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Post by largissimo on May 9, 2024 12:35:16 GMT
turns out I /have/ learned a thing or two over the years. That's nice to find that. Congrats on the piano! Are you pleased with it? Very! I'm having trouble staying off it long enough to do anything else. The technology has certainly progressed. I held on to the old one for so long because it handled and sounded better than most others I'd tried, but this one behaves so much more like a "real" piano. Right now I'm trying to record a few of my very early pieces on it. |
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Post by corenfa on May 10, 2024 17:08:22 GMT
The incongruous mental image just makes me crack up every time because I cannot unsee him from how I used to know him as a conductor- distinguished looking chap in a tail coat, speaks 7 languages and has a doctorate in the Rite Of Spring... who can't stop saying "bugger"  Yes, the incongruous is often a source of mirth! How is it all going? He is off in the middle of nowhere at the moment so no pieces for a bit.. Am slowly transcribing the last one I received, which consists of various motifs repeated which he has notated with symbols denoting each one. This is just for brevity but I have to decipher them now. He still has one busted hand so I can't blame him really, though it is un-busted enough to be able to conduct with, at least. On the other hand (pun intended) he now knows 7 variants of "bugger". |
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Post by Zi on May 11, 2024 8:33:03 GMT
Very! I'm having trouble staying off it long enough to do anything else. The technology has certainly progressed. I held on to the old one for so long because it handled and sounded better than most others I'd tried, but this one behaves so much more like a "real" piano. Right now I'm trying to record a few of my very early pieces on it. Great! it's always nice to hear when someone is pleased and that a purchase has made a difference - it sounds like it has added an extra glow to your enthusiasm. How did you make the choice? And what have you done with the 'old' one? He still has one busted hand so I can't blame him really, though it is un-busted enough to be able to conduct with, at least. That must be absolutely horrific for a musician. I damaged my left hand very badly during lockdown. It took months to heal. Coincidentally, I was at the doctor's surgery a couple of days later and they thought it should be x-rayed. However, I thought the NHS had enough to deal with and I didn't think it was broken. I couldn't move it properly for several days and then holding anything was impossible. It took a year to feel at all normal with it but I'm fairly ambidextrous (if you can be fairly at it) so I coped. For a musician, a year of it not working properly would have been absolutely awful. I can understand if they stay away from gardening tools! And anything really. It sounds like he is enjoying this exchange with you! |
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Post by corenfa on May 11, 2024 10:38:04 GMT
Yes, it affected him a lot mentally. It has taken six months of intensive therapy to get to the current state of partial functionality and according to the doctor, prognosis is good. But still months to get back to full function - if at all. He said as long as he has enough function to compose, that is enough.
I have been trying to provide company from a distance. I will see him in a couple of weeks, which will be welcome.
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Post by Zi on May 11, 2024 12:37:45 GMT
Yes, it affected him a lot mentally. It has taken six months of intensive therapy to get to the current state of partial functionality and according to the doctor, prognosis is good. But still months to get back to full function - if at all. He said as long as he has enough function to compose, that is enough. I have been trying to provide company from a distance. I will see him in a couple of weeks, which will be welcome. He sounds like a glass half full person which is always a better place to be in. It'll be nice for you to do the face-to-face thing! |
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Post by largissimo on May 13, 2024 13:58:01 GMT
^The old piano is on top of the wardrobe. It may yet be fixable - be nice if it is, as it does a good harpsichord impression. Piano-choosing: When it wasn't urgent, I was paralysed by all the possible choices. When it /was/ urgent, I zeroed in on one model very quickly. I like the sound and action of Yamaha and Kawai pianos, and there was a Kawai model within my price range that I liked better than the equivalent Yamaha model.
I still haven't worked out how to actually compose at this one. The old one was deep enough that i could lay the music-rest down flat on it as a writing desk. This one isn't.
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Post by Zi on May 13, 2024 15:06:25 GMT
When it /was/ urgent, I zeroed in on one model very quickly. It's interesting how that can be the case. I'm really glad that you're pleased with the purchase! |
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Post by corenfa on May 13, 2024 21:31:37 GMT
Had some good news from composer friend which is that some of his left hand fingers are apparently usable if very badly. That is the best news I had all year.
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Post by Zi on May 14, 2024 8:05:28 GMT
Had some good news from composer friend which is that some of his left hand fingers are apparently usable if very badly. That is the best news I had all year. That is good news indeed. Sometimes healing can take a time and it needs some patience. Have to admit, the patience things isn't one of **my** strong points. Some people are very good at it though... I bet you're pleased! |
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Post by corenfa on May 14, 2024 12:28:52 GMT
Had some good news from composer friend which is that some of his left hand fingers are apparently usable if very badly. That is the best news I had all year. That is good news indeed. Sometimes healing can take a time and it needs some patience. Have to admit, the patience things isn't one of **my** strong points. Some people are very good at it though... I bet you're pleased! I am certainly pleased but not as pleased as he is!!! I believe the nerve was completely severed so it is quite miraculous that things are growing back as well as they seem to be. |
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Post by Zi on May 14, 2024 15:10:42 GMT
I am certainly pleased but not as pleased as he is!!! A severed nerve is awful. The poor, poor man. What a ghastly thing to happen. I can imagine just how delighted he must be because the prognosis was likely very bleak. I shall cross fingers and toes and wish him well. |
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Post by corenfa on May 19, 2024 15:35:19 GMT
Well, I just attempted to play the 2 pieces I have, to an audience. I don't feel I played well but I will try again later in the year.
However composer did send me a video showing his left hand playing the piano. Slowly and badly, he says, but given that there was nothing at all a few weeks ago, that is quite something.
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Post by Zi on May 19, 2024 18:19:50 GMT
However composer did send me a video showing his left hand playing the piano That's good news indeed. I hope he knows how to be a patient patient! I don't feel I played well but I will try again later in the year. The problem is that you know every fudge, every mistake and the bits you know how you wanted to sound but they didn't. The audience doesn't have those expectations and especially of a piece they don't know. It's really easy to be hard on yourself! But it's good that you're looking forward to another performance. Did they like it? |
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Post by corenfa on May 20, 2024 14:47:20 GMT
However composer did send me a video showing his left hand playing the piano That's good news indeed. I hope he knows how to be a patient patient! I don't feel I played well but I will try again later in the year. The problem is that you know every fudge, every mistake and the bits you know how you wanted to sound but they didn't. The audience doesn't have those expectations and especially of a piece they don't know. It's really easy to be hard on yourself! But it's good that you're looking forward to another performance. Did they like it? Actually he is a very impatient patient but I can't blame him... I would be too if I lost the use of one hand. Unfortunately what happened went way beyond a few wrong notes. I had to stop and resume. There is no hiding that. |
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Post by Zi on May 20, 2024 18:56:55 GMT
corenfa - I'm not at all a patient patient either. Sometimes that can be a strength because it means I have to get better soon... but some things really just need time... It's a tricky one. Mine took several months to heal and at first I couldn't use it at all but after about a year it was back to normal. The most difficult part was rebuilding strength in it gradually... I damaged my right hand several years before and that never really returned to its former state. It's still iffy! I've learned to live with it. Re errors. Stuff happens!
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Yes, the incongruous is often a source of mirth!