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Joined: Jan 2003
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My 14 year old daughter is very talented, has an excellent teacher, and is doing well in piano performance (playing Ravel Sonatine, Beethoven Sonatas Op. 2 no. 1 and Op. 10 no. 1); tying for 3rd at state piano competition). Unfortunately she is very sensitive about practicing in private. She has 3 siblings and our piano (W. Hoffmann 6"1" grand) is in the living room, which doesn't afford her much privacy. Public performance doesn't seem to bother her - she plays well in competitions and recitals - but says she cannot practice at home unless she's by herself. Sometimes we take her to her teacher's house just to practice - which she actually prefers, but obviously not too convenient.
Has anyone had a similar experience, either with a child or as an adolescent? Any suggestions?
We have a finished basement, so it is possible we could buy an upright and put it downstairs (I was thinking of that for other reasons as well, so it's not out of the question). If we did that any suggestions on a) what style/type of upright (studio, console, etc) would be best suited primarily for practicing, and b) specific used models that would be affordable and of decent quality?
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Joined: Jul 2005
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I've had this problem myself in the past - I would suggest either purchasing a digital piano or an upright piano with a "mute" middle pedal (as on Yamaha uprights). Unfortunately, I can't recommend any specific models, but I have played on Yamaha uprights in the past and have found them quite reasonable for practice. I would not recommend a digital for all-the-time practice, but with the grand piano available your daughter will always have the option of going to it to hear how she's sounding.
My personal inclination would be to go for the upright, as a digital piano will always have a limited range of colors and pedaling. However, with the availability of a grand upstairs, and with the significantly lower price, a digital would still not be a poor option.
Try asking this question in the piano forum - I'm sure you'll get some great advice on what model upright to purchase. Unfortunately, although I like the Yamaha uprights I've played on, I know too little of the market to make a sound recommendation.
- Silence
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The Yamaha T121, U1, and U3 are all decent models. I actually dislike me family watching me practice aswell (I'm 14 aswell). My piano room is shut away in a corner of the house though... so even when people are home, I still get 90% of my practice done when people aren't listening or watching.
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You can't unveil the masterpiece before it is finished!
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My, I wish I could get a new piano. I live in an apartment, so I need the middle mute pedal, but my piano is ancient and that particular pedal doesn't work well anymore. I'm also very sensitive when I practice.
I wouldn't suggest a digital piano since the feel of the keyboard is usually very different from an acoustic. For beginners, I guess it may not matter, but your daughter seems to be playing pretty advanced stuff, in which case details such as weight of the keys become very important. Uprights are also different from grands, but not significantly.
What about an apartment-size kawai? I'm not a specialist or anything but I heard that kawai brand is cheaper than yamaha while still excellent in sound quality. You should get a used piano (most used pianos are still in top conditions). That way you don't have to spend too much money.
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Some of the more expensive digital pianos do go quite far to simulate the feel and weight of a full sized grand.
I own a Steinway grand as well as a Yamaha Digial Piano (forgot the model). Granted, the digital piano was well over a thousand dollars, but it was quite effective for practicing as you can just plug in headphones if you don't want others to listen to you as you play.
Compared to a cheap old upright, I'd actually take the digital as it gives more variations in dynamics than the upright. Now, if it is one of the cheaper digital pianos then I wouldn't reccommend it.
The clown is watching you.
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Joined: May 2007
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the same goes for me, so I don't blame your daughter.
I grew up practising on an upright in the living room and it always was really noisy especially after my mom had my little bro.
at my present house, in canada. We have a big room at the front of the house, a palour, with big doors and a grand piano inside. That room is not connected to the living room which is great, so whenever I want privacy I shut the doors and practise or sit in there and listen to music.
My teacher said that the highest quality Petrof uprights are great pianos for practise. My parents are looking into getting me one of those when I move back to singapore.
Mastering:Chopin Etudes op.10 nos.8&12 and op.25 no.1, Chopin Scherzo no.4 in E major op.54, Mozart Sonata in B flat major K.333& Khachaturian Toccata
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A pianist requires a quiet environment in order to practice. Practice, especially of the repertoire you're describing, requires intense focus. Having the piano in the middle of the house where there can be a lot of traffic would bother many pianists.
It sounds like she is advanced. Serious musicianship is not a game - it is a highly refined art that is just as technical and draining as advanced mathematics.
Would it be impossible to move the grand into the basement?
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I used to have a Kawai upright and can vouch for their quality. You may want to take a look at them.
I do, however, agree with Reaper that if it is at all possible to move the grand into the basement.
Houston, Texas
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would'nt you like to have your grand in the living room though, because your daughter could play for guests when they come.
Mastering:Chopin Etudes op.10 nos.8&12 and op.25 no.1, Chopin Scherzo no.4 in E major op.54, Mozart Sonata in B flat major K.333& Khachaturian Toccata
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Boy am I sympathetic. I can't play any Beethoven sonatas, but even with the stuff I'm working on (Bach Little Preludes, for example), I want quiet, solo time to practice. It's important. It's essential. There are times when I get lost in a single five note phrase for 20 minutes...I can't be made self-conscious by knowing people are all around hearing....
The digital could be an option, but imo only at the very high end. A player of her level will find the cheaper digitals absolutely horrendous (even I do, and I own several). You need to figure at least $3-4k for a decent digital, and I would let her pick it out, if she is interested in this option.
Putting an upright in the basement may help. But is it really private? More importantly, will she be happy playing an upright? Big question.
The way I solve this is, I go to my music school and use their studios to practice. The unspoken rule is you never interrupt a student practicing in a studio, and you never comment on what you heard. So I get total privacy, or at least the illusion of it. Is there a school nearby where you could make such arrangements?
One way or another, imo you should accomodate her concern. If it were my daughter, I'd rent a space somewhere and put a piano in it and take her there every day, if necessary. I'm quite serious.
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Hmmm.... I may be the only dissenting opinion. When I was expecting my first baby, the best advice I ever got was, "whatever you do, DON'T get in the habit of putting your baby to sleep in total darkness or quiet, because you will create a baby who needs total darkness and quiet to sleep. And believe me, you don't want that!" If your daughter tells herself that she MUST have total privacy to practice, and if you go out of your way to make arrangements so that is the case (e.g., driving her to a practice room when she has a perfectly good grand sitting right there in her living room), you may get her psychologically convinced that she can *only* practice in complete solitude and privacy. I'm not sure you want that outcome. Of course, it's perfectly fine that she might prefer privacy; I'm merely cautioning against making privacy a *necessary* precondition. For that reason, I don't see any harm in getting an upright for your basement, especially if you were leaning that way to begin with. Your daughter can then decide whether privacy + upright is preferable to no privacy + grand. I know which one I would choose.
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i'm with Monica totally.
If she is serious about piano, focusing on practice strongly enough to shut out 'goings on' is a real talent that can be developed.
it's actually a godsend once the clamor of life gets going.
I've developed a snobby yet cheerful focus that refuses to respond to familial distraction. Of course, one must make a few compromises occasionally, like playing a measure repeatedly while conversing.... or mindlessly running scales if a little more attention is required.
it's fun as well as a very elitist, rewarding state of mind.
there are many piano options out there.
accompanist/organist.. a non-MTNA teacher to a few
love and peace, Õun (apple in Estonian)
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I have to agree with those who suggest a little bit of "tough love" here. I think it's a little dangerous to let a child believe that nobody should ever hear her play unless it's perfect. I had similar feelings when I was really young. But our situation was such that I couldn't hide. My parents and siblings didn't care. We only had a little console piano, but the house wasn't more than 1800 square feet. My younger brother now swears that he absorbed more decent music asleep than he ever did awake. The only rule, imposed by my father, was no Bartok before 7 in the morning. Allegro Barbaro did him in. I'm no longer shy about family members hearing me play, but my wife just suggested that I quit because she couldn't hear the television. I mean not 5 minutes ago. She doesn't do that often, but when she does, I'm generally inclined to say OK. Domestic tranquility must triumph over my art (such as it is).
My grand is in our living room, and while we built the room with soundproofing in the walls and doors that close, the sound still fills the house. I do have an Alesis QS8 weighted key synthesizer; I suppose if I were practicing something for an upcoming performance I would move to the digital world to keep plugging away. But, frankly, one of my favorite things about playing the piano is the sound of the piano, and I still haven't heard a digital piano that lets me make the sounds I can get out of my Steinway.
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Do anything you can do to get her a private practice space. When I was still living with my family, my parents OK'd moving our upright into my bedroom. Not only was it great for practicing, all of my friends thought my room was really cool.
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I'm 14, and I used to be the same way, but recently, I've learned to just sit down and tune everything else out, so people nearby doesn't bother me unless they're watching.
Practice makes permanent - Perfect practice makes perfect.
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well,
i do admit, there is nothing quite like practicing in private. it's very neat that you would provide that for her.
I really like Charles Walters - they've an excellent touch and dynamic range.
accompanist/organist.. a non-MTNA teacher to a few
love and peace, Õun (apple in Estonian)
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I might add that I do most of my practicing(and enjoy it a lot more) when I'm alone.
Practice makes permanent - Perfect practice makes perfect.
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Its difficult to offer suggestions if one does not understand the problem.
Have you sat down to have a serious conversation about why she 'can't' practice with people around. The fact is, she can. She simply chooses not to. Why? I think understanding this might be a good first step. Maybe she has some type of phobia that might be in her best interests to overcome. Maybe she thinks she's infringing upon other family members' peace and quiet. Could be anything, but without first gaining a full understanding of the root of the problem, its difficult to help her.
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She may just need privacy and feel exposed in the living room. Some young pianists fall apart if there is a listener and get off balance. This could be an anxiety problem. It may be one of the few places in her world where she gets to be alone and very much wants to be alone. As an emotional support and a private path.
Maybe she doesn't know you've noticed and are concerned about it. Maybe she doesn't think it's a problem. It may be temporary.
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
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