Yeah but you only need one finger per note, it's always in the same place and it's always in tune.

Not sure about the in tune bit.....

I'm not so certain about the keys being in the same place, I'm sure they move on my piano!

On mine too!
As for one finger per note, unfortunately for some pieces I don't have enough fingers and for one piece I am learning I need to use one finger for 3 notes . I haven't mastered that one yet!

They move for me too.... particularly on my teacher'a piano though she usually denies having moved them.

I think these teachers should sort out their teaching equipment. Moving keys, metronomes that speed up during the difficult bits, its shameful

And I'm sure they also switch the pedals as suddenly it never sound right!
And as for the music...have you noticed how sometimes you can't find where you are. I'm convinced they also move it while we're not watching!

Are you sure it doesn't just go out of tune whilst you are playing, and then corrects itself afterwards? Clever things these musical instruments.

SB

Yep, they move the music, and after demonstrating something that sounds beautiful, they press a button on the piano that makes it clunky and unmusical!

my mum is certain my dad drills holes in her clari, fills in other holes and moves the keys around too dad hasn't actually denied this yet......

Do you mean the same key as you use to play the B in the middle of the stave or do you mean the keys at the top of the clari?

The ones at the top that are in a line of 4 going downwards.

Yep, what sbhoa said : and I number them 1 to 4 - 4 being nearest the bottom of the clari.

Thanks both. Will try another day. Too frozen from journey home and don't want to leave my hot water bottle.

Thinking of the fun and games going on in GMF at the moment, here is proof that making music and keeping chickens can indeed go together!

click

So, will Ann Widdecombe finally be removed from Strictly this weekend?

My house plants are needing more water in the winter than they did in the summer I know it must be the central heating making the atmosphere very dry but they're still producing flowers as well. Not that I'm complaining!

Oh I do so hate it when I offend people by accident. It happens so often these days! I just questioned someone's logic, and now, apparently, I hate the person, the NSPCC, children in general... I wasn't aware that I hated any of these things but I'm reliably informed that I do...

Playing my recorders before my flute clearly wasn't quite such a good idea. I did treble first, then descant and for some reason my brain is trying to do treble fingerings on the flute. I used to be able to swap back and forth easily. Maybe it's just because I'm tired.

Some people just like to be offended.

SB

The low relative humidity indoors is caused by the exceptionally low temperatures outside, which literally freeze moisture out of the air. When the air is heated the 'relative' humidity is very low. This is how a dehumidifier works.

You may also notice that you get more electric shocks from static electricity in these very cold conditions, as there is very little moisture to conduct away the static charge. Some people even have problems combing their hair owing to static electricity, but that is not something I have to worry about too much.

SB

Just seen that the professional photos we had taken of our orchestra are now on the web site.

Something to do with facebook, by any chance?

Very good they are too

I reckon that must be it.

On the subject of Facebook, I've noticed we have an ABRSM forum members group

Yep, with over 200 members. Do join

Will do!

Excellent!

Yes - but I wasn't getting at people who decided to change their profile picture, don't worry!

I'm a bit "bah humbug" about all this change your profile picture / post XYZ as your status / forward this chain letter / whatever to indicate support for something. I'd much rather just do something to support something and not necessarily have to tell anyone about it. I happen to be against cruelty to children, and breast cancer, but I'm not changing my profile picture on Facebook or posting the colour of my underwear as my status to indicate support for this.

It's a free country and people can do whatever they want with their facebook pictures or status, anyway. That's just my random thought or comment.

I think we may be on the same wavelength...

I think it's sad when somebody has so little to do that they spend an entire day trying to wind people up on the internet.

welcome to the club.. I tend to accidentally offend people, but I've tried to stop caring when it's in situations like this. When I really have hurt someone I care about accidentally, I'd like to think I still have enough of a clue to care.

I have a horrible sinking feeling that she won't!

I do hope she gets to the final. Maybe that will stop the BBC from having older, apple shape people on there to laugh at.
I want Pam or Matt to win though.

Yesterday walking through town there was a charity selling raffle tickets for a charity, "Angels for something", which is to help injured servicemen (so like Help for Heroes, but with a different name!)
And they were accosting you as you walked past, "Would you like to help injured soldiers returning from Afghanistan?"
How do you say No to that? Well, we just walked past, but they were really turning on the emotional blackmail to make people feel they couldn't decline. The bloke who said 'Thank you!' as we walked past having not dontaed might as well have said "you scum" on the end!
Which is wrong - you don't know what I do or don't do for the charities of my choosing, so don't be judgemental towards me in the street.

Bah humbug to them.

(Having said that, I have changed my FB profile picture, though not posted on the status reason why thingy. Because being a cartoon character is cooooool!! The NSPCC's facebook page confirms that they did not start this cartoon campaign, but they welcome the publicity!)

I've always admired Ann Widdecombe - brilliant politician and personality. I think this kind of thing shows what a great sport she is. Go Ann!

I work near a street which is frequented by chuggers (charity muggers). I really, really, dislike chuggers. Some of them will take a polite "no thanks", which is great. Some of them will not- will then walk backwards in front of you, and be really quite aggressive. One once asked me "Why won't you donate?" so I told him: "Because I am a tight [expletive]". That finally got him to go away.

I don't object to them asking, I just object to them not accepting "no thanks".

I just tell them that I already donate to the charities I care about through Give As You Earn, and that I can't afford to give any more. That usually gets rid of them.

I don't like the way these people operate either...

http://www.walletpop.co.uk/2010/08/28/char...-out-donations/

Indeed. The thing is, nobody should have to give them any sort of justification - "no thanks" should be enough. I prfer to do my charity giving by sponsoring people I know who are running the marathon etc - there's always at least one a year for a cause that i care about, and it helps them reach their sponsorship target.

Aaah, you've hit on it exactly! It's the fact that saying 'no thanks' just isn't accepted by people

My mum recently had the same thing with a power company on the phone; and the last time one knocked on our door and insisted we should switch to his company because it was cheaper, it was almost funny watching my husband trying to get through to the salesman that he really didn't care and was not going to change power supplier to anyone who cold-called, at the door or on the phone!

This reminds me of a telephone call a year or two ago that told me I had won a holiday. I listened, thanked the young lady most profusely, then asked her for her name and full address. She was puzzled by this and asked me why I wanted it. I replied that I was so grateful for her call that I wanted her to have the prize holiday . She very quickly said goodbye

LOL

Gerald 1 Telemarketer 0

You said 'Go Ann', Sol : and she went

My younger daughter had a birthday party this afternoon. She is in a class with a music option and it turns out that all the friends she invited play the piano. Instead of having children randomly bashing the keys as on previous years, they took it in turns to play each other pieces. It was all very civilised

I may have randomly run into my first ever piano teacher on Facebook. Left her a message, but it might not even be her, or she might not remember me... hope she won't be too freaked out if it is. I thought she'd like to know that I'd just picked up piano again, if she does remember me, in a way she was responsible for starting it all.

As much as I am tempted to think this is some lightning bolt of fate.. it isn't really, the community that I grew up in isn't huge and through friends of friends I probably am connected to quite a few people I knew back then.

I'm finally teaching again tomorrow. First time since last Monday!

I'm very pleased to have my normal life back. Today was always going to be a day off, but there is only so much daytime television I can stand