UK Piano Page Piano Forum

Gill the Piano wrote:A lot of modern upright pianos don't have locks. You can get a clampy-type ting which locks it shut, but I find a few piles of books on the fall deters most casual small vandals.

Mine has no lock, but I have a child that knows mummy turns into a screeching harpy if so much as a sticky finger is waved in Rosie's direction She's allowed supervised access when she doesn't have a cold and after washing paws. When we have other guests around, the piano doesn't lock, so the whole room does. I also found that a nice red fitted single bed-sheet works well as a piano cover and stops anyone from being tempted to use it as a table. Am I protective or what?!

Jan

Yep, it's called a guard dog. And it has its own problems. Well, we all need to go to the bathroom sometimes.....

Jan
xx

Sprinkle the plastic pig with flea powder...you can't make a cat go near flea powder. My mate's idea - formulated whilst under the affluence of incahol - was to put the cat in the hoover bag and then hoover up a pot of flea powder. Unfortunately/fortunately Duncan the cat could read minds and disappeared through the catflap before Mike could implement his Cunning Plan.

BRISTOL86 wrote:Sky Arts 2 on Monday 27th - a programme about Bachfest 2005 in Leipzig, Germany. Sounds good!

awwww I don't have sky! I wouldn't mind to go to the Bachfest or the Beethoven festival in Bonn one day, its on my to do list.

dave brum wrote:So does anyone have any ideas as to keeping cats away from pianos, apart from rubbing orange zest on Fiona's case, or a Decree Absolute?

Funnily enough, Detol Spray makes a very good dog repellent. All I need to do is just say the word 'spray' to my dog and he edges away and kicks his foot back in disgust! He can't stand the smell of it.

That said, I would be careful of using disinfectant products near cats. I heard the chemicals in them may be harmful to cats.

I saw that Detol ad, the naughty kid sneezes on the piano! . When I have kids I will make it very clear to them when they play the piano to sneeze away from the keyboard!

If they're in a cage in the garden they won't be able to sneeze on your piano...

True say! maybe I will put their heads in some kind of cage instead so they can play the piano but not get any germs on the keyboard if they sneeze.

dave brum wrote:Don't we want to pass on to our kids the fact that the piano is their friend, not put the poor buggers off them for life

Thats why I said their head will be in a cage, they can still play the piano just not sneeze on it. I don't want to deprive them of their piano pratice pleasure now do I !?

( off course you know I am only joking, about the cage thing )

Did you watch the Evgeny Kissin documentary on friday Dave? sadly there is no piano related documentary on next week .

hi Dave,

Oh, its ok it wasn't that good. Those programs are good, if like me you hardly know anything about famous pianists but want to swot up on them.

That Evgeny Kissin guy talks sooo slooolwy I almost wanted to go to sleep when he was talking, however he is a very amusing pianist to watch when he plays fast stuff; and I think he is really expressive when he plays.

I like the way he strokes the keyboard; I felt almost embarrassed to watch him play that Liszt piece! I have read that some people think hes so good that he has no expression but I think thats rubbish.

Yeah its funny that message thing always happens to you! never mind.

Wow thats so cool you get to work on the Entertainer, its such a funky tune! I wonder what it sounds like as a duet? I would think its a rather diffulcult tune to do especially after having only 4? lessons.

I hope my teacher sets me more work this Wednesday, my home work was to sort out the timing for Mozart's sonata in A theme, as soon as I got home I sorted it out! so i had two weeks to work on that.

Never mind about the bad pratice, it happens to me. Sometimes I can't play even a scale without efing it up or Hanon .

I have two job agenies looking for work for me so thats something. If not I might have a place somewhere in January!

dave brum wrote:Anna, I'm ALWAYS praying for you over some success with the jobhunting. You have some positive leads at least so that's good

awww thanks Dave! maybe your (and mine) praying will pay off soon I hope.

Ah you're doing the primo part then, do you get to do that opening theme? you know the little tune that comes in at the start, it always makes me laugh.

I haven't been away from my piano ever since I bought it, so I go on it everyday even on a bad day I will do 30mins at the least.

Don't you think the piano is a bit like a time machine? Time seems to melt away when your on it. I look at the clock and its 1am - next mintue its 2.30am!

dave brum wrote: I find that talking to people on the Internet is like that! Though I haven't found that with the piano JUST yet! Maybe you practise too much and I don't practise enough, I don't know...

Yes, I have got the opening theme, and it's so gratifying to think that you can play it.

Yeah talking to people on the internet is like that! I seem to be on here more then praticing on the piano sometimes . When I do get back to work I wouldn't be on here quite so often though, don't miss me too much!

I don't know if i practise that much, I do longish sessions on the piano, wereas you do little and often (?) anyway I have less responsibility's then you.

It is really gratifying when you can play a bit of a tune you love, and you can hear those familar sounds coming out of your piano because you are playing it!

dave brum wrote:Course I'll miss you, you know I'll miss you my dear little sweetie pud

But not tooooooooooo much!

Yeah, can't wait to be able to save for an upright, it will probalbly be a Kemble or a Yamaha ( black colour ). I'm looking to spend a lot more on one this time! I want one with a nice sized sound board. Gosh hope my poor old lady neighbour doesn't mind!

Oh what one has she got? upright or grand?! what make?

Heres another one...

BBC 4 14th @ 7.30

Karim's Journey

Documentary about 17 year old Karim Said, the Amman-born pianist, composer, conductor.

Hey, has anyone seen that new advert on the tv for Wii Music!?

Ok Ok, fair enough you use the control sticks to play virtual drums, thats logical, to an extent; but to play a PIANO!?????

How on earth are you gona play a virtual piano with two motion - senor joysticks? That means you can only play two notes at one time!

ABSOLUTELY OBSCENE!!!

Yes Dave CRINGE!

I almost rolled about on the floor laughing like some nutter after I saw that. The advert came on, and I thought ok annother Wii ad fair enough. Then the lady 'hits' the air with the control stick and a piano sound, sounds.

My repsonse was OH NO!, I KNEW they would do that. Well after fooling people into thinking they can lose wait ( Wii Fit ), I saw it coming

Where has the age of proper computer games gone?! Nintendo I did love you; once apon a time..!

Today on BBC 4 @ 10:00 – 11:45

A drama called The Beat my Heart Skipped about some guy that is torn between becoming a gangster or becoming a pianist. In French with English subtitles.

sounds interesting...

Watched "The Beat my Heart Skipped",

Definitely in French. Wasn't bad. Violent in places, but in a French way involving cooking utensils. Just wondering where the piano was (30 minutes in) when it suddenly appears. Our, er anti hero, then struggles with some Haydn and Bach (I think) in order to audition for a different life as a concert pianist. As it's not a hollywood film, the ending is more interesting. I ended up enjoying it, but it certainly didn't look promising at first. I don't want to give away too much, but I can definitely relate to what happened in the audition. In fact, I think I've used the exact phrase at the end of the audition and with the same level of resignation.