New interests

I've been given two half day sessions in falconry as a birthday/Christmas present. Not likely to get one of my own [they do tie you down a bit] but I'm very much looking forward to the experience. My FIL gave away a Steinway piano many years ago; we found this very painful when my daughter started playing.

nanado you are so lucky. Relearning to play the piano is on my list - I learnt as a child, my gran was a piano teacher and it was non-negotiable for all her grandchildren who lived near her to take lessons from her, we would be lined up on one afternoon a week, no excuses accepted. When I left home I left behind my contact with the instrument (we never had one in the house), and that was it. And I've so often regretted not keeping it up. So - one day!

What a lovely present Nanando someone loves you very much.

Lovely present. Would love to be able to play the piano.

How lovely Nanado. I'm sure your grandchildren will enjoy it too. I can't play but have very happy memories of trying to play my grandparents' piano when I was very small. It was in the 'front room' which was used only on high days and holidays

Me too, nightowl! Yet I don't remember either grandparent ever playing it...

It's lovely to have virtual friends to share my pleasure

Now you come to mention it Ana, neither do I! Nor do I remember any of their children playing it. Yet they had lots of sheet music inside the piano stool. What was that all about.

Status symbol?

My mum could play the piano beautifully, I never mastered the art. Enjoy your piano. Maybe YouTube some pieces for us?

Now on the horns of a dilemma...not enough hours in the day. House work v GN v piano? Something will have to give especially this coming week when back to full time Nana duties. Tough one this

Here's an idea - if you are on Nana duties, make your first steps back to piano playing by working on pieces you can sing and play with the children. There is a lovely book called Appuskidu which is full of great easy-to-play songs that you can share with them - things like "If you're happy and you know it" and "Bananas in Pyjamas" and "I can sing a rainbow."

I remember Appuskidu mishap, in fact there were a whole series if them if I remember. Spiral bound. Wonder who published them. There were two Christmas ones as well Rat-a-tat-tat and Starry Night. If you have any of these could you please look and let me know the ISBN numbers please??????

Do any piano players out there have problems with suitable glasses?
When it got to the stage that I couldn't read the music without my reading glasses, I found that they distorted the keyboard so it appeared to be curved.
My computer glasses have the same effect.
I mentioned this to the optician ( would have been happy to have a pair of piano specs as well) but he seemed unable to grasp the problem
Enjoy your piano Nanado

Sorry jane can't help as don't wear glasses. It sounds like you need upside win bifocals...

Apuskidu - what memories that brings to mind- and Starry night etc. Were they a Scholastic publication - they did produce a lot of those spiral bound books. I think there was a book with songs for times like Harvest - there was one song about vegetables which had a lovely catchy tune.
Nanadu we have toyed with the idea of getting a good keyboard for polishing up skills(not enough space for a piano now) - haven't played for years.

Bez try an electric piano instead of a keyboard. Takes up less room, same number of octaves, touch of the keys, etc as a real one.