Access to Pianos?

[adodd81802]

AJlongs mentioned that he had paid for "time" at a nice piano, I think for some recordings that he put up in the Audition room.

I have a crabby old digital piano, that does the job, but it's not quite the same. When I was at school I had access to some pretty nice pianos, and hadn't thought of the concept of leaving school how I would practice afterwards.

I'm from the UK and I am wondering are there any public / business's that offer this concept of paying for time to use nice pianos whether to record or just practice? If not I wonder why this hasn't been thought of already, I know you can rent-a-piano, but I imagine it's rare in say a Piano Shop, there are queues of people ready to part with £10k on their whole stock, isn't there money to be made in offering this service?

Do they have this in other countries (so I can investigate further?)

[briansaddleback]

Here in California we don't have this service, you either have to go rent a piano (which can be hefty in price if you keep it long enough), go practice at a music dept at a local jr college (luckily one is near my home and I enrolled as a student to take piano classes and take advantage of the practice rooms), or go test out /play a piano at a piano dealership (which I wouldn't do because I am a tactful person, but I heard some people actually do this, why?)

I dont know about elsewhere in the States (music may be more of a focus to be taught in other states?) but here in California, there is not relatively a great demand to keep that sort of business alive.
There are Guitar Centers and Sam Goody stores where they sell musical instruments (no acoustic pianos though) and you can go and spend a whole afternoon in one of those playing guitars, but that is just it, electric guitar is more popular and in demand for music here in California than piano. And you can't open a charge by hour electric guitar practice service store because they  can simply walk into a Guitar Center. (Tons of teenagers and young adults in those stores and the employees as well)

[movilogo]

Search for "Street/public pianos in London" and you will find some. Allegedly there are 2 in St Pancras station even though I have never seen those!

However, I don't think outside London there is enough demand for this service.

[brogers70]

Churches often have pianos, as well as organs. Some might let you practice no questions asked. Or you might barter services, singing in their choir if you're a good sight singer, playing at some services, volunteering for maintenance jobs (painting, cleaning, etc.).

[adodd81802]

Brogers70, as an athiest, it's something I hadn't even considered, however would have no quarrel volunteering in return for maintenance , I may have a look at that an option thanks.

Singing while I can pitch,... it's not for human ears hense why I make sounds with my hands and not with my mouth lol.

Briansaddle thanks, I recently came back from Poland and found it peculiar that they had the same thing you described random pianos in their shopping centers that you can just go on and play.

It's something we don't have where I live, possibly due it being a relatively new City as far as Cities are concerned and quite expensive. It's something I will be on the look out for regardless though.

[visitor]

in the uk there are is a group of amateur players that organizes events ie piano salon, for performance recitals, etc. they rent out spaces, you can get w/ them or find out the spaces they rent out and contact those venues, i doubt it is cost effective to do it often for practice since you're essentially renting out a recital hall ie at steinway hall or similar.
it may be a bit less expensive to book time w a small recording studio, they usally have nice pianos
ie
https://londonpianosalon.wordpress.com/

[adodd81802]

Thanks for the info.

[briansaddleback]

adodd you just came back from Poland? Can you answer a sincere question of mine I want to know: Do many regular people there know how to play Chopin pieces/piano? Or at least the easier more popular ones?

I know Chopin is a perennial celebrity there in Poland more than any other celebrity (at least what I heard) but was always wondering if an average Joe or Mary on the street if asked, can play a half decent nocturne or prelude if they had a piano right there.

Here in the states, you see one person play the first 5 measures of Fur Elise sloppily and people will wonder if you are a music major.

[adodd81802]

adodd you just came back from Poland? Can you answer a sincere question of mine I want to know: Do many regular people there know how to play Chopin pieces/piano? Or at least the easier more popular ones?

I know Chopin is a perennial celebrity there in Poland more than any other celebrity (at least what I heard) but was always wondering if an average Joe or Mary on the street if asked, can play a half decent nocturne or prelude if they had a piano right there.

Here in the states, you see one person play the first 5 measures of Fur Elise sloppily and people will wonder if you are a music major.

Hi Briansaddleback! Good question but no! What I will say is the culture is very musically centered, in that as I mentioned there are Pianos in their shopping centers that you can play, almost everybody knows who Chopin was, in their capital city Warsaw, their airport is named after Chopin, there are many Chopin concerts and Chopin music in restaurants, Chopin Museum etc, but I think you could apply the same theory to anybody famous of any culture. Should we assume everybody in the US, many people style their hair like Elvis Presley and say "Thank you very much".

He was an Iconic figure representing a whole country and more and that definitely influences people's behavior, but doesn't create millions of Polish wanabe-Chopins!

You also have to remember that Poland only came out of communism 30 years ago, previously controlled by years of suppression and rules that I imagine prevented a lot of culture.

[briansaddleback]

Thanks ! So you're saying even though everyone knows Chopin and are familiar to his tunes and songs, the majority of the people do not /may not know how to play piano per se. Ok that is interesting.


I have an fellow student acquaintance who is from and grew up in Russia, he plays pretty well, he says that all students from a young age have piano as integrally part of their education all the way up to end of high school. Not sure of his credibility but I am not surprised if that is true.  He says many students there can decently play fantasie impromptu or any well -known piece at a moment's notice.

[leemond2008]

I have my lessons in my local library, there are 3 practice rooms each with a piano, it cost £5 for an hour.

I reckon that would be worth a shot.

[panis]

Schott music shop in London has several practice rooms with Boston grands and one with a proper Steinway. Don't remember the prices exactly, but they are reasonable, especially in daytime. The shop is at 48 Great Marlborough St, London W1F 7BB, Phone:020 7534 0710

[adodd81802]

Thanks for the additional responses.

Never expected somewhere like a library to provide this service.

I don't think our main library does. Maybe living in a new and small-ish city there is a lacking culture for older companies and services to have been well established in their prime and still be knocking around now.

We have something like 4 cinemas in our city for example, just so unnecessary.