Buying an old piano and starting to play

[loetsj]

Recently, I decided to buy an old piano. I would like to ask some questions.

The piano

1) What should I really pay attention to if I buy an old, acoustic piano?
2) How much does a piano weigh? I've included a picture of one of the piano's I found which still looks good and only needs to be tuned. (As far as I'm aware)
3) Would it be possible to transport this piano in the picture just with two or three people? Would it be possible to lift it into a window? (By say, three men)

The piano playing

1) Is it possible to learn to play piano without the help of a teacher? I have some friends who play the piano. They are willing to help me to get the right posture and technique. I'm not aiming to be able to play Skrjiabin or Chopin in five months time. If I 'm able to play some of their easier pieces within 7-8 years I would be extremely happy.
2) What are the things you really have to learn to play the piano well? If you play guitar, there are a lot of things you have to learn to get started. Hand position, etc but also a lot of techniques: hammer-on's, pull-off's, arpeggio's, tons of strumming techniques, tremelo. Learning all of this well is a lifelong bussiness. But what do you have to learn to play the piano? Are there certain techniques one should be able to use or do you 'just have to press the keys'. I know that guitar is a lot harder to play than it looks when you've never played it and I guess this counts for every instrument. What are the aspects of playing the piano that make it difficult?
3) Are there any good books that you would recommend?

best wishes

Bart

[larapool]

I will try to answer the questions regarding weight...

2) How much does a piano weigh? I've included a picture of one of the piano's I found which still looks good and only needs to be tuned. (As far as I'm aware)

Modern pianos weigh hundreds and hundreds of pounds.  They are extremely heavy and take a lot of effort to move, and if the piano has legs (mine has the cabinet, and then two decorative legs out in the front) you must be extremely careful not to roll them with the piano because they may break.  Like I said, they are decorative...

3) Would it be possible to transport this piano in the picture just with two or three people? Would it be possible to lift it into a window? (By say, three men)

Two marines moved my piano, though it took all of their strength, so it is possible.  Three or four full-grown, strong men should be able to move that with no problem, though two certainly is doable.  We (they) used special piano dollies to roll it to and from the truck, then carried it through the house.  Lifting a piano off the ground is tough enough, but into a window?  The only way I can imagine doing that (if your window is even big enough) is by using a crane, which would... probably cost a lot of money, I'm not sure.  It takes enough strength just to lift it off the ground, though, I can't imagine putting it through a window without a crane or some elevation device.

[timothy42b]

The picture is dark on top, but that looks to be a big upright, might weigh 800 pounds (360 kilos).  (yes I know kilos are mass not weight but close enough) 

I've moved one like that, with six friends, and we were using foul language halfway through.  I'd recommend getting a pro to do it.  You might also want to check that your floor will hold it. 

Really, you'd be better off with a digital for your first piano.  Just be sure to get 88 weighted keys. 

[iansinclair]

As Timothy said, the picture is kind of dark on top.  But it does look like a decent sized upright from what I can see.  800 pounds might be a bit high, but perhaps not.  With a dolly and some strength, three folks can move such a critter without too much trouble, but they do need to be careful; for one thing -- not always appreciated -- uprights can topple pretty easily, and that makes a nasty crash.  Four strong folks can move a piano up a straight stairs, again with a dolly and a ramp for it -- and a rope and something at the top to anchor to.  I've done it.

You CANNOT lift a piano in through a window by hand labour (well, never say never: if you had four very strong folks perhaps... but I wouldn't want to try it).  You will need a crane (two cranes are much better) at the very least, and some interesting scaffolding and a ramp over the sill and on the inside.

On the playing, yes it is possible to learn without a teacher, although it isn't quite as easy as it looks.  Watching videos (there are a number of good ones on this web site) will help get a feel for the actions involved.  There are also any number of books which, if you read music, will help you a great deal.  Playing "really well" is kind of an elusive goal; there are some pianists in the jazz and folk or country music fields, for example, who play very well indeed and are completely self taught (and, I might add, highly unconventional in their approaches...).  However, presuming that you mean more of less classical piano, it would be -- in my opinion -- rather difficult; worse, it is all too easy to pick up technical errors which seem fine at a relatively low level of playing, but which will trip you up badly if you progress further.

[loetsj]

Thanks for the replies!

I forgot to mention: my room is on ground level. The window is only a meter above the ground.