Can anyone play a piano ?

Well I can't ... yet.

I have my first ever piano exam tomorrow morning in the royal academy place and I am shiting myself.

I feel like I am going for a job interview in Guantanamo bay.

Wish me luck !

So any of ye handy at tinkling on the yoke ?

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Well I can't ... yet.

I have my first ever piano exam tomorrow morning in the royal academy place and I am shiting myself.

I feel like I am going for a job interview in Guantanamo bay.

Wish me luck !

So any of ye handy at tinkling on the yoke ?

Good luck EvotingMachine - you'll be brilliant - just wriggle your fingers and breathe slowly before you start ( No - can't play a note).

EVM I'm delighted for you. Well done!!!!

This is great news. The exam will be fine - the examiners are very decent and will be so chuffed to see an adult learning to love the ivories.

Keep your fingers dry (ie not soaked in nervous sweat) and warm -cold fingers are stiff and unmusical.

And of course you can play - are you doing preliminary or primary grade?

You know, I'm so proud of you already.

Big, encouraging hug coming down the line. Go EVM!!!

Cool!

It's the most beautiful instrument the world has ever seen, I envy you to be able to play even chopsticks. Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos, Nick Cave - listen to a few of them before you have the exam tomorrow and best of luck.

(it is said that programmers are often musical)

Thanks for the encouragement.

So, to summarise:

Bring a hot water bottle, a bottle of talcum powder and look like Fred Astaire !

Kate P, it is Elementary level, before prelim and primary. It's C Major, G Major, 3 pieces and some timing (clapping) exercises.

I should be OK if I can find the right end of the piano.

Best of luck EVM! I'm sure you will do well!

I did up to grade 1 back when I was younger. The nasty piano teacher put me off going any further. A big regret.

Elementary level is exactly where you should be - in the spirit of MN you are working with the nuts and bolts of music.

Quote :

Bring a hot water bottle, a bottle of talcum powder and look like Fred Astaire !

Alternatively you could just wear gloves but take them off when the person before you goes in so your hands aren't too hot.

Of course you'll find the right end of the piano - you are a musical expert who knows where middle C is.

Tell me about the pieces - what are they called? What are they like? Have you a preference? I know in advance they have daft names - they always do.

It's a point of resentment between me and my parents (though they might not be aware of the resentment), as they gave away the piano to stop me from practising. (They gave it to a family friend who was going to use it as more than a bookcase.)

I've been surrounded by more and more music since meeting my boyf, as he's involved in a music school. It's great to see people from the age of four to the age of sixty going forward for the Royal Academy exams that are on at the mo.

johnfás wrote:

Best of luck EVM! I'm sure you will do well!

I did up to grade 1 back when I was younger. The nasty piano teacher put me off going any further. A big regret.

johnfás, that seems to have happened all to often. Luckily my teacher is very encouraging !

This is my dream:



And then the same piece as played by The Master.

jaysus what is it its eating my bandwidth.

When did you take it up Evm?

It's more reverse resentment here. My Mum has her diplomas in both Flute and Piano and nobody to play with! I can sing though so that keeps her happy from time to time!

I had awful trouble with posting youtube there. I think I't Ok now.

The Freddie video is heavy on b/w. That's how Freddie would have wanted it.

Audi, I took it up in Febuary. The elementals of music were familiar to me already though, as I had played guitar for donkeys years.

TheBear, I have also heard that story. I'm not joking. Something happened in Ireland during the '70s and '80s that made all our parents ditch the pianos. Was it the recession?

The best thing to have in a recession is a piano if you ask me. And a banana sandwich.

Ferbruary? Its only barely gone March now. Did you take it up on your own or with someone else - applying yourself to these things would be my problem - I'd have to be seriously inspired ...

Well, I got thorugh it this morning, and I think I did OK. But by jesus I was nervous.

From what I observed this morning, the kids seem to take it in their stride, whereas the adults were all in knots.

Still, onwards and upwards !

Cheers! EvotingMachine 0197- great stuff.

Never doubted you for a moment.

Great stuff - EVM.

Kids don't know it's an exam - that realisation comes like it suddenly hit Adam and Eve they were naked and needed a fig leaf; life is never the same thereafter.

I'm glad it went well.

I thought you said you could sing, johnfás

But your footwork is interesting....

I got my results this evening

A+ or what?

Auditor #9 wrote:

A+ or what?

Not telling. I have modesty you know.

88%

What grade? Although to judge from your reaction it was good. Anyhow, that's great EVM. A real sense of achievement, isn't it?

I learned in the 1970s, I have always had a keyboard around the place. It's great, but I'm awful.

Still undeterred I use Logic Express and a range of soft synths on a Mac to make electronica of varying degrees of worth from not great to okay. It's not for general listening or anything, just a pastime. V. relaxing. I'd recommend the keyboard or piano to anyone.

thebear is a woman!

lostexpectation wrote:

thebear is a woman!

True.

How about giving this a shot?