What to expect if you by a Yam Clp ( 370)

[Moonlight]

Hi everyone!

I'm writing this post as a brief guide for anyone thinking of buying a Yamaha Clp digital piano or a similar one in size, because some people
( me included ) think they might be easier to transport then an upright and this may be one of the reasons people buy them, and are mislead into thinking they are easy to move. ( they are not)

Clp Packaging

The Clp 370 comes in a big box ( roughly H 25'' W 58'' ) the box is very heavy and will require two relatively strong people to move it. The box will fit into an estate car or bigger but not a smaller car. The piano stool comes flat packed and is very easy to assemble. The piano is well padded inside the box and should you need to put the box down quickly it should not harm it too much.

Piano parts

When you open the box the piano comes in five parts. The heaviest and hardest part to move is the keyboard, again to strong people are needed to move it. Conveniently the keyboard part has some handles on the back of it. Assembly is relatively straightforward; attach the sides to the bottom part ( the part with the peddles ) and then the back part to it, to create the stand. Lasly the keyboard is lifed onto the stand and attached. ( Please see your owner's manual for a more detailed description on how to assemble the piano )

So, whats it like?

This is just my personal opinon about the two most important things people look for in a digital.

( piano ) Sound

Bass and high register of piano sound good. Mid range sounds rather burly or muffled when not struck hard.

Touch

The keyboard does not feel quite the same as real pianos, to me it has a less satisying feel and has less smoothness when the white keys are depressed. The synthetic ivory keytops feel nice ( much nicer then plastic ) and any moister from the hands quickly evaporates to prevent fingers from sliping.

What did i think?

Overall not a bad piano, miles better then what I had to put up with before. ( a keyboard! ) If you are considering practicing on a keyboard then please do try to buy a digital piano at least, if you can afford one. If you move from a keyboard to a digital ( like I did ) there will be a slight adjustment period, you wont be used to the weight and your hands may ache a bit for a few days. To reduce the likeihood of that happening warm your hands in warm water before you begin pratice. It worked for me!

[markymark]

Some good tips there!

The mid-range on a digital piano I have to say is always the weak spot me, irrespective of the manufacturer. Mid-ranges have often been guilt of being dull, or very boast/sudden, or even very harsh and trebly. Not sure about the science behind it all but it seems that a good mid-range has been hard to develop convincingly.

Down the line, you might want to consider getting a small amp or speaker for your piano. That can have a positive impact on your midrange too.

Just from reading your review, you sound a bit disappointed - are you?

[dave brum]

Hello Anna!

Hope you are well and enjoying your new Japanese toy!

[Moonlight]

Hi Mark, Hi Dave!

I am enjoying my new Japanese toy actually, but I am a little sad about the mid range sounding muffled; especially as a beginner most of the pieces I can play are in the mid range. When I pratice I can't seem to make up my mind as to what piano voice to stick with; I keep swiching between 'Grand Piano 1' and 2. The first piano voice is really good in the bass and high end but the mid reminds me a bit of a muffled electric guitar sound! (forgive me if I sound a bit mad ). The second voice is better in the mid range, but it has more of a metallic sound to it, almost like a sampled harp style sound and the high range is less
piano like.

The thing I don't get is that the demo songs the piano can play, sound really good; as if you're listing to a cd. So it can't be the speakers fault that it can't play the clear sound of a real piano . Thanks for that tip Mark, I might hook the piano up to an amp and speaker if I can find one.

I managed to pluck up enough courage to impress my parents with a very sort recital of a simplified Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave and a few bars of Pachabel's Cannon before I forgot how to play So they seemed to be impressed with my new piano.

[dave brum]

Hello again Anna. Lovely to hear from you again.

I suppose the bottom line is with digital pianos, without wishing to be 'digitalist' in any way, is that they are only meant to simulate the playing of an acoustic, and not 100% replicate them! So you will almost certainly get flaws, however miniscule they are. You've mads a HUGE step from a puny little Casio keyboard to a Clavinova, but even then, you have to realise that instead of having something you probably won't be able to fit in your flat and get up the stairs or regulate the volume or spend money on getting the tuner out twice or whenever per year etc etc. you have to make a small allowance for as far as having a 'muffled' mid range. I always use Grand Piano 1, I would assume it's the same on a YDP131 as it is on your Clav. and as far as my ears go, it's ideal for a beginner like me. But if I was a piano teacher teaching others on it, well that's something else!

Glad to hear the confidence is improving. Playing in front of anybody will do it the world of good!

[sparkley]

Hi there

Lucky you getting the CLP370, my budget only stretched to a 340! I agree with the size of the thing - the box was huge, and very heavy! It said it was a 2 person lift, so we were hoping that me and my boyfriend would manage. But I'm your typical weedy girl and couldn't lift the thing! We had to get a neighbour to help carry it in, and he then had to help again when assembling to lift the keyboard onto the base. When we first opened the box we felt like we were going to be spending all day assembling the thing, but it only took about 30mins or so.

I'm very pleased with my clavinova. When I visit my parents house every couple of weeks I use their acoustic to keep up practising on one between lessons, but I've had no problems with mine. I agree about the middle range sound being slightly muffled, but overall I'm very impressed. The 340 also has the wooden keytops which makes so much difference and makes it feel much more like a piano.

[markymark]

When I pratice I can't seem to make up my mind as to what piano voice to stick with; I keep swiching between 'Grand Piano 1' and 2. The first piano voice is really good in the bass and high end but the mid reminds me a bit of a muffled electric guitar sound! (forgive me if I sound a bit mad ). The second voice is better in the mid range, but it has more of a metallic sound to it, almost like a sampled harp style sound and the high range is less piano like

I know what you mean! That piano sample used for Piano 2 was the brand new Piano 1 sound for the P200 when it came out 5 or 6 years ago. It is also Piano 2 on my CP300 and, admittedly, I resort to it for a change in sound basically. That piano sound is great with a pad or strings and sounds, particularly if you are playing pretty spaced-out pieces of music. I do find that the mid-range can sound clangy and too sudden for fuller chorded pieces. Both Piano 1 and 2 have their place so that's why you're felling confused about which to play.

As for the amp idea, see if you can get the lend of one or at least get the option to try out a speaker with the option to return. I know that the natural reverb emulated by the speakers - I can't think of Yamaha's name for it at the moment - is lost when you put the piano through an amp, so although the mid-range of the keyboard will sound better, the loss of the atmospheric emulation from the speakers may be a slight let down. It really depends on the amp or speaker you use should you opt to go down that road!

[dave brum]

Hi Anna and all.

Something else I don't particularly like on Yamaha digital pianos (I can't speak for Rolands and other manufacturers as I've only ever played Yamaha YDPs and Clavs) is that the keys are too highly polished so much so that my fingers keep slipping off 'em! (the black keys are more susceptible to this). Until yesterday I'd never seen a digital model with keys matted and that feel as rough as my hands!! But when I was walking around Shrewsbury resterday, I went into a small music shop and they had a compact Robertson digital piano that felt like nothing I'd ever felt before on a digital.

Are your fingers prone to slipping off those pristine plastic keys, Sparkley and Anna (and anyone else?)

[markymark]

Can't say that I have ever had that problems unless my hands get sweaty! But then again, I moisturise everyday!

[dave brum]

Aah, but you're a proper pianist Mark. That's why you use moisturiser!!!

Do you by any chance do the washing up in your house???

[markymark]

Absolutely, using "Mild green, Fairy Liquid"!

So in answer to the old question, hands that do dishes can feel as soft as your face!

[dave brum]

dear Mark, you must have hands as soft as a baby's......

Yes you must have hands as soft as a babys'.

[Moonlight]

Hi everyone!

Mark, are you saying that if I put the Clp through an amp the piano wont be able to play the Damper Resonance effect? is that the word you were looking for? Does that only happen if it goes through and amp and not a speaker?

Ah ha ! So its moisturiser and Fairy that makes people into a good pianist!!! Thats why they have such soft and supple fingers!!!

Dave, Sparkley I think we need to buy some Nivea and a bottle of Fairy Liquid...and more pratice of course. Oh and a piano teacher for me and Dave.


Hi Dave!

No my fingers don't slip about that much any more thanks to my new piano, if they do miss the right keys its because of my clumsiness mostly when trying to do chromatic scales (there so fun! ). They did slip on my keyboard because it was plastic but I wouldn't call them pristine although I have kept it in good condition even though I had a love-hate relationship with it . I would also like to say that I have now been a Clavinova owner (oh that rhymes!) for a week today!

[markymark]

Yes. The iAFC feature only seemed to operate when the speakers in the keyboard were being used. The system basically responded to the acoustics in the room and adjusted reverb, etc. as necessary.

HOWEVER, this was in the by-gone models and I'm not sure whether or not the CLP3XX series still have this. Based on the mechanics of the system, I can see how they could correct the problem.

You can check with Yamaha to be sure, but as sound to a USB device or speaker is based on an electrical signal, I'd be impressed if anything has been done to try and improve that little loophole.

[dave brum]

Might not be needing that piano teacher, dearest Anna

I've got an appointment with a piano teacher who's a short busride from me next Wednesday (20th) Imagine that, Mister Brum has a piano lesson!!! Didn't think it would be possible eh? I'll let you all know how I get on if you want. The practise regime starts straight away, altho I don't know exactly how she'll fare with me as I'm not a complete beginner but I've probably picked things up differently to how she learned to play, or indeed how she would teach.

I happen to have done a massive pile of washing up just now, which as we had scrambled eggs for breakfast this morning, involved using the scourer, and my hands are like sandpaper. My wife has got some handcream but I don't know where she's put it. So if you get a bottle of Nivea in your Christmas stockings, Anna and Mark, and there's no gift tag on there, it'll be from muggins!

[Moonlight]

Hi Dave & Mark

The Clp 370 doesn't have the iAFC feature but the 380 does, Its so annoying they took it out of the 370 because I wanted to get the 270 and it had the iAFC but the 380 is too expensive for me. So it shouldn't make any difference to the sound on the 370 if I connect it I guess. But I'm quite happy with the sound now, I'm quite familar with my piano now.

Thats great news Dave! yeah do tell me how you get on, as I still can't afford a 25 quid a week habit ( not violin lessons though too squeaky) ... I do wish I could afford lessons!

Ahh, thanks for the Christmas gift idea I'm sure it would come in handy . (excuse the pun)

[dave brum]

I did see a lovely Clav in a shop back home in Birmingham one day. I can't remember what the model no. was, but the keyboard was much broader than my YDP131 and the cabling at the back was like Spaghetti Junction! The heaviness of your one Anna reminded me of that (and yours too Sparkley from what you've mentioned on 'ere)

Have you decided what you're doing with your old Casio yet, dear Anna? Was going to suggest selling it, and putting the money towards your frist piano lesson!!

[Moonlight]

Hi Dave,

My poor old Casio is siting under the dinning room table at the moment. I'm not sure whether to sell it or not because it is a MIDI keyboard and I might get back into making music on the computer one day, it has some really nice sounds on it. I have never conected it to the computer I never bothered to buy a MIDI cable.

The thing is I could afford a cople of lessons and I know there is quite a few piano teachers nearby, but I would really like to be able to go every week to the teacher and pratice religiously eveyday. If I found a really nice teacher I would want to go all the time and it would just torture me if I knew what I would be missing . That said, you can still keep me up to date with how you get on, I won't get too jealous

[sparkley]

Hey guys

Dave, my fingers don't tend to slip off of the keys on my clavinova. However, even though I've had mine for a few weeks now, I'm still very protective of it and I always wash my hands before I play to keep the keys lovely and clean!!! I also moisturise a lot

Good luck with the teacher Dave, let us all know how you get on! Moonlight, you could always try a lesson every fortnight? Or maybe even less frequently, but I know what you mean about wanting to go every week and missing it. I really look forward to my lessons and I hate it when my teacher is away and I have to miss one!

[dave brum]

Hey Sparkley! Haven't heard from you for a while, hope you're okay down there in Salisbury!

I've had my piano for 15 months and I too am quite protective of it. The keys are regularly cleaned and wiped, and the keyboard cover is always down, so I cannot understand why hairs from my wife's two cats manage to find their way inside the cover But my hands are another matter! I am a house husband, which means I have to cook, clean, do housework, wash up etc. so consequently suffer with rough hands. In all my almost 39 years, I've never been that good to my poor old hands, however now my piano playing has gone up a gear, I'm thinking of them a lot more now, and have started to use handcream (Vaseline Intensive Care) For my piano lesson (I assume it's an acoustic upright she has) I'm interested in how my fingers will react to the ebony/ivory/effect keys most of the older uprights have.

Hello dearest Anna

I know in every way what you mean, and I truly admire your hunger and willingness to learn more and more about this oh so addictive musical instrument. I'd imagine that you, like me wanted to learn to play as a kid, but never was given the opportunity to fulfil that dream.The fact that you have, as an adult finally bought yourself a Clavinova and even a piano tutorial book is a major step forward for ya!

I sometimes wish piano teachers did discounts for benefit claimants! But that would be idealism, wouldn't it!

I don't know your circumstances Anna, but how much time do you have every day to practise?

[Moonlight]

Hey guys!

I also take pride in my piano and dust it every day and always have the dust cover down on it when it not in use. I would never play on it with unwashed hands too (actualy its to warm them up in water). My cats hairs also end up on the keyboard and strangely the dogs even though hes not allowed in my bedroom but the cat is.

Hi Dave

Could I also recommend using Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula hand cream for you. Its for worn out hands like yours so it might make them more like Mark's hands! I know what you mean about geting more aware of your hands, I always keep my nails sort as long nails are a hinderance for us lot. And I also do a bit of 'air piano' or 'air hannon' when away from the keyboard to try and keep the hand to brain conection strong.

As for pratice I usually pratice for about 2 hours and a half on a normal day I think? On a really good day mabe 4 hours? or more. On a really bad day when I don't have much time 30 mins but thats quite rare. Yeah I have a lot of time at the moment with job hunting and all ... wating for emails and stuff.

I like to spend about an hour on scales and hannon, what I call warm ups. Then the rest is going over suff I have learned and then learning new stuff. Then I like to just have fun and try to play a few bars of whatever, even though I will need to wait until I'm grade 5 etc to play it nicely.

[dave brum]

Hello again Anna

Thanks for the handcream tip, Anna. What is Hannon? I haven't come across that one before.

I'm lucky whereas I can get to practise very frequently and sometimes for a long time each day. All my friends are miles and miles away and since getting married and coming all this way out here whereas I would have spent time with my massive either down the pub, discussing Charles Bukowski/Karl Marx or drinking massive amounts of vino rosso and in the process getting substantially wrecked, I now spend it merrily tinkling away on 'Fiona'!

How is the job hunting going? Are you getting anything positive or at least heartening coming through? I sincerely hope the job you will enjoy (very important that!) will find you soon, dear Anna.

I tend to find that as regards practise, short bursts and regular are the key (pardon the pun!) criteria. How about u?

[Moonlight]

So your wish is to be Markymark hey Dave! Don't worry you will get there one day and me too I hope!

I have short (ish) pratice and split the hours into short lessons sometimes, but I'm quite happy siting at the piano for hours at a time.

Hanon is the name of a guy called Charles Louis Hanon (I think). Now I'm no expert as you know, but I think he developed a series of exerices for the piano to help students develop techinque. This involves learing things like phrasing, staccato, portamento etc its basicaly learing diffrent ways of playing the piano to produce diffrent effects. And yes we will need to learn that stuff too Dave if we are ever going to be on a par with Markymark.

Theres abook you can get of his studies by John Thomson. Its about a fiver.

[dave brum]

Hi Anna! Hope you're okay.

We've been round to see our old neighbour tonight who we've not seen in about a year and as soon as I saw the upright piano in the hall, my eyes just lit up! It seems she's spending the summer teaching herself to play piano altho she's not doing it the 'classical' way, she's very good and she even sang and played us a song!!

Dare I say it, but do you think that pianos are becoming 'cool' again??

[markymark]

Hanon is really good at getting the fingers going - imagine you never having heard of him Dave! You particularly notice muscles workings for the exercises that target your 4th and 5th fingers. Trouble is, if you are not consistent with it, when you go back to it, the muscle under your forearm starts to ache after a while. But, on the positive side, it really speeds up your hands' response time and even note precision and hand control for that matter.

I have to say, not everyone likes Hanon because they feel that it is an unmusical and mind-numbing way to develop hand agiilty, etc. etc. If you are going to use it, make sure that the usual sitting, arm and hand postures are correct before tackling the exercises.

[markymark]

The Clp 370 doesn't have the iAFC feature but the 380 does, Its so annoying they took it out of the 370 because I wanted to get the 270 and it had the iAFC but the 380 is too expensive for me. So it shouldn't make any difference to the sound on the 370 if I connect it I guess. But I'm quite happy with the sound now, I'm quite familar with my piano now.

That is so weird! As you said, they had the iAFC feature on the CLP270 and CLP280 but I thought I remembered hearing some uproar about features being lost from some of the upper-range CLP3XXs that were presented in the CLP2XX range. That must have been it then! Still, the porous synthetic ivory keys should be some consolation!

Good thing for you is that you can use your amp without losing too much of the natural sound quality!

[sparkley]

Ooooh Dave do you reckon your neighbour would let you have a go on the piano?

Dave and Moonlight, you both practise so much! I usually try and practice as soon as I get home from work in the evening, and I'll play for about an hour. After an hour I start to get a bit tired and have to stop. I tend to do more at the weekend though, usually I'll do 2 lots of 1-hour practice.

I've heard other people mention Hanon and so I looked in the book at the music shop. They didn't have book 1 unfortunately, but I looked in book 2 and it seemed very repetitive!! I'm happy with A Dozen a Day at the moment, but I love practising those. Maybe I'll have to move on to Hanon when I'm done with all Dozen books!

I forgot to add, our next dor neighbour came round yesterday. I showed him my clav and the first thing he said was 'yes, but you can still tell its not a real piano'!!!

[Moonlight]

Hi Sparkley,

I can practise so much as I'm out of work at the moment, when I go back I might have less time although I try to keep it up!

Yeah Hanon is really repetitive but quite useful. I often find myself swiching off when I do them and start sight reading the next piece I need to learn on the other page or thinking, 'I wonder what I will have of dinner tomorrow' while my hands just keep on going automatically. Its enough to turn anyone in to a poor David Helfgott ( the guy in the flim Shine). I strangely find them enjoyable though .

I've heard of 'A Dozen a day' whats that book like, any good?

We will always be singled out because we own a digital!

[dave brum]

Dear Anna, did you see 'Shine' the other week when it was on BBC1? I taped it. I had never heard of David Helfgott before, so that was a true story was it?

[Moonlight]

Hi Dave,

Yes I did see that flim about 3 weeks ago on BBC 1. I remember seeing bits of it years ago when I was a kid, I watched all of it this time; its a really good film. Yeah its based on a true story I think.

I think we should start a new post called ' Favorite films about Pianos' or somthing? hey Dave?

[dave brum]

Or even get together sometime Anna me you Sparkley and a camcorder, and make our own film about piano studenting. Call it 'Confessions of a Piano Learner' or 'Hanging from a Clef'?

Special Guest Star....Celestite or Markymark as...'THE TEACHER'...

[dave brum]

Just had an email from the piano teacher I'm supposed to be seeing on Wednesday, she has had to postpone our little meeting till next week. Oh well, it is after all a free lesson!

Just thought I'd let u all know!

[Moonlight]

Hey Dave,

I'm not sure about making a flim, I don't think any of us would make good actors... maybe a documentary would work better, like the ones you get on BBC 1. It could be a documentary flowing the progress of adult learner musicians, flimed over years from beginner to grade 8, I'm fed up with programs about child prodigies . Sounds like a good idea maybe I should sell it to the BBC.


Thats a real bummer ( I haven't used that word since I watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 80s! ) Dave I bet you were really looking forward to your 1st lesson. Hopefully you won't need to wait too long.

[sparkley]

Hey Dave,

Thats a real bummer ( I haven't used that word since I watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 80s! ) Dave I bet you were really looking forward to your 1st lesson. Hopefully you won't need to wait too long.

Rofl, lets bring the word bummer back into mainstream use!!

[dave brum]

Yes, it is a bit of a bummer, well if the truth be told Anna, it's a humungous bummer, the queen of bummers in fact. But given all the adversity that has kept myself and Fiona apart for the past three days, a bummer that I can cope with!

Sparlkey, another word that needs to be revived is...


HEAVYYYYYYYY!!!

[Moonlight]

another word that needs to be revived is...

HEAVYYYYYYYY!!!

The last time I came across Heavy was when I was in college about 5 years ago...Sorry this is not piano related.

How about: Dat piano is bear heaaaavvvvy init?

[dave brum]

Anna dear, do you remember 'The Young Ones'?

'HEAVYYYYYYYYY' was the catchphrase of Neil the long-haired hippy. 'Oh Rik, that's a really heavy bummer, man!'

[Moonlight]

Yes! I used to love watching The Yong Ones and my farvorite characters was Neil and Vivian, Its been ages since I saw it. I used to like watching Bottom too.

Yeah Neil did say heavy a lot, remember the episode where they put a black bag over his head to stop him from getting all that snot everywhere because he had a cold?

Anyway I'm sure we will get told off if we don't talk about piano related stuff.

[Moonlight]

Thinking about it, Its quite amazing how this simple post of mine trying to inform people about the Clp 370 has got 30 replies ranging from topics about moisturiser too the Young Ones!

Funny old bunch aren't we?

[dave brum]

Actually dearest Anna there IS a pianistic connection with The Young Ones, as in their 1986 No1 charity single they recorded with Cliff Richard, Vyvyan smashes one up!

This discussion thread is nothing! Have a look through some topics in the Teaching Piano section, esp. one entitled 'CONCENTRATE!' and you'll see once me and Celestite hijack a topic, then who knows how many pages it can run to. I'd imagine you'd be the same Anna! I kissed the Blarney Stone in 1998, so I put it down to that!

I've even managed to discuss 'Withnail and I' with a guy on here whose handle is Presumin' Ed ! (that being one of the characters from the film)

Okey dokey, back to pianos then before we both feel the weight of the Moderator's steel toecapped boot on our delicately shaped posteriors. Have you actually managed to fathom out yourClavinova yet, Anna, and have you decided if you're gonna be getting any sound devices to plug into it that might improve the midrange?

How's yours, Sparkley?

[sparkley]

The Young Ones was brilliant!! I loved the episode where they went on University Challenge

I also love how this thread has veered off! It's one of my favourite threads though!!!

My clav is good thank you I have a piano lesson tomorrow so I'm about to go practice on mine. I haven't really tried any of the techy stuff yet, just using it like a piano at the moment. I might try connecting it up to my PC at some point though.

[dave brum]

Lovely to hear from you dear Sparkley!

Yeah, I think the one where they go on University Challenge with 'Bambi' Gascoigne and Neil's weak bladder! Ooh, alternative toilet humour at it's very best!

Not wishing to sound nasty, but don't talk to me about pianos to computers! An endless enigma (like the ELP song), that's what it is. I do sincerely hope you have better luck with your efforts to connect up your Clav than I have had with mine. Altho, you could let me know if you do have any success and it might enlightan me as to where I'm going wrong.

Enjoy your piano lesson tomorrow, I'm gonna go and practise for mine now once I've been and done what Neil did over that toffeenosed student but in the proper place and before I've got to go and pick Mrs.Wife up from work!

[dave brum]

Anna, while I was playing just now, I've reminded myself of that Little Britain sketch with David Walliams and a grand piano in which midway through a piece, he suddenly realises he's left his bag!

Apparently, Mr.Walliams DOES play the piano in real life.

[joseph]

Its AMAZING what goes through my mind sometimes when I perform - oh have i left the iron on, i wonder if i'll get a nice glass of wine after, ooh look, sexy person in the audience better look smart, oh darn here comes the difficult bit. . . .

[dave brum]

It's Murphy's Law, isn't it, when you're playing and you know the passion is there and that piano is yours and you feel invincible, your mobile phone goes off, and the moment is spoiled, and when you get back to the piano you can't recapture it.

[Moonlight]

Hi Guys!!

Really Joseph? is that what concert pianists think before they perform?
And there I was thinking they had just been doing some kind of Zen Buddhist meditation before hand, to keep the nerves at bay .

Seriosly though how do you cope with nerves etc. If I was good, (which I'm not because only been learing the piano for a grand old total of 6 months; DIY style. ) I would just die with fright!

( Mr Miyagi , from the Karate kid ) Ahhh Daniel san, you need to become one with the piano. You need to become the piano, become the keys, become the music!

wow I do I love to talk crap...

[Moonlight]

Hey Dave, Hey Sparkley

I don't think I have seen that Little Britain sketch It sounds funny.
Did you ever see the episode of My Family were Nick becomes a piano tuner and tunes all the keys to C ? Then his dad goes and presses a note then another and another and they all sound the same!

I think I vaguely remember seeing Vivian smash a piano up ( and I didn't like it! ) See I had feelings for pianos when I was younger, but didn't even know I would want to learn to play one then!

I think its a rather undignified way to go for one. I saw a poor old looking one, looking really sorry for itsself, in the werehouse when I went to buy my Clp 370. Poor thing . Its like buying a sick puppy I guess ,buying a sick piano.

[dave brum]

Good morning Anna Did you sleep well?

I remember seeing Vyvyan too, think it might have been on Top Of The Pops. I was 16 in 1986 and I remember thinking 'what a massive waste'! Of course, it couldn't have been a real piano. Well I hope not anyway. When I started learning the piano, I watched 'Billy Elliott' and there's a scene in that where Billy's dad, a striking miner has to tale an axe to Billy's mom's piano to use it as firewood to keep warm in the winter. That really upset me to watch. I know it's only a film, but like you Anna my piano is like my little baby and I feel quite parental and protective towards it. Most serious pianists do I think!!

Nothing to do with pianos but your Mr Miyagi quote reminded me of one from 'Mike Bassett England Manager' where all the England squad go to that sports science place and the guy who runs it, a very uptight German guy says'in order to play with the ball you must ultimately become the ball'
I met the star of that film, Ricky Tomlinson, when he was opening a bloody Kwik Save in Wrexham!! They'd even got the local schoolkids to shout 'my a*se' at him, wellwellwell, if you said 'a*se' or even 'bloody' when I went to school a visit to the headmistress and a slap on said bodily part was on the cards!

My wife's on lates today, so I think I'll have a go at, bit by bit, that Pachelbel's Canon that I got last week. I would so dearly love to learn to play it as it's such a beautiful relaxing piece of music, isn't it? One of those pieces that starts easy and gets progressively harder as you play. Anna and Sparkley, if either of you can make it to Hereford tonight, we're having chili con carne, home made with red wine, beef stock and no trace of Colman's sauce mix - and you're both invited!!

[sparkley]

Hey Dave and Moonlight

I've seen that My Family episode, its funny

Wow Dave, are you making the chilli yourself? Sounds wonderful! I'm not a very good cook unfortunately. I finished university a year ago now, but I still live on the student diet of baked beans and pasta!! I'm on leave from work this work though, so I've been trying to cook 'proper' stuff! I'm making a casserole tonight, with lots of veggies in so its nice and healthy!

I get affected by nerves when I'm playing. Whenever I've done concerts on my clarinet its always my breathing that gets messed up by my nerves! With the piano, I get nervous when my boyfriend walks into the room whilst I'm practising!! Goodness knows how I'd cope in an exam!

I agree with the phone thing Dave, if my mobile goes off whilst practising it throws me all out!

[dave brum]

Hey Sparkley! How are you today? Good I hope (if not, this is 4u )

Afraid I haven't seen the My family, but I remember an episode of 'Man About The House' where they try to shift an old upright from downstairs to upstairs, come upon an ingenious idea of getting a crane and doing it through the window, crane collapses and oh poo.

When I lived alone in my 20s, I always used to think 'Hey, why should I live on ready meals and beans on toast just 'cos there's only one of me!' so I started to cook pasta bologneses, chicken baltis with home made naans even my own fish and chips with beer batter. Anyway my weight shot up like a rocket and I ended up to be 21 stone, then I discovered wine!

Since I've been married I've been going to Weight Watchers and for a time when I first joined I did go vegetarian for a few months but I'm back on the meat now. As for the wine, we only have a bottle to drink occasionally. We get that stuff that comes in a small bottle for £1.50 from Tescos and we use it as cooking wine, well it's practically undrinkable anyway! I weigh in tomorrow so hopefully the chili won't have a bad effect on my weight.

There you are then Anna, moisturiser, The Young Ones, and now diets and weight. Welcome to the 'UK Idle Gossip Page'