner for me. Once I’d left home I bought a piano for £80 off gumtree as soon as I had reasonable space in my London rental, and it has moved House with me 4 times now. Moving is always c.£100 and tuning about the same. I play to entertain the kids these days, and they like to bash the keys a bit.

One of my fondest memories is my 30th birthday party in my tiny flat, where it turned out that my friend had an amazing ear and could play anything on request - we did piano karaoke for hours (until my neighbours told us to be quiet, oops). A happy time to look back on!

Oh also, vastly sentimental, but have always loved this DH Lawrence poem remembering his mum playing the piano. Me bashing out ‘wind the bobbin up’ for my kids isn’t quite the same, but aspirations…

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44580/piano

YABU if you’re expecting any neighbours to put up with the noise.

I echo all the posters encouraging you to go digital. I got the one linked below (not from that store) when I started learning and it is absolutely brilliant.
It feels like playing an upright as it has the full size piano keyboard, weighted keys and all 3 pedals. And can be played with headphones which, honestly, is an absolute godsend.

Requires no tuning or other maintenance and can be moved and transported very easily as it is very light.

I rented mine first, then it was mine to keep after I'd paid the equivalent of its full price.

There are lots out there so do some research but honestly, it is an excellent option.

Good luck!

www.gear4music.com/Keyboards-and-Pianos/Kawai-CL36-Intermediate-Digital-Piano-Satin-Black/1JM7

The real problem were the exams and some god awful pieces that had to be learned over the months.

DD's teacher is a very fancy concert pianist who teaches mostly properly good children and they are GOOD. He teaches DD because we're friends of friends. He doesn't teach for exams but does expect practice and commitment. He's very strict. DD doesn't like to let him down so she practises. He also plays three pieces for her and she picks the one she likes to learn. Which means she never plays a piece she doesn't like.

The other thing is DD has pretty bad ADHD and piano was the first time (at 8) I ever saw the look of focused attention not hyper focus, on her face. Even now I look at her when she plays and her mind visibly clears. Music accesses some part of her brain which doesn't have ADHD.

@ShouldIStaySelfIsolated I always wanted to learn piano but couldn't afford it when a child so am doing it now. It's very rewarding and I really enjoy learning pieces I already know and love. Takes time though, and your children may not actually be interested in learning!
I have a Yamaha clavinova - so digital. However I love the sound, can put it on harpsichord setting (plus others), and plug in headphones. There are lots of other functions I've not used, to be honest.
I got a gloss black one so as a piece of furniture, it looks like a smart upright piano.

Not as expensive as a good normal piano.

I would go into local piano dealers and ask their advice/try a few things out. They usually have decent second hand instruments.
I wouldn't buy anything off the internet unless I could see it first and knew exactly what I was looking at. Many become very neglected and are economically unviable to recondition/repair.
Good luck!

@MrsTerryPratchett

The real problem were the exams and some god awful pieces that had to be learned over the months.

DD's teacher is a very fancy concert pianist who teaches mostly properly good children and they are GOOD. He teaches DD because we're friends of friends. He doesn't teach for exams but does expect practice and commitment. He's very strict. DD doesn't like to let him down so she practises. He also plays three pieces for her and she picks the one she likes to learn. Which means she never plays a piece she doesn't like.

The other thing is DD has pretty bad ADHD and piano was the first time (at 8) I ever saw the look of focused attention not hyper focus, on her face. Even now I look at her when she plays and her mind visibly clears. Music accesses some part of her brain which doesn't have ADHD.

How wonderful for her. It must act as mindfulness for her.

Several people told me it was fantastic to play an instrument for a break from study because you would be using the other side of the brain.

It's all good.

I believe in you OP. And in your kids @billy1966

We have a lovely one, and everything you've mentioned - people round at Christmas for Carols. Kids play Mozart etc.
AMA!

@ShouldIStaySelfIsolated my childhood home had a piano. I got my grade 2 when I was 12 then gave up, but I had fond memories of playing duets and carols with my mum and elderly relatives (whose talent I didn't inherit). So when DH and I bought our first house in our late twenties a piano was one of the first bits of furniture I bought - it just felt like a homey thing to own..It was a terrace house, so we got an electric one that we could use headphones with or turn the volume down. I had visions of playing it regularly, which I did for a while, but never really improved. That didn't matter though - twenty years on we still have it. My younger son has learned to play it and is doing his Grade 5, so has more than made up for my lack of progress. The only frustrating thing is that he always plays with the headphones on so I hardly ever get to hear him!

[quote NorthernPlights]I echo all the posters encouraging you to go digital. I got the one linked below (not from that store) when I started learning and it is absolutely brilliant.
It feels like playing an upright as it has the full size piano keyboard, weighted keys and all 3 pedals. And can be played with headphones which, honestly, is an absolute godsend.

Requires no tuning or other maintenance and can be moved and transported very easily as it is very light.

I rented mine first, then it was mine to keep after I'd paid the equivalent of its full price.

There are lots out there so do some research but honestly, it is an excellent option.

Good luck!

www.gear4music.com/Keyboards-and-Pianos/Kawai-CL36-Intermediate-Digital-Piano-Satin-Black/1JM7[/quote]
Where did you get it from please?