Piano question

Been there, still doing it.

I hauled my wife's monster "family aireloom" (no else in the family wanted it) 600 miles in a Toyota Pickup.

It's now rotting away in our old garage as it is too heavy/large, for our small old farmhouse.

Even though it is taking up valuable garage space, not in a million years, would I even suggest getting rid of it!

Well, umm yes, I think I'd definately stear clear of the one neglected on the porch.
And bless my dear husband, he has been very patient with my piano chapters. I gues he understands the need I have in my soul.
I've also been advised not to place the piano against an outside wall as the changes in humidity affect it.
We had one old upright that was beyond help. You know, even in the condition it was in, it is a very sad sound when it is pushed off the back of the pickup and hits the ground. Sad. Very sad.
As a previous post, do be extremely careful with those old strings. There is 200#s of pressure on some of them.

A neighbor I once had was a furniture maker who grabbed up free pianos just for the wood in them. He took them apart and salvaged every stick of wood he could from them. Remember him wrestling pianos out of the back of his truck and into his workshop and when i got bigger making a few bucks helping him move them.

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Respect The Cactus!

How exciting!

Take the time to learn - you will not regret it.

Regarding the piano, some very good advice above. I agree with the person who said to maybe take someone along who knows a thing or two about pianos.

We've taken a few free ones - mostly upright grands that were turn of the century, when they were churning them out like nobody's business.

If you are able to, take a look at the sounding board to make sure it isn't cracked.

Also, do you have any skills that you can give in trade for a piano tuning or some basic lessons? That might be an excellent way to fund your musical training.

The only other recommendation I can add, if you bring one home and decide it is best put to use in a bonfire, BE VERY CAREFUL!!! You don't want to be in range when things start to go Snap!

I hope you go for it. I promised myself that I was going to learn the fiddle when my kids graduated. Well, they kept their end of the bargain - now I just have to find a way to put more hours in the day so I have time to take lessons.

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Anne
Give me a sweet home set among the trees,
With friends whose words are ever kind and true.
-Phoebe Carey-

LONE PINE FARM
Barnesville, PA
Boer goats, Angora goats, Eclectic mix of poultry

I mentioned a piano to my youngest DD last night and her eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. She asked for a guitar for Christmas but told me she what she really wanted was to learn to play the piano. The guitar was a second choice, thinking a piano was out of the question. Hard to resist those puppy dog eyes or miss a chance to share special time with my daughter while I can...before I know it, she'll be all grown up and on her own.

A former girlfriend has played for many years so I gave her a call. I'm meeting with her tomorrow night for some advice and hope to be able to talk her in to coming with me to look at some of the pianos. At least she'll be able to run through the keyboard and point out any gross problems. If I find one that looks promising, I call around to the local piano tuners and see what their thoughts are. In the meantime, I'll check with the local music schools...have to figure they might know of a piano that's in decent condition that someone is looking to part with. Glad I didn't jump in with both feet before looking. Thanks everyone for the thoughts, advice and encouragement.

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CJ

Good luck with your piano search, and hope all turns out great for you. And really helpful advice here, but then this forum always has the best of that. I love to play. I'm not an expert on pianos, but I know what I like and what feels right for me. Baby grands are first choice for a piano, but I have a Kimball console upright and I'm happy. My first love is organs, but not for a small home.

Get a copy of 'The Piano Book', by Larry Fine. Excellent read when looking at Pianos. I was very lucky and was able to snatch up a nice older spinet, Kohler and Campbell. Granted Spinets can be hard and expensive to do repairs on, but we wanted a smaller piano, and all the elbow joints had been replaced sometime recently. It had no cracks to the soundboard (a big no no!) and I didn't see any separation of the soundboard from the unit itself. Come to find out, there was a very tiny part at the very bottom, but that was negligable for the age of the piano and the price was way good!

Good luck! If you find a deal you just can't pass up, have a pro come out and look at it. They'll tell you if it's a good deal. I searched for two years just because I wanted one, and then my daughter started lessons and all we had was a casio keyboard (a good piano teacher will tell you that a real piano is best). I lucked out in a couple of months of her taking and found ours...we love it!

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Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa

I took lessons and have played the piano since I was 8 years old- I don't even want to think about how long that has been, but let's just say that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness with Moses for just about as long, lol~

I've had many, many pianos over the years, and one thing I can say is that I never found one 'brand' any better than any other, because even with the same brand of piano, put several together and they all sound different- I don't like the 'tinny' sounding ones, I like the rich sounding ones, and I even had a "free" one that was sitting in someone's front yard, that sounded wonderful once we had it tuned. The outside can always be refinished. It's the sound that matters, and do the dampers work, do they stick, etc.

Hi,
I decided to chime in the discussion. If you have room for a piano, I HIGHLY recommend a piano over a keyboard. A piano sounds different, and plays differently. Even if you were to get a keyboard with weighted keys, there is no way to replicate the true touch and sound of a piano.
We have given away a free piano on craigslist, and it worked well. I would definitely take advantage of a free piano on craigslist...even if one key doesn't work in the higher notes, or lower notes, its better than a keyboard. We have rented a Uhaul and moved one ourself(with 4-6 friends to help), but we decided it wasn't worth it for our next move, because someone almost hurt their back going up the stairs. We have paid 180-300 to get ours professionally moved, and about 50 to get it tuned. Which was well worth it to us, to have an instrument ready to play

Also, if you store your piano on an inner wall it will stay tuned longer, and it is better for the wood, also in the winter if your home is dry, it is good to take a mason jar filled with water (no lid), and place it inside the bottom of the piano,this will keep the piano tuned longer, and the wood will not dry out.

Hope this helps.

I have taught piano for years and my degree is in piano.

I always recommended a piano over a keyboard because every student that I started on a keyboard except 2, quit after six months. This is because, folks usually bought the wrong kind of keyboard. If you learn to play on a piano, you can play a keyboard, however, if you learn to play on a keyboard, you cannot always play a piano.

Why not? Because the touch on a keyboard is so different from a piano. If you are learning to play the piano, then you must buy a keyboard that plays like a piano. A piano can play loud and soft and in between. There are all kids of nuances that are not possible on a keyboard, unless it is a high end keyboard.

Keyboards....There are those that have no volume control on the keys themselves, but only with a slider. Don't try to learn to play on one of those. You will be SO FRUSTRATED. These often do not have a sustain pedal. The sustain pedal can be quite pricey.

The next step up are the Yamahas and Cassios that are touch sensitive. The key will play either loud or soft, but not really in between. You will be SLIGHTLY LESS FRUSTRATED. These usually have only 60 something keys. As you learn to play the piano, you will rapidly run out of keys as you move forward in your lesson books.

Next up are those that you see in most churches and gigs that you see. These have 70 something keys and are programmable to move between sounds. These are more touch sensitive and have a more "piano feel" in a lot of ways with some weight to the keys. These, however, are more in price than most used pianos.

At the higher end are Clavinovas and others like them that are "piano action" and have both a sustain pedal and what is usually called the "soft pedal." I actually bought one of these for $500 used because the lady was tired of it and wanted it out of her house.

Used pianos: Find ones that have been played and have not just sat in a house as a piece of furniture. When the tuner comes to tune it, the strings will break from lack of use. Ignore the tuner when he tells you that you need a dehumidifier and on and on. Keep your house heated and cooled and put it against an inside wall. That should be sufficient for a piano in most houses.

Things to ask about used pianos. Is the sound board okay? If it is cracked, run away. No, it cannot be repaired adequately.
Do all of the notes play? Don't worry if some of the ivories (white keys) are missing. Any piano technician can glue a new one on for a nominal cost. If some of the notes don't play, that is not a deal killer, but you don't want a broken hammer or one where the springs have to be replaced. That is not a cheap fix.
Has there been any water or soda damage? Do any of the keys stick? Do the pedals work?

What kind? Almost any older Baldwin, Yamaha, Kawaii will be good. If you've never heard the name, then chances are they weren't very good pianos. Some of the newer ones are excellent. Find a reputable piano dealer in your area and go visit. Listen to him as he tells you about the wonderful ones in his store and ask about his used ones. Let him tell you what is wrong with his used ones and keep those things in mind when you go look at your free or almost free pianos. If you can buy a studio size over the spinnet, you will have a better piano. Spinnets are usually the lower end and don't hold up as well. Forget the huge black things that used to be in every Sunday School room. They are impossible to move and not worth the money or time of most technicians.

Are free pianos worth it? Absolutely. I had someone call me almost monthly and offer me a free piano for my students. Many were folks who were moving across country and just didn't want to pay for the move. You have to be patient, but there are really great deals out there. Remember, moms and dads have bought pianos for junior, but didn't take the time to count the cost of having to force junior to practice. The old saying that if he really wants to do it, he will practice, is an absolute joke. What kid WANTS to practice the piano when he can be out kicking a football with this friends, but I digress.

Piano tuners. They are all over the map. I have never paid more than $70. I read that others have paid a lot more than that. I'm not sure why they had to pay so much. Call around and talk to different tuners.

Spend the money on a really good teacher. Don't just use Aunt Sue because she is close by. Call around and interview them. Ask....how long have you been teaching? Do you have a degree in PIANO? I am amazed at the number of folks who teach piano because they have played for 5 or 6 years.

What professional organizations are you a member of? They should answer MTNA (Music Teachers National Association), Federation (National Federation of Music Clubs) or something like that. Why? That means they are producing students who are capable of competing and are being evaluated by a judge. If you really want to play the piano, take from someone who knows how to teach piano and not just the little lady from the church who plays "real good."

If the teacher tells you that she only teaches classical music, then you might want to keep calling. My answer is usually something like......yes, I teach lots of classical music, but my students also play Jazz, learn music theory and other music of their choice. However, I always explain that the path to really great piano playing moves through the classical composers. That is how you develop technique and learn to play in lots of different styles. If you want to be able to play from a lead sheet, then ask if he/she can teach that as well.

If you go MTNA.org they should route you to a state organization that has a listing of music teachers in your area. If the teacher cares enough to join the national organization, then they usually care enough to really work with you.

Moving one......Yellow Pages -- Piano movers. Regular moving companies will move them, but charge you extra. Of course, you could always go with the six gorillas and roll them up the ramp on to the rented truck route. We've moved them like that as well. Not near as easy as watching those Mayflower folks move it.

Good luck! I've taught lots of folks through the years, just like you. Don't get discouraged. You can do this and do it well. You will have to figure out a time to practice in your busy world, but I have taught folks to play from age 3 to age 76. I loved the 76 year old. You are never too old to learn to play. It just takes time and practice.

Thanks for all the great advice everyone. I certainly am getting an education. I checked with my friend who plays and my oldest DDs former music teacher (whom I am considering for my youngest DDs lessons). Both said the piano is the better way to go. Teacher gave me the name of her piano tuner so I gave him a call. He gave cautioned me on used, said he could check out anything I was considering (for a small fee which is reasonable if I'm taking up his time) then gave me some ball park numbers of what I could expect for moving and reconditioning (depending upon condition. Lastly, he recommended a local gentleman who reconditions pianos professionally. I checked back with the teacher and she gave agreed that the gentleman does a fine job.

Headed out to talk to him today or tomorrow to see what he has available or what might be on the way in. Also checked with a local piano store. They have brand new student Yamahas for $400. Of course they wouldn't give me any details over the phone like model number or delivery/setup charges which really cheesed me off. My errands this week will put me within a 1/2 mile of their store so I'll stop in to get the model numbers, then go on line to check the reviews. At least then I'll know what my options are...

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CJ

Good Luck with the piano search. We move a lot, or at least we have in the past, so that factored into my decision. I guess I figured we would end up paying over and over for it. So I started out looking at keyboards immediately, with my list of must haves from our instructor...pedals, touch sensitive and weighted keys and at least 60 but preferrably a full 88. I ended upgrading to a Clavinova digital piano as opposed to the keyboards. I have to tell you I love it. You cannot tell the difference in sound to a "real" piano and its not an adjustment to play an acoustic if needed. Our music school has a few acoustic pianos but mainly Roland digitals. If my dc or myself ever decided to become piano majors then I might do something else at that point but it's super for now. Yes a keyboard is different beast totally but if I had a desire to learn and needed to start with one I would. I knew that the personal commitment was there to use it. If I was at all unsure I would have purchased a good keyboard.

The saleman at one of the larger piano shops gave me a demo on a Clavinova yesterday...wow! Out of my price range but it seemed to do everything but make coffee...and I'm thinking that might one of the many features I missed.

The $400 'piano' was a bait & switch. I suspected as much when they wouldn't answer my questions via e-mail. The 'piano' ended up being a very low end electronic keyboard...71(?) keys, not weighted, crappy sound even for my untrained ear.

The gent who rebuilds pianos had a beautiful Kranich & Bach 40" console similiar to this one for what I would have paid for the "keyboard":

http://www.classicpiano.com/PICTURES.../K&B80091.html

The sound was incredible...rich & warm compared to a few others he played for me. Really nice, knowledgable older gentleman. Asked me alot of questions about who would be playing the instrument. No warranty due to the age but he gave me a 5 yr trade option...any time in the next 5 yrs, regardless if the piano needs repair or I just want something different, I can trade the instrument in for what I paid against another of equal or greater value. It was hard to resist...I set up delivery for tomorrow. Youngest DD will be thrilled! OK, so I went from free to a few hundred dollars. All things considered, I think, in this case, that I was better off buying a piano of known quantity versus the high potential of buying a pig in a poke.

Thanks to everyone for your input and thoughts!!!!

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CJ

I've got to quit reading this thread - I so want a piano!

But I want a big old uprigth one. I had the one out of my parent's house, but that was when I had babies and was broke. Was either pay $200 to have it moved out of where I lived, or sell it for $200 and not have to worry about it anymore. Back then $200 was enough to feed the kids for a few months, so the piano went.

It had been my grandmothers' but no one had done much with it for about 20 years. It even got put in a back room, and then the doorway was moved so it had to be dissembled to move it out. That is how I got it to my place, in peices so having three big guys to handle just the harp part wasn't too bad. Once back together moving it was another story.

But I have to be truthful and realize I probably would never play it even if I had one. I do have a really nice keyboard that has settings to play very much like a piano. I even bought a sustaining pedal to go with it. It's also got all the fancy stuff, but I bought it specifically for it's piano like sound and action.

My biggest problem is I don't have a good place to put a piano in my house. The best place from a "room" is near the wood stove, and I doubt that would be a good idea. My house has penty of square footage, but it's mostly smaller rooms with electric baseboard heat. Those darn baseboards sure to make furniture arranging a bit more of a challenge.

Cathy