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i gave you a serial number 16520 Can you tell me anything about the age from that?

Well I am now in Kenya and have had a good look at this Steinberg piano. First of all it has a number 16520 on the frame and a label underneath Poppeliers Culemborg which I assume was a Dutch piano supplier. Remember that a lot of Dutchman people came to southern Africa so it could have been shipped...

My son lives in Kenya and has just bought a Steinberg piano from a music shop in Nairobi. I haven't seen it yet but I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on it? It's apparently about 40 years old. The climate is fairly similar to the UK where he lives just on the equator as it's on a high plain...

As someone with identical twin boys now grown up I think there is another issue here in that they should never be asked to share things. I guess you are aware of the general twins issues which are totally different to having two children of similar ages. It is so easy for one twin to appear better t...

Thanks for the advice, incidentally what grade would you associate with this piece? As I said I have never had a lesson so no idea really. One of the other pieces I am working on are Chopin Waltzes no7 in C#minor which I can get through OK (no doubt with lots of dodgy phrasing etc), No1 in Eflat, No...

Just had a look at the action number, looks like 24966.

Does this help? As I said earlier my piano tuner says that it has 1936 on the bottom A key and it has a Flemming action. Is it possible that some of these were rebranded as Churchill? Obviously this one couldn't be as the Steinberg name is cast into the frame.

Hello, a little help please for a 64 year old self taught, never had a lesson etc. I am currently working on Grieg's Wedding Day in Troldhagen, I can manage most of it but this passage (from pp) is causing me real difficulty, it's a bit like rubbing your tummy and patting your head. Any suggestions ...

Does this help?

We have recently acquired a baby grand piano. The name on the key board cover is Churchill and it also says 66 Park St, Bristol, which I take to be the original suppliers address. I have searched the www and can find only very limited reference to churchill including that it may be a trade mark for...

I started looking for a baby grand about a year ago and looked at ebay. I came to the following conclusions 1. You need to go and see/play it. That will cost perhaps a day of your time and fuel costs to somewhere in the UK. 2. You really should get it evaluated by a professional (depending on where ...

Thanks for your comments which are perfectly sensible and logical, however, I may not be playing for exams or performances, I have a much more important deadline. It's called getting older! I am 64, I suppose I could set myself a goal of being able to play the Rachmaninov 3rd PC by the time I am 80 ...

I started playing piano when doing A levels in the 60's and then virtually gave it up until a couple of years ago whenI retired, I bought a baby grand and am now trying to do 2 hours a day practise to get as good as possible before dementia or general age related decline sets in. I have never had a ...

Just picked up the Beethoven pathetique sonata slow movement, haven't played it for over a year. As usual I can't play without the music but with the music I seem to go on autopilot and I am definitely not reading it off the page. It's almost as if I just need it as a subliminal reminder in places. ...

Started teaching myself at 16 whilst doing A levels then stopped at 18. Restarted two years ago at 61. Now aged 63 and retired and have bought a baby grand and practice 2 hours a day. Using it as a retirement project to help keep dementia away (at least I think that's what I started doing it for.......

Thanks for the response. I find that lots of stuff I play eventually goes "on autopilot" like the second movement of the Moonlight (and most of the first). The problem comes if I make a mistake and I can't resume play except by starting again from the beginning. Having the music in front o...

"My teacher also takes the view there is no point in taking time to commit to memory when you can use the music." Is that a commonly held view? I have heard the advice "you need the music in your head rather than head in the music". I have never had a lesson so don't have anythi...

I am a bit confused. Can anyone clarify whether the two C notes in the base here are tied or is the group of three "slurred". It's from a Schubert impromptu, I have never had a lesson and aged 63 so help please.

Thanks Dennis

But I can't tie my left foot shoelaces either!


Sorry, thanks for the advice.

Does anyone else have this problem? I start learning a piece (currently working on some Chopin waltzes) and find fairly quickly that my right hand "learns" the notes to the extent that when playing I only really read the left hand stave. Then no matter how hard I try I can't play the left ...

Isn't there a saying about you need the music in your head rather than your head in the music?

I have always taken the view that teachers are there to guide and that it's down to you to learn how to do something (remember that those that can do and those that can't.....). I am 63 and have never had a lesson and now in retirement practice every day, I probably have loads of bad habits and ther...

This is probably the wrong place for this topic but here goes. I have never had a piano lesson, I taught myself starting at age 16 and gained all of my theory knowledge from discussions with a music student on the way to school. I did two years of practising about an a hour a day then went to Univer...

I have a Steinberg Berlin baby grand with a Fleming action and a couple of notes developed a squeek. When the piano tuner was here he fixed it very easily by removing the end blocks and piece of wood across the front and pulled out the complete action then showed me how to stop the noise by simply w...

I have just replaced my Zender with a baby grand. I bought the Zender in 1980 second hand and it had a serial number 39279 and guess it was 1970's vintage but could be wrong. It had a sticker on it from Minns music in Bournemouth. I was always very happy with it especially it's small size. Now with ...

Hello, I have just bought a very nice Steinberg Berlin baby grand from Weymouth Pianos. I was told that there is 1936 stamped on the back of the bottom A key and there is a serial number of 34426. It also has a sticker inside the lid saying Churchill, Park St, in Bristol who presumably supplied it. ...