Pleasure To Be Among You

Hi Gian, I am very pleased that you have joined this great "family" of music enthusiasts. Therefore, I welcome you to the site with the hope that you can find the information you were looking for here...

Thank you Simone, you are very kind to have already replied to welcome me. When I was very young, I enrolled in the conservatory to study clarinet, then I started working and, having little free time, I abandoned both the school and the clarinet: when young, one makes a lot of mistakes; not everyone does, but I am among those who made a mistake, because abandoning a musical instrument is reckless. Therefore, repentant, I have now decided to start again, but with the piano, which, to be honest, is the instrument that fascinates me most to play (or rather "learn to play", because I still don't know how to play it). And I am very happy to have discovered your forum, which you call a "family", of which I am honored to be a part, and I will do my best to make myself well-liked by you. The questions I am asking myself, which I alluded to in the previous post, mainly concern my ignorance on the subject; for example, I have understood that pianos are very delicate instruments that can be damaged and therefore must be treated very carefully. Three years ago, I purchased a new piano, an upright (due to lack of space in the apartment where I live), and I spent a lot of money on it for someone who earns just over a thousand euros a month (in fact, I bought it in installments) and for someone who is at the beginning of their studies: for just over 20,000 euros, I bought a Bechstein. So I purchased it three years ago, or rather two and a half years ago. For seven months, I played it every day, about two hours a day. Then I had some problems and for a year I never touched it, nor did I have it tuned. Then, after a year, I started playing it again, but the sound had dropped significantly; however, I continued to play it while waiting for the tuner I had called. When the tuner came, last February, so almost two years after the purchase, he tuned it, finding some difficulty in doing so, and told me that even if a piano is not played, it still needs to be tuned, otherwise it gets ruined. Since February, when I had it tuned, after a few days the sound began to drop more and more, and now it needs to be tuned again after only four months because the strings have loosened considerably (meaning the sound has dropped a lot). I called the tuner back but he told me that it is unlikely he can come before the end of summer. Simone, the fact of not having had a new piano tuned for a year and then starting to play it again without tuning, could I have caused some damage to the piano in this case? Furthermore, its sound is quite metallic. Is this normal—that is, am I getting unnecessarily scared—or could I have caused damage? And if this is normal, can I continue to play it, even if the sound has dropped significantly, while waiting for it to be tuned again? I thank you for the answer that I am sure you will give me.

Hi Gian, I recommend writing this post in the technical issues section. Paolo, who is a technician, will answer you. In any case, don't worry, 99% of things that can happen to a piano can be resolved. In your case, at worst, a tuning and an intonation. We look forward to your discussion in the appropriate area.

Best regards,

Welcome Gian.

From the way you write, your great passion and careful dedication to the instrument loved by both of us shine through. Thank you for the compliments. I made the first videos spontaneously "off the cuff"....and I will have many other things to say. I have done nothing but talk about what I know and what I have discovered. See you soon and compliments on your fabulous Bechstein...which I hope to be able to see...one day.

Hi Gian,

first of all welcome!

Finally, could you please also envy those who, like me, started playing wood at almost sixty years old?

As usual, I play.

You'll see that you will have a great time.

I thank everyone for the kindness with which you responded to me. Gennarino, did you really start playing the piano almost at sixty? And here I was thinking that at 56 I was too old! In fact, when I enrolled in school, I felt a bit embarrassed, but then I said to myself: "Why should I be embarrassed when I'm not doing anything wrong?". In fact, I confess, it makes me feel younger to think about starting to study at my age, an age when one can almost retire from work. Regarding my Bechstein instead, dear Paolo, when I was purchasing it, I was frightened by the idea of spending all that money, considering precisely that I am not a teenager with my whole life ahead of me. But then I said to myself: "I don't have children from whom I would take a portion of money to leave as an inheritance, I have been divorced from my wife for quite a few years now, so I can easily buy myself a piano that I am sure I will play for the rest of my life: well, what remains" 😆 (unfortunately we can't take anything with us over there; besides, bringing a piano would be quite a burden, I can just imagine the little angels loading up a piano even if it is "light" like an upright). Okay, now I am moving to the "Technical Problems" section for those doubts of mine. Thank you all again for your kindness and friendliness, I am sure we will remain friends for a long time.

P.S. Paolo, surely one day, when you want, you can see my Bechstein.

Oh... Sorry, I arrived a bit late... Well, welcome Gian, from my side too. I hope you won't hate me, since I started piano at six or seven years old... But come on, for certain things it is never too early nor too late... Well, the piano is one of those things, in my opinion.

Aside from this... I read that you purchased a Bechstein upright three years ago... Then it seems it was just waiting for you. In the forum section "the piano; technical problems and their resolution" I opened a discussion specifically about this brand. In truth, it is regarding a great 1903 Bechstein grand that is at my school, in the theater hall. I strongly invite you to participate! That's all for now. I'll wait for you in the discussion... Bye and enjoy your stay!!

Francesco1797Paris wrote:

Oh... Sorry, I arrived a bit late... Oh well, welcome Gian, from my side too. I hope you won't hate me, since I started piano at six or seven years old... But come on, for certain things one is never too young nor too old... Well, the piano is one of those things, in my opinion.

Aside from this... I read that you purchased a Bechstein upright three years ago... Then it seems it was just waiting for you. In the forum section "the piano; technical problems and their resolution" I opened a discussion specifically about this brand. In truth, it is regarding a great 1903 Bechstein grand that is at my school, in the theater hall. I strongly invite you to participate! For now, that's all. I'll wait for you in the discussion... Bye and enjoy your stay!!

Thank you Francesco, you are very nice. I could never hate you, but I could envy you; in fact, what I have thought since I started studying piano is: "Blessed are those who started very young because they have their whole lives to play this fascinating instrument". For example, Francesco, you started at six; suppose you live until ninety-six (my mother has to reach ninety-one), in that case you will have played the piano for ninety years! I, on the other hand, bah, let's forget it: I hope reincarnation exists, and that in the next life I will remember this passion as soon as possible. I saw in the forum what you wrote about the 1903 Bechstein, I saw it yesterday and found it very interesting; I can't wait to participate too, as soon as I have more free time, tomorrow I think. Thank you also to you Francesco for the kind and affectionate welcome. Usually I don't like forums, but this site, pianoconcerto, gives me good impressions.

gian wrote:

Thank you Francesco, you are very nice. I could never hate you, but I could certainly envy you; in fact, what I have thought since I started studying the piano is: "Blessed are those who started at a very young age because they have their whole lives to play this fascinating instrument". For example, Francesco, you started at six years old; let's say you live until ninety-six (my mother has to turn ninety-one), in that case, you will have played the piano for ninety years! As for me, well, let's not even go there: I hope reincarnation exists, and that in the next life I will remember this passion as soon as possible. I saw what you wrote in the forum about the 1903 Bechstein; I saw it yesterday and found it very interesting; I can't wait to participate myself as soon as I have more free time, probably tomorrow. Thank you too, Francesco, for the kind and affectionate welcome. Usually I don't like forums, but this site, pianoconcerto, gives me good impressions.

well, thank you and... enjoy your stay. Bye!

Dear Gian,

sorry for the delay in my response, but I am traveling a bit and without a computer.

Yes sir, I started late, but perhaps I had the advantage of having behind me some years where I played classical guitar and coming from a family where music was practiced (my father a tenor, my brothers guitarists and bassists).

That made it easier for me to start, as I was familiar with notes and staff markings.

In any case, I maintain that it is never too late for anything or almost anything, and therefore I have never found any problem with age, on the contrary!

Regarding the piano to use, don't worry if it costs money, I have a Schimmel that PianoExpert envies (I, on the other hand, envy practically everything about him, not just the Steinway!)

Talk to you soon.

Gennarino wrote:

Dear Gian,

sorry for the delay in my response, but I am traveling a bit and without a computer.

Yes sir, I started late, but perhaps I had the advantage of having behind me some years where I played classical guitar and coming from a family where music was practiced (my father a tenor, my brothers guitarists and bassists).

That made it easier for me to start, as I was familiar with musical notes and staff markings.

In any case, I maintain that it is never too late for anything or almost anything, and therefore I have never found any problem with age, on the contrary!

Regarding the piano to use, don't worry if it costs money; I have a Schimmel that PianoExpert envies (I, on the other hand, envy practically everything about him, not just the Steinway!)

Talk to you again soon.

Of course, Gennarino, you are right: I too envy PianoExpert for the friendliness that shines through his videos, which will certainly encourage piano enthusiasts to subscribe to Pianoconcerto.it, as happened to me when I happened to watch one of his videos while on YouTube, but above all, I envy his competence, his complete knowledge of the piano. And here, dear Gennarino, I feel old again, in the sense of the little time we have left to live, because it is true that at our age we can still make time to study the piano, but learning to also be technicians capable of repairing one's own piano, capable of tuning it etc., I believe we no longer have enough time, assuming we would even be capable, or rather that I would be capable, because regarding this difficulty I am obviously only referring to myself, as I know myself.

Dear youngsters,

You have to be young inside... it's not a cliché!!!! You are!!! Enjoy the Music and more!!! Ad Majora

Hi Gian, If it makes you feel better, I am 50 years old. I have been studying piano for 6 years; I don't feel my 50 at all and I am as motivated as the first day I started, naturally one learns more slowly but one does learn.

Giovanni.

Gian, if one wants to live a long life (not necessarily in the sense that time lengthens, but above all in the sense that the quality of life is extended), then one must never feel old; at least in one's mind.

Ciao

Gennarino wrote:

Gian, if one wants to live a long life (not necessarily in the sense that time lengthens, but above all in the sense that the quality of life is extended), then one must never feel old; at least in one's mind.

Hi

Wise words, my dearest Gennarino, indeed one must live exactly as you say. However, sometimes I succeed, and other times I feel down. I have faith in God, and this is of great help to me. Unfortunately, life has not always been easy; for example, I lost my father when I was very young, and my mother, with whom I live, is 91 years old, and the thought that she too will be gone before long saddens me. I had a wife, but she also left, not because she died, no, not her: she left because she had grown tired, and yet I am a cheerful person, I like to stay active. I have been to India several times, for example, a country I adore. I have few friends, but good ones (for about ten years now I have valued quality over quantity). All in all it is fine, but there are days when I feel down. Thank you for your words, Gennarino, you are a dear person.

Dear Gian,

You have already found many friends here. You are giving us lovely and profound "sonorous" gifts. You will see that we will develop many initiatives together.

Hi Paolo (61-year-old guy) 😆

pianoexpert wrote:

Dear Gian,

You have already found many friends here. You are giving us lovely and profound "sonorous" gifts. You will see that we will develop many initiatives together.

Hi Paolo (61-year-old guy) 😆

Of course Paolo, I understood immediately that here, in Pianoconcerto, there are friends, in the sense of honest and sincere people, so I signed up. I knew, or rather sensed, that you wouldn't disappoint me, and indeed the more I get to know you, the more I esteem and grow fond of you. Thanks for everything, nice 61-year-old guy, to you and the others.

P.S. Tell me the truth, we have already talked about Indian music (well, obviously, and I was pleased to know that you still have that cassette your friend gave you, a sign that if you haven't thrown it away, you truly liked it), but is it true that the music of those "elves" by John Cage and Stockhausen is also very, very, very funny? Personally, I like it, sincerely, but when I happened to play it for my friends, even my mother, they all looked at me as if I were a Martian, except for one dear friend who, after being introduced to it, told me she appreciated it. The funniest opinion was that of my mother, who told me: "You can't understand anything." I replied to her: "What do you mean you can't understand anything! Now let me explain." I am still looking for the words to explain it to her and as soon as I find them I will tell her, because it is not easy to explain that music. And anyway, she likes Cage more than Stockhausen; not bad compared to my ex-wife who couldn't even stand the Beatles, but on the other hand she was crazy about Julio Iglesias. What a stomachache that period was, with all due respect to Julio Iglesias. 😆

Music of the 20th century expresses the "confusion of our time". It is not easy at all, but it is fascinating. We must not judge and examine it as we are used to for tonal music. With Wagner's Tristan chord, the music of the new century opens up. Everything moves towards maximum synthesis. Indeterminacy and lack of resolution. A new world. Perhaps we will have to wait some time. However, one must not refuse to listen to it.