This morning at 6:30 the whole world woke up with a grin

[venta]

When I was writing about my nice, lazy time between Christmas and New Year, I mentioned in passing that I'd done something very exciting on New Year's Eve.

Although I probably should have qualified that it was possibly only very exciting if you're me.

I spent a while chatting to a lady (who had huge crucifix earrings and a "JESUS" tattoo on her wrist), and then I gave her a lot of money. She told me to wait until I was contacted by a man named Silas.


Silas brought me this:



Wow. I don't think I've ever had such a giant parcel delivered.



Oh, look, it seems to have a flat pack in it.



Can you see what it is yet?

I got busy building. But then I got to the part which the instructions stipulate is a two-person job. And I considered it. And I decided that the scope for disaster if I took it on by myself was immense.

So I had a little read of the instruction manual while I waited for ChrisC to finish his phone call and come and help me.



What?

You thought I'd have a box that large delivered and not play in it?



Hours of harmless amusement.

Anyway. We carefully settled the top part onto the frame, and look what I've got!



A whole, actual digital piano of my very own.

Never mind the complexities of getting something as heavy and bulky as a proper piano up to a second-floor flat, and finding space for it to stand; I have neighbours in four directions. An acoustic piano was never a realistic option.

However, my new friend has a volume control and a headphone jack. I can (and indeed did, on Sunday) hammer away at nearly midnight without disturbing anyone. As digital pianos go, he's a relatively cheap one; not the bottom of the range, but the best compromise between what I could afford, what had an action good enough that I could enjoy playing it, and what would fit in our corridor.

When trying out pianos in Chappell of Bond Street[*] I did nearly fall in love with a glossy, ebony hybrid grand - the only problem being that it was far too large to fit in the space available, and massively out of my price range. Oh wait, that's two problems. However, the new arrival and I have been getting on very well thus far.

Of course... the minor downside is that I last had easy access to a piano in 1999 when I could book a practice room at university. So I basically haven't played in well over a decade. And... um. Let's just say it's not quite like riding a bike. I have been slowly and painfully fighting my way through The Golliwog's Cakewalk (which the free book of piano music[**] which arrived in the large box has carefully retitled Cakewalk). It's a real favourite of mine, and something which I used to be able to play easily. It's probably best for everyone that there are headphones.

However, on Sunday evening I had a ceremonial play-through of a Beethoven sonata[***] and went to bed happy :)




[*] Which, incidentally, is on Wardour Street.
[**] Which I largely ignored, because I assumed it would be simple re-arrangements of the usual selection of lollipops. It isn't; it's actually a remarkably decent selection of popular pieces, and fills in a lot of gaps of bits of sheet music I've mislaid (or, more probably, left in odd corners at my parents' house).
[***] In G major (No.20, Op.49 No.2), for the curious. Yes, yes, since you mention it, one of the very easy ones.

Comments

[venta.livejournal.com]

It's way more like a real piano than anything I've ever met in the keyboard department. They keys respond properly, though they're a bit clunky and noisy (really noticable if you've got the volume turned way down) - I guess it's quite like a slightly downmarket piano. Certainly not like the nice grands they had available to use in college :)

Then again, it is really quite a cheap digital piano. Some of the ones they had in the shop that were well up in the thousands were very, very like playing a good piano. But mine's definitely close enough to be fun to play if you're used to a piano. I guess a concert pianist would find it a bit limiting, but I'm very happy with it.

For moving and such, the things sold as 'stage pianos' (ie like a keyboard, with a stand, rather than a piece of furniture) might be reasonably easy to shift about. I don't know, and I didn't try any of them out.

Obviously you're welcome to come round and have a play with mine if you'd like :)

[kauket.livejournal.com]

Hur hur. Etc.

Actually I did want to see if you were thinking about Edinburgh this year?

[venta.livejournal.com]

Still in negotiation in our house at the moment. Do you do it every year? We were wondering whether it might be an every-few-years thing as otherwise you'll risk seeing all the same people you saw last year.

Plus, obviously, working out if it's affordable :(

[kauket.livejournal.com]

If you come down on the side of 'yes' let me know as we might be able to discuss assisting with cheapish accomodation. We're going for the last week precisely so that we can read the reviews and find the people who are well reviewed and maybe see some different stuff.

I've been every year for the last two years. Err so twice. And I am definitely going again this year - there's so much to see that I only overlap through specific choice and wanting to see someone new show each year

[venta.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you - though I'm afraid if we do go, it absolutely won't be the last week (I'll be at Whitby Folk Festival then), so we're really not much use :(

[kauket.livejournal.com]

I'll let you know when we confirm dates in case it works for you. It's nothing glam but it's very cheap, for Edinburgh at that time of year

[venta.livejournal.com]

That's brilliant, thanks. We like cheap :)