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Original poster

Instrument players - come and chat!

999 replies

NeverEverAnythingEver · 06/04/2017 23:21

I thought we could have a thread to chat about playing! I play the piano (not as badly as I fear but not as well as I hope) and have recently tried my hand at chamber music. Would love to hear what other people are doing.

CoteDAzur Here's a picture of the instruments they used in Rameau's Dardanus.

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Original poster
NeverEverAnythingEver · 27/04/2017 10:29

With the old piano I found I had to keep looking at my fingers to make sure I played the right note. There's something puzzling about it. But perfect pitch is not perfect anyway - there were some experiments to show that you could "untune" perfect pitch a little. If I "tune" my ears I can hear everything that's out of tune when DC play their stringed instruments.

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Original poster
NeverEverAnythingEver · 27/04/2017 10:30

Hello Dixie!

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DixieFlatline · 27/04/2017 11:31

Hello! Grin

I'm itching to go play now but I think I'd be better off waiting for my books to arrive. I always try to play things that are really too advanced for my level (whatever that level might be at any given time) and spend aaaages painstakingly getting each bit right. It makes my piano experience more frustrating than it needs to be, I'm sure!

Londonjam · 27/04/2017 11:38

First orchestra rehearsal tonight and I'm not sure if I can tune up the flipping thing! #nervous

Londonjam · 27/04/2017 11:39

Thanks Mrslant I am keeping my eyes on the second hand furniture shop down the road... they seem to have a few come and go

Original poster
NeverEverAnythingEver · 27/04/2017 11:57

Dixie Me too! Itching to play but am at the office... Bloody work gets in the way all the time.

And I also want to play things I can't play properly...

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BaileyFox17 · 27/04/2017 12:05

Grade 8 pianist and grade 7 violinist (awful sound produced). Have recently been feeling guilty about neglected violin that parents lovingly (and foolishly) purchased for my 13th birthday, 8 billion years ago. Might join an amateur orchestra and sit RIGHT at the back...

MrSlant · 27/04/2017 12:25

I am very jealous of the orchestra players. Almost enough to start playing my flute again despite it not letting me play my diploma pieces any more (it's just doing it to spite me I think).

At least I have a profound piano, I might get my yoga mat out and go and lie next to it. Had a quick 5 minute lesson last night after DS2 had finished because the next student didn't turn up. Sight read half a piece of grade 3 (with DS2 being my teacher which was great fun) and his teacher has suggested maybe starting to look at grade 6 pieces! I think she might be getting a bit ahead of me but I have just found a piece at the back of the grade 5 book which is lovely so I'm going to give it a go! I think I'll be happily back to grade 3 in, ooh, say 5 minutes?

DixieFlatline · 27/04/2017 17:27

Of course, instead of waiting for the Czerny and Hanon books, I could have just printed them here...

BarchesterFlowers · 27/04/2017 18:18

Shock - amazing Dixie!

Too busy at work this time of year to join in much sadly.

CoteDAzur · 27/04/2017 20:36

What is a profound piano?

I think I want one.

CoteDAzur · 27/04/2017 20:37

I've been in meetings all day long (no seriously, I just came back home) so I haven't been able to touch the piano for over 24 hours Sad I really miss it and wish I had a silent piano now.

How did I get like this?!?! When I was a teenager, I wouldn't practice twice a week for love or money Shock

MrSlant · 27/04/2017 21:51

Sorry Cote it was just the "in tune with itself" and it made me giggle, it's very old so probably seen everything and done it all. Although not the grade 5 piece I wanted to try, my tiny mole like hands couldn't manage the third chord! I feel for you in meetings all day long, that's just rubbish. I know what you mean about missing practice, I had 5 days away from home and was craving my piano when I got home! I've had a little bit of heartbreak (not a lot but enough to allow myself 24 hours of moody teenager) so spent the whole day learning a really melancholy tune and returning to my goth misery youth Grin but it really helped!

I've been to my choir tonight, I'd forgotten about that, it's nearly as good as being in an orchestra. I'm not sure if it's because I live in Wales and the land of the Eisteddfod where everyone is in a choir from the age of about 5 but there are so many women who sing beautifully, it's such a privilege to be part of the group. All ages there. Only women though. All the men sing in rugby club male voice choirs where they practice in the bar so they can drink as they sing!

Original poster
NeverEverAnythingEver · 28/04/2017 07:56

MrSlant Have you read a Diana Wynne Jones book called "Vile Visitors"? In one of the stories the sofa turns into a man, and because the sofa sat in front of the telly all this time, it knew everything. Worse still, it could talk ... Grin

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Londonjam · 28/04/2017 08:34

Your choir sounds lovely mrslant !

Orchestra was great 👍🏼 they stuck me on firsts which was a bit nerve wracking but slightly easier having the tune a lot? I seem to have forgotten how to read ledger lines though, there was a bit of busking around the top notes. My fingers are also now rather sore - they are going to have to toughen up!

CoteDAzur · 28/04/2017 08:55

I would love to play an orchestra instrument & take part in playing a polyphonic orchestra piece and also pretend to play when I get lost and can't find a note.

CoteDAzur · 28/04/2017 08:57

I started playing towards 9 this morning and just took a coffee break at 9:50. Yes, neighbors love me Smile Maybe I should start a pot to collect money from neighbours who would like me to get a silent piano Grin

MrSlant · 28/04/2017 10:09

I have to go past the piano to get to the kitchen so my poor dogs had to listen to me play before they could uncross their legs and go into the garden Grin.

Vile Visitors sounds brilliant Never, I would love to hear the tales my piano could tell. It must have been all over, there's a small plaque on it that says it was sold from Selfridges in London and the piano tuner says it's well over 100 years old. The tunes it must have played and the conversations heard...

Choir is one of the highlights of the week London, I'm always amazed that there are so many women who sing so beautifully, growing up in England I never saw adults sing but Wales is the land of song after all, I wonder if it's genetic or the fact that everyone sings and does music competitively and for pleasure as a child? I hope your fingers recover quickly, I think firsts for the tune is a good start, for the first time ever I'm a soprano in the choir here (always an alto wherever I've sung before, can make it down to baritone with a good warm up) and it's so joyous to have the tune and the high notes!

CoteDAzur · 28/04/2017 21:49

I went 2nd-hand piano shopping with DD's piano teacher some years ago. We were looking at a 40-year-old piano and she said, "It doesn't matter how old the piano is. It's not like a car that loses value the older it is. Some of the pianos with the most beautiful sound & touch are over 100 years old" Smile

CoteDAzur · 28/04/2017 21:55

Meanwhile, I've been working on Gavotte & Six Doubles. I play the Gavotte & 1st Double OK now and the 2nd Double is coming along nicely, too. 3rd Double's right hand is "weird hand technique" all over, from start to finish Shock It is beautiful, though. I love the polyphony in just one hand Smile

MrSlant · 28/04/2017 23:19

I'm getting the hang of 'two tunes with one hand' polyphony being the much better word for it Grin Just want to practice and practice until I can aspire to the music you and Never play Cote.

I don't think my piano counts as 'beautiful sound and touch' but it is very loved by my family so we think it's beautiful anyway.

CoteDAzur · 29/04/2017 00:06

MrSlant - Just to show you what I meant with polyphony in one hand:

where you have full view of the hands. The part I was referring to starts at 3:07. See how right hand's little finger plays a melody of its own? It's genius. I play it about 1/3 this speed for now Grin
Original poster
NeverEverAnythingEver · 29/04/2017 07:40

I tried the 3rd Gavotte. I love this kind of stuff.

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Original poster
NeverEverAnythingEver · 29/04/2017 07:40

3rd double, that is.

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CoteDAzur · 29/04/2017 09:08

I love it, too. Not bangy but complex and polyphonic Smile