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What have I done? lol

(42 Posts)
rubylady Sat 16-Jan-16 23:00:32

I was supposed to be buying stones/gravel for my garden today.

I bought a piano!

I can't play, I've no room for it, it will need tuning.

But it looks gorgeous and it is something I wanted to tick off the old bucket list, to try to play, so I will move some furniture round, get Joanna retuned and have a go, why not?

Oh, and buy the neighbours some earplugs! grin

Luckygirl Sat 16-Jan-16 23:02:27

Why not indeed! Quite the best sort of impulse buy!

Anniebach Sat 16-Jan-16 23:07:00

Good for you, enjoy making music

grannyqueenie Sat 16-Jan-16 23:38:34

I have this picture in my head of you trying to manoeuvre a piano on one of those garden centre trolleys that always seem to have a mind of their own, wish my garden centre sold pianos!! Go for it ruby grin

jogginggirl Sat 16-Jan-16 23:45:43

ruby
Love it
grin

rubylady Sun 17-Jan-16 00:58:46

I went to Emmaus, a homeless charity where they sell allsorts, furniture, baby items, books, vinyl records and even pianos! They have a lovely cafe so had my breakfast/dinner (from t'North, it's not lunch in my neck of the woods) and then went off for a browse. Bought an Alan Bennett book among others, some vinyl for new record player and then the piano.

Although the trolley in the garden centre did make me laugh! grannyqueenie

The piano is being delivered on Monday £70.00 plus £10.00 delivery, quite the bargain as a passing policeman (?) said it was in really good nick (pun) and he would have had it had I not beat (another pun) him to it! grin

WilmaKnickersfit Sun 17-Jan-16 02:03:03

It's like something out of a novel! [Grin] I wish you many happy years of pleasure plonking away on the keys! ???????

Willow500 Sun 17-Jan-16 07:17:54

That's so funny! It's not like it's something you can hide away for a few weeks then just produce saying you've had it for ages (my favourite trick with impulse buys!) grin I always wanted to learn piano - my parents could both play and I did pick a tune out of the old one we had when I was a teenager but only with the right hand. When I was 38 (a millennium ago) I decided to take the plunge and started to take lessons - bought a piano for £50 that wouldn't stay tuned and managed to get to grade 4 so bought a better one. Sadly I gave the lessons up as the theory part needed more commitment and of course then stopped practising. In the end we gave the piano away to someone a couple of years ago and I doubt I could even remember chopsticks now! Enjoy your purchase - there's some great online lessons these days and a piano is always a lovely piece of furniture!

Greyduster Sun 17-Jan-16 07:43:31

Well, good for you, rubylady! I hope you don't have difficulty finding a tuner - they're getting rather thin in the ground these days. It's about time i had mine retuned. I have had lessons on and off since i was a teenager and still haven't managed to get past grade five. I stopped with my last teacher a couple if years ago, as we had moved house and what had originally been a walk round the corner to get to his house became a half hour drive. I also felt that my ability had plateaud - i think he did too! hmm. I do enjoy playing it, though usually when there's no-one around to hear! Let us know how you get on!

Iam64 Sun 17-Jan-16 07:52:01

What a cracking impulse buy ruby lady enjoy it.

cornergran Sun 17-Jan-16 08:03:45

Good for you rubylady. I can't play, or sing, not a musical note in my body but would love to try. Have fun. Wonderful to do something just because you can. smile

sherish Sun 17-Jan-16 08:08:07

My Grandad once swapped their piano for a pig. Apparently my Aunt was playing it at the time and he said to my Grandma, clear those things off top I've swapped it for a pig! I hope you keep yours longer.

Indinana Sun 17-Jan-16 08:29:27

What a wonderful impulse buy! I inherited my mother's piano and always wanted to learn properly. I bought some beginner's books, learnt the correct fingering and several simple pieces. But I simply could not get past the self conscious feeling of my neighbour being able to hear me playing. So I couldn't really enjoy it at all sad. And then I brought in a repairer because some of the keys had dropped - it turned out that the whole thing was riddled with moths. Virtually all the felts had been eaten and the poor piano was full of larva cases shock. It was going to cost about £300 to restore it, so in the end I sold it. I do miss it though.

Gagagran Sun 17-Jan-16 08:44:28

I bought a Yamaha electric piano two years ago and absolutely love it. It has a superb tone and it can record my efforts and also has a library of many well know classical pieces to play on auto (which must impress the neighbours!) You can wear head phones, and play with it on silent so as not to disturb anyone. It really is the best piano of the three I have had previously.

Anya Sun 17-Jan-16 09:22:04

I bought an electric piano too Gaga as I wanted to put it in the conservatory where the light is good, and I knew an ordinary piano wouldn't cope with the extremes of temperature. I was very resistant to the idea at first as I thought of them in the same bracket as keyboards, until I was persuaded to try one out in a shop.

What a surprise shock . As you say, wonderful tone, as sensitive to touch as a real piano. I very rarely use the extras you mention, but I've relearned many of the classical pieces I used to play, plus carols at Christmas and I have a lovely book of Movie Themes.

I'm now teaching a primary teacher to play and it's great having an adult pupil.

Good luck with yours Ruby smile

Greyduster Sun 17-Jan-16 09:49:40

I've tried some very good electronic pianos and i liked them. DH even encouraged me to buy one, but at the moment, i am very attached to my conventional one. I like the weight of the keys and it has a good tone. There will come a time, though, when i can no longer find a piano tuner that isn't pulled out with work and doesn't charge a fortune. Then i'll look at them again. I wouldn't like to be without a piano. I once went into a music shop in York with one if my SGS's and i was looking at a beautiful white digital Yamaha grand which cost five figures. I said to the salesman "Do you sell many of these?" "Oh yes," he said. We sold one three weeks ago to a man who didn't play, but just wanted it to provide background music for his dinner parties." confused

Teetime Sun 17-Jan-16 09:58:40

Love it rubylady enjoy.

Hunt Sun 17-Jan-16 10:07:59

impulse buys? My sister went out to buy a lipstick and came back having bought a flat!

Jalima Sun 17-Jan-16 11:02:52

DD has never forgiven us for getting rid of 'her' piano when she left home sad
Enjoy yours, rubylady

Rhonab Sun 17-Jan-16 11:18:11

I grew up with a piano and had piano lessons for many years ... hated every minute even though I was quite good at it. Anyway, my parents upgraded to an organ (mum played in church) and I got first refusal of the piano. By this time I had a daughter so of course I took the piano! It was mums girlhood piano so already old.
It went through a couple of house moves with me and had to be squeezed in so when we moved here a couple of years ago my daughter took it. She is currently waiting for a tuner ... her MIL offered a tuning as her Xmas gift, so I hope it's not wildly expensive!!! Reading about the moths makes me a bit worried about what could be inside it given that it's over 80 years old now. Looks a wreck but always had great tone.
My daughter played, and I'm sure DGD will also play ... already does, with both hands, thump thump thump!!! I admit I would love an electric piano though, nobody but me would have to hear all my mistakes. ?

downtoearth Sun 17-Jan-16 12:33:27

well done Ruby and even if you never play it,its a bargain that made you happy,and also some where nice to put the photos on top...enjoy it xx

Crafting Sun 17-Jan-16 19:45:43

Wonderful ruby good for you. As long as you get pleasure from it, don't worry about anyone else (well apart from the neighbours grin

NanSue Sun 17-Jan-16 20:33:32

That's great! I only wish I had enough room for one. sad

rubylady Sun 17-Jan-16 20:53:23

Thank you for all your kind wishes. Space now made for Joanna, although now I haven't got a kitchen table but then I haven't used it for eating off since I landed here.

I am thinking of getting a microphone to go with her so I can warble along when I get the jist of it, lol. I also have my new record player and cd player plus radio in the kitchen too so now it's my music room plus cooker. grin

Jalima Sun 17-Jan-16 23:35:06

Right rubylady, your mission is now to compose a new anthem for England grin (see other thread)