You know you are a piano whore when...

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:37:25 GMT

Well, no whimper here but your new avatar is making me squirm some... almost posted a Robby type post " />. But, Decorum must be maintained.

Still damn hot though. heheheh.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Jessie Sammler)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:06:21 GMT

Spaceduck

Sometimes it's fun to kill a thread by posting:

Thanks everybody! I think you've solved the problem!"

(even if you're not the original poster)

That's a good idea. It ends a thread on an up-stroke, instead of letting it go out with a whimper or degenerate into protracted nonsense.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Old55)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:57:26 GMT

Jessie Sammler

Wow. I've really got a knack for ending a thread, without the gimicky "/thread" crap. All I have to do is post something inane yet marginally relevant, and I can send a thread plummeting to the depths.

And I thought that was just my talent.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Spaceduck)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:54:31 GMT

Sometimes it's fun to kill a thread by posting:

Thanks everybody! I think you've solved the problem!"

(even if you're not the original poster)

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Jessie Sammler)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:39:57 GMT

Wow. I've really got a knack for ending a thread, without the gimicky "/thread" crap. All I have to do is post something inane yet marginally relevant, and I can send a thread plummeting to the depths.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Jessie Sammler)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:49:23 GMT

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:38:46 GMT

Well, I guess I wasn't living in a hole after all. I know a lot of this music, even if I did not know who it was till now.

Shostakovich is new for me, beautiful stuff that.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:44:53 GMT

Oh my... I just listened to Rachmaninov 2/1 - it opened with the most beautiful chord. Gaa... I think my afternoon is going to be spent looking at all the composers you listed.

I must have been living in a hole my entire life. Or maybe I am just finally starting to grow up.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (mgh)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:25:07 GMT

i love the big old romantic piano concertos Shad, dunno if you have ever listened to, for example, rachmaninov piano concerto 2/3, tchaikowsky 1, greig etc. if not i'd start with those, then work along to medtner, prokofiev and shostakovich.
for solo piano music, take a listen to some Scriabin, Prokofiev and Alkan...you might like the weird way they approach composing for the piano
other more out there composers including piano in their works are messiaen, gubaidalina and schnittke. if you like that quiet almost static approach of satie then try takamitsu, silverstrov and steve reich...

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:15:40 GMT

I am a fan of Elton's earlier music (when he and Taupin were on the top of their game). His later stuff makes me gag.

Satie on the other hand, is one of my favorite piano composers and if you listen to my piano pieces, you will see the huge influence he has had on me. Satie is the only composer whose music I have ever tried to learn to play. I like the fact that he writes in absolute time (meaning the timing is left up to you). It allows for a huge flexibility in style, and those who understand Satie, it seems to me, can perform it with such passion it brings a tear to your eye.

Most classical composers of piano music tend to leave me a bit dry. While I recognize the complexity of it, it is rarely what I would call beautiful.

"Beauty" is of course in the eye of the beholder, and there is of course a fairly large rejection of "beauty" in many artistic endeavors. But I am a bit like Keats - I like beauty. Music needs to move me on a deep passionate level, not an intellectual level (though that is important to, just not as important as passion).

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (DerGeist)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:03:06 GMT

I have to come to the defence of Elton John here. I don't really care for his music all that much but until you get into his headspace musically those songs can be pretty challenging. Rocket man is a pain in the ass.

He really is a master of filling space. Squeezing an interesting two bars out of a chord can be a real challenge. Most piano playing singers wuss out on the piano parts when the singing starts. Elton doesn't.

Once you catch on to his tricks life gets easier -- and a lot more fun. It also really helps you jam with a keyboard.

His piano bench kicks are second to none :)

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (DerGeist)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:46:15 GMT

I actually like the Yamaha's a lot. I have a Yamaha U5 now and really don't see myself needing anything else for a long time. I actually preffered it to the much more expensive Steinway upright I was also looking at. They are also great when it comes to piano education.

Yamaha have made some pretty legendary pianos in their time so I can't imagine them mucking with Bosendorfer. Honestly, I think it was a trophy purchase more than anything else.

They keys on the yamahas tend to be a bit on the heavy side. It takes some getting used to but once you do you can fly on just about any other piano.

I played a bosendrofer grand when I was in university and it was beatiful. It wouldn't suit my style now but its a great piano. It was embarassingly loud so everyone on that floor of the building could hear you screw up :)

A friend of mine owns our local Steinway dealer so I'm pretty spoiled for piano access.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Moshkiae)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:02:02 GMT

Hi,

At one time, when I was a kid and someone tried to teach me to play the piano in Portugal (worst teacher you ever saw!) ... I did not like it ... but something else was there ... in Brazil I heard Ray Charles play the piano, and it was nice ... but still not great.

Years later, keyboards took me, and piano proper was boring, and I was not a fan of Elton John or Piano Man ... they were just entertainers, not serious musicians and their music was about licks ... not music per se ... yes I liked a couple of songs, we all did ... but so what? Beethoven also had a clever hook or melody here and there and so did Satie and Mozart and Vivaldi and everyone else!

And then I heard Keith Jarrett ... his early stuff (bop something or other) didn't grab me, and then I heard "The Koln Concert" album and went after other stuff of his ... end of story ... I have no problem with the piano itself ... what I had a problem with was 'the flow" of the music and it's ability to take you away ... if you have the chance catch his video of him playing Greensleeves ... and appreciate pure artistry ... and this is an American guy that is not even appreciated in America for his talent ...because of pop music!
In the end, it is not about the "piano" ... it's about the hands and the heart that tickle it and love it and play it ... and those hands will either take you with ... or not. All instruments are like that ... but in these days, I much prefer a bunch of synthsizers to an orchestra ... I can now see a lot of "garbage" in the playing and behind it which have to do with the personalities involved and the music is often less "centered" because of it ... and you don't have that woth a keyboard player ... one can say that the human element has sometimes made "music" ... but the 20th century concept is changed ... it's now the "individual concept" ... and the "true" composer" ... not just anything else ... so ... yeah, I can appreciate Sandy Denny as well as Kate Bush ... or Madonna and how they use the keys to illustrate their voice ... but in general, I find Billy and Elton quite boring ... and not even talented ... just clever entertainers.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:24:58 GMT

ROLF - that is too funny. " /> That must have been soo disappointing. So, is he going to get it fixed? Probably cost a small fortune.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (lespaulman35)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:35:53 GMT

I visited my sister in Elgin, IL. Her husbands mom left him a huge beautiful old Stienway Grand. I couldn't believe my good luck. I nearly s**t my pants at the sight of it. I play on an old sticky key Stuart console at home. I'm mainly a guitar player. I've never even been close to anything so beautiful. I could hardly wait. I sat at the bench. I stretched my hands out. Tried to warm them up. I put my hands on the beginners middle C position preparing to play my best C Major Power Chord. I raise my hand and bring it down on the keys.......nothing. ??? It don't work. I look up at my brother in law. "Yeah, it was my moms. Shes been gone a long time. I should get it fixed huh."

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:21:15 GMT

I have a full length DVD of making of a Steinway concert grand. Very cool shop, and I had no idea it took so many man hours to make a piece like that. They are still in their original factory, according to this vid.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (jackn2mpu)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:36:42 GMT

bitflipper

I just about sh*t my pants. I rarely get excited about anything, but that offer was as exciting to me as a kid's Christmas. I was at our local Steinway shop recently and was surprised that they cost so much (from 60 to 150 grand).

A Steinway is a real joy to play, isn't it? Especially if you're accustomed to synth piano-like actions. Wow - infinite velocity layers!

Yeh, Bosendorfer is now another Japanese subsidiary. But the upside is that Yamaha really gets pianos, and make some truly wonderful instruments under the Yamaha name. For a lot less than $60k, too.

If anybody is planning to attend the next NAMM show, be sure to cruise upstairs to the piano room. It's a quiet refuge from the din of the main floor, there are mind-blowing performances happening there, and they have snacks.

Never been a fan of Yamaha's piano sound - too bright for my tastes. Keep in mind I'm comparing them to the Steinway B (nominal 7 footer) I used to play. Now THAT was a honey of an instrument.

What would make me happy is if Steinway would make a keyboard controller based on their piano action. I'm still waiting for a decent action in a weighted piano-style feel keyboard controller. Yamaha's is the pits; I used to like the older Kurzweil (K2000 era) 88 key action. I'd really like to try the KORG OASYS 88 key keyboard but nobody has one local to me.

For the real piano junkies, take a trip to the steinway factory out on Long Island (if it's even still there). Went there in the 70's to pick up a few instruments when I was moving pianos for a local music store. What a rush! Any of the workers there were more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Real nice bunch of people with no egos.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:19:18 GMT

bitflipper

I just about sh*t my pants. I rarely get excited about anything, but that offer was as exciting to me as a kid's Christmas. I was at our local Steinway shop recently and was surprised that they cost so much (from 60 to 150 grand).

A Steinway is a real joy to play, isn't it? Especially if you're accustomed to synth piano-like actions. Wow - infinite velocity layers!

Yeh, Bosendorfer is now another Japanese subsidiary. But the upside is that Yamaha really gets pianos, and make some truly wonderful instruments under the Yamaha name. For a lot less than $60k, too.

If anybody is planning to attend the next NAMM show, be sure to cruise upstairs to the piano room. It's a quiet refuge from the din of the main floor, there are mind-blowing performances happening there, and they have snacks.

Yeah, I guess if anybody were to buy up the great piano makers of the world, Yamaha would be the best choice. At least they have some pedigree.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:16:39 GMT

Jeff Evans

Has anyone played the Roland V Piano?

Certainly a cool idea. Takes digital piano's to a new level.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (bitflipper)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:51:43 GMT

I just about sh*t my pants. I rarely get excited about anything, but that offer was as exciting to me as a kid's Christmas. I was at our local Steinway shop recently and was surprised that they cost so much (from 60 to 150 grand).

A Steinway is a real joy to play, isn't it? Especially if you're accustomed to synth piano-like actions. Wow - infinite velocity layers!

Yeh, Bosendorfer is now another Japanese subsidiary. But the upside is that Yamaha really gets pianos, and make some truly wonderful instruments under the Yamaha name. For a lot less than $60k, too.

If anybody is planning to attend the next NAMM show, be sure to cruise upstairs to the piano room. It's a quiet refuge from the din of the main floor, there are mind-blowing performances happening there, and they have snacks.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Jeff Evans)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:41:06 GMT

Has anyone played the Roland V Piano?

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Spaceduck)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:14:45 GMT

If you have a truck, 2 strong buddies & a case of beer, you can get a free piano just about anywhere in North America. Good ones, too... although you might have to spend a few months tuning it & vacuuming the cobwebs out.

Moving a piano is really expensive (when I last checked, it was around $500 just to haul it down the street). When people move, they often don't want to deal with the expense & headache, so they just put it up for adoption. There was an ad in craigslist a few months ago--just about broke my heart--an antique Steinway Square Grand with claw feet, probably 120 years old for FREE. The owner said come & get it, otherwise it gets the axe and leaves the house in garbage bags. The owner re-posted the ad 2 or 3 times... I fear the worst " />

But yeah, get yerself a real piano! There's nothing like the feeling of real hammers & strings at your fingertips.

Speaking of Yamaha, if you ever find a Yamaha CP70, GRAB IT! It's one of the best pianos ever invented, back in the late 70s when manufacturers were experimenting with electro-acoustics. The idea never caught on, and aside from some great old recordings of the 80s (U2 - New Years Day, Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes, etc) the piano has gone the way of the dodo. It doesn't help that Billy Joel got his kicks demolishing them...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl3E-cwA6y8

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:18:17 GMT

Jules - I had to look up Bosendorfer (too bad they are now owned by Yamaha - is nothing sacred anymore? Must everything now be owned by multinational conglomerates?) Reading the wiki entry, I noticed that they are extended key, designed to accommodate Bach's organ music. That reminded me that yesterday I was dreaming about playing a Casavant. One of the finest Pipe Organs around and made by a company out of Montreal.

Yeah, I must admit, pianos and organs are really turning my crank these days. Strange, as I wanted to be a rock star LOL.

Greg - LOL, I do not think I have heard the word "tinkle" used in that way since I was a kid, heheh. That must have been cool. So many of you guys have some great stories, and I got none. I feel deprived.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (57Gregy)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:58:06 GMT

I love a real piano. I've been tinkling on them since the '60s.
And I played them, too. Bada boom.
I related this story before, but I think that was in the MC forum, but if you've already read it...
I was an installer of blinds and drapes for apartment complexes in the Dallas, TX area, and one of my accounts had a baby grand in their lobby. An unrecognized name-brand. Sometimes I would get there and the manager would be out to lunch or showing an apartment, so I'd play the piano until he returned. I began showing up at noon and spending my lunch hour there playing the thing.
One day he asked me how long I'd been playing, etc., and I mentioned that the piano was out of tune. No big deal, I'm out of tune, too.
When I returned a few days later, there was a piano tuner working on it. The manager said I was the only person he had ever seen play it. I don't know if he had it tuned just for me, but it did sound a whole lot better.
Even with me playing it. " />

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (julibee)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:52:42 GMT

I don't really look down my nose at non-weighted keys, but dang if I just can NOT play the things.... However, I also would not consider myself a pianist. But I can play my songs.

Let me know if you ever find a Bosendorfer to play on. I'll be truly jealous of you, then.

OH! And if you ever do find yourself back in school, and in a music program like you'd mentioned a few weeks back, you'll be surrounded by "real" pianos. It'll make your knees weak. :)

(edited to say "NOT a pianist"!)

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:59:43 GMT

LMAO " />

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (bapu)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:49:14 GMT

I just about sh*t my pants.

I highly recommend that you not do that when sitting at her Steinway.

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:48:51 GMT

LOL " />

I aint tellin

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (Jonbouy)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:30:36 GMT

This is all very well and interesting and all that.

Enquiring minds want to know the real facts and technicalities of the situation though.....

.....is she a looker?

Re:You know you are a piano whore when... (foxwolfen)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:29:42 GMT

OMG Sublime. (Looking at more Randy and Joe). I am a huge fan of Nina Simone (also a piano player).