I'm INCREDIBLY excited. I'm getting a used Yamaha C7 delivered to my house next week!!
After a year of being incredibly frustrated with my upright at home, knowing that if I practiced at home to much that I would play poorly for my teacher at my lesson, I finally had a conversation with my parents where we decided to start grand piano shopping.

Crazy enough, the first store we went to had a BEAUTIFUL Yamaha C7 that felt and sounded perfect. I played that for half an hour or so that day, got a quote and all the details on it, and continued shopping. Since both my mom and I are on winter break [I'm a student, mom's a teacher] we had plenty of time to go around all of San Diego shopping for pianos this week. We visited all the major retailers and used shops and I even popped into a few private residences off of Craigslist posts - none of these other pianos felt or sounded like the C7 and a lot of them were the same price or more! I'm positive I played 50+ pianos in the last week.

So, today I got my piano tech down to the store that had the C7 and he gave it a thorough looking over and found no real faults with the piano, so we went forward with a purchase! Essentially everything on the piano was in incredible condition, although I was recommended to get the piano regulated sometime soon so that it would play in it's top condition, but the action wasn't in anything that could be considered bad condition. The hammers also looked almost new, which is great. Basically, he said it's a 25 year old instrument but it looked like it had barely been played since it was bought, and the asking price was more than right for the quality it was in [in fact, is was several thousands cheaper than it should have been for the quality it's in!]

I just thought I should share with you all here as I am SO incredibly excited. I've been waiting for the day I could have a real instrument in my home for a long, long time. I'll post pictures here next week once it's situated in it's new home. [And once I have a decent way to record, some audio files!] .

Congrats! -- should be great.
And you really did this right, all the way around.

P.S. Just looked up the model to see exactly what it is, since I didn't know -- and gadzooks, it's a 7'6!

YAY!

Well done bud! Congratulations on your purchase and even more for your mom's support! It's brilliant news right there!

Can we hope for some pics of the new piano then? Perhaps a poorly made video of yourself playing the new instrument? Just for us... you know... privately... and all that...

Happy new year then! Very happy new year!

This is the kind of wonderful news - with wonderful parental support to sustain your passion - that we enjoy reading about.

Enjoy!

Regards,

Congratulations!

Yes I'm very excited and yes I'll be posting pictures and a poorly made video once it's here and situated!! Thanks for sharing the excitement with me! I do feel like although the process went quick we did do our job in trying to go about things as well as possible!
Also yes it's a 7'6"! Originally we were shooting for something around 6 feet, but my parents and I decided to move some people around in rooms and make room! We're moving my brother and I'm taking the bigger room and we'll soundproof it so I can practice anytime, hehe. My dads normally in bed really early so I can't normally practice after 8:30 or 9...and I'm not usually home till 8 or 9...

But I'm so stoked on this purchase! I didn't think I'd own a piano this nice this early in my career, . Also I'm going to be paying my parents back for the piano so it will be my piano entirely not my parents, .

I love the C7, good luck with it!

A great piano, enjoy!

I'll pass on one piece of advice. When I bought my C3 many years ago I made the mistake of polishing it with some kind of piano cream\polish. If I were to buy a grand piano today I'd just use a lightly damp cloth to keep it looking nice.

(Should that be ... lightly damped cloth ... ?)

Congratulations TrueMusic!
Can't wait to see the pictures.

When a family settles for a 7'2" Grand ... consideration obviously falls on finding adequate space in the home ... interesting to see that brother (presumably younger) got moved to accommodate the monster ... and all because of feeling the inadequacy of an upright practice piano ... not to mention all that sound-proofing to the Grand room (if achievable) ... so as not to bug the unfortunate parents and others.

However, the purchasing acumen was decidedly scruffy ... fresh-looking hammer-heads is hardly the salient correct criterion ... a specialist should be used to avoid a bum buy.

Moreover, a quality upright not only avoids all the commotion of room-moving and sound-proofing ... but provides an optimum instrument for dutifully sharpening up one’s homework.

I wouldn’t swop my reconditioned Grotrian Steinweg (German original) for a bucketful of Spanish doubloons (will consider though half a bucket).

There is the niff of a spoiled brat ... sorry about that.

However, let it be said that the works being studied show the startings of a new-boy at the keyboard ... nothing wrong ... but dull stuff.
Chopin Opus 25 no. 1, Opus 10 no. 4
Beethoven Opus 27 no. 1
Rachmaninoff Opus 32 no. 10 & 12
Bach WTC book 1. no.6 in Dm.

The Etudes are merely Studies with passages for use in later works ... Beethoven Opus 27/1 misses out on the wonder of the Moonlight at 27/2.
Ye Olde Rackers makes a meal of 32/10&12)
While the Bach WTC 1/6 is no great shakes ... my reference book says of the work ...

Bach’s D minor Prelude 6 (WTC Book I)

“There is a powerful rhythm falling on the LH 8th-notes ... which (perhaps unusually) chimes with the melodic line RH less prominent “inner” notes .
m1 ... F, F, Bb, G, E, E ... Bach’s approach is consistent throughout Prelude 6.

I’ve just played through the first page of this infectious piece ... and am aghast at my usually reliable Reference book (The Literature of the Piano by Ernest Hutcheson) describing the work as “A simple, unpretentious piece, not highly important!” ... to check on the overall beauty of Prelude 6, I’m listening to the inimitable Hungarian concert pianist Jeno Jando work his magic ... but will never come close to matching his racy Allegro moderato ...
even for just the first two measures. “

Haha...btb I'm not sure what to make of your post entirely, but the moving situation is my older brother who offered his room and is leaving for a year out of the country quite soon. And no matter what something would have to be done about sound since I can't practice my upright if anyone's asleep either. .

And didn't I mention that I had a tech give the piano a thorough looking? A tech who's been in the business for over 50 years? I'm think that can count as a specialist. And didn't I say more than just nice hammers? That it has new bass strings, great action, a perfect soundboard, and basically everything else was in great condition?

And as far as works being studied....dull? Can't we just agree that I'm playing music I found interesting? None of it was assigned. Both chopin Etudes are wonderful in my opinion, but of course your correct in saying they are studies in touch, phrasing, and passage work for later, larger romantic works, and the Bm Rach 32 no 10 has recently become one of my favorite small form pieces. As far as the beethoven...I chose it over playing the pastoral, the tempest, or opus 31 no 3, which were the three my teacher and I spoke about doing. I had no desire to play the moonlight. The only movement i really enjoy is the third. The first is simply overplayed and cliche, although it is gorgeous, and the second movement bores me. And the Bach is a prelude and fugue I simply love! The prelude is simple but gorgeous and the fugue is lovely in my opinion with plenty of spots to work at a deeper level on my voicing and phrasing. I'm in love with my current projects and see no reason someone should call them dull, even if you yourself don't want to play them.

I don't feel the need to defend myself as spoiled or as a new-boy at the keyboard, neither of which are true at all. I may be a little newer to classical than other styles, but I've been playing for quite a while. And although I do indeed come from a more privileged family, my family and I have done much more to give away than to take for ourselves - this is one of the few times we've done something like this and it's in support of what I've decided is my future career, so having a high quality instrument is a must. Even a nice upright simply could not do the job with where I'm at right now.

truemusic: btb is notorious at his grumpy posts, so just never mind him and everything will be fine! Think of your lovely new piano and nothing else should matter right now!

Sounds like you're ahead of most of us.


Yes, you did.

And that was exactly what to do.

Alright good to know! I guess I just hadn't noticed it before now but that post just seemed unnecessarily grumpy and offensive for someone who doesn't know me and hasn't heard me play.

He's a creative sort, and does creative posts.

Its a great feeling. Practice many happy learnful hours and know your piano is always there for you. Always practice seriously.

Its a great feeling. Practice many happy learnful hours and know your piano is always there for you. Always practice seriously.

Your Yamaha sounds incredible and congratulations! Frankly, I'm pea-green with envy!!!!

I bought a C7 about two years ago. I play it every day and still am thrilled with the sound it produces and the nuanced performance it makes possible. I am sure that there are better pianos, but I was never privileged to play a better one.

Congrats TrueMusic! I'm also the color of green.

LOL @ btb - who pee'd in your Cornflakes this morning??

nice
so lucky

Congratulations, True Music. I've played some really fine C7s.

And don't mind btb - it's just his way of being pleasant, helpful and encouraging...

Dude, post pics PLEASE!!!

+1 on the pics. Can't wait to see them!

I wish I could have a grand piano all to myself, you are one lucky SOB.

Congratulations! Getting a new piano is really exciting. Hope you enjoy it.

Sorry guys, I disappeared form the forum and forgot to post pictures! This semester has been insanely busy and this place isn't my first priority, ha.

The piano is WONDERFUL and has certainly helped transform my ability to consistently shape my phrases well and i never feel like I learn something at home and couldn't then play it on a grand piano at school. It's been wonderful. Also, because of the new location of the piano, I can practice at any time of day whether my parents are asleep or not, and that has upped my practice time a whole lot. It's been wonderful!

Once I finish my homework for the evening, I'll go take a couple photos and put them up here!

Could you get some neat close-ups of the keys and the inside?

Good luck with the soundproofing. When we built our house we had soundproofing installed in the walls and ceiling of our living room. Well. My Steinway L sounds really good in the living room, but nobody can really watch television out in the family room even if I close all the doors. And there is no way my daughter in the bedroom upstairs could sleep through my playing (she's off at college now). We made accomodations.

A C7 is a fine instrument. You're a very fortunate young man. Keep practicing.

Still no pics...

Too busy enjoying the piano?

I think it's OK not to be that interested in posting a pic of the piano. I mean, I've never posted pics of mine, except by accident.