The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
Today (Saturday, October 11) and tomorrow (Sunday, October 12) The Guardian and The Observer newspapers respectively are including beginners' guides to playing piano and keyboards, Part 1 on Saturday and Part 2 on Sunday.
I bought Part 1 with The Guardian today, and it looks unintimidating and sparkily presented with commentary by various time-served musos. I think it's actually going to get me playing the piano I've lived with most of my life and never learnt to play, in the way that at least one tutor geared to six-year-olds failed to do. Not that it will turn me into Charlie Lennon, or even John Lennon.
If anyone out there in the circulation area of these UK papers has access to a piano or keyboard but has so far been very intimidated by it, as I have been, these guides *may* be helpful.
For ear bandits, I believe these guides can be had aurally off some branch of The Guardian website but I can't at the moment find chapter and verse. How you set up a computer on / near the keyboard is a problem that is no business of mine.
I'm still worried thinking about nicholas with his 88 keys and amp taking a whole table to himself at his local sessions... Didn't there used to be some archaic law in the north about chopping off fingers or hands, something to do with keyboardists and other thumpers? We all now know nicholas reads the Guardian and Observer ~ WHOOOOOOO!!! Do you also wear a cravat and spats? ~ or socks with your sandals?
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
If that happened to me, ceol, I'd certainly be up the creek without a paddle, as I have no extended family here.
But if you tried it on some other player here, his kinsfolk would all know instinctively. Out of housing estates, castles, remote gamekeepers' cottages and branches of Northern Rock they would all pour and speed like the wind in the direction of your whereabouts, bent on your demise.
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I still have the two-part 'Guardian/Observer' guide to playing the guitar, published back in May - very well compiled and lots of useful tips. If anyone would like them, please send me a PM.
And, GP, is Keith Flett still selling 'Socialist Worker' on Crouch End Broadway?
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I'm a Grauniad man meself. I bloody hate the Observer because it reminds me of all those stultifying Sundays of my Catholic, do-nowt-but-fester-on-Sundays youth. Apart from that it's crap. But I'll probably yield to the blackmail of having to buy it in order to get part two of the guide. Doubt that I'll ever touch a keyboard in my life though. Buying tomorrow's Observer at nearly two quid could well be the last act of my pre-credit crunch existence.
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
When the local Irish sessions started here in 1995, the other musicians asked me to bring my electronic keyboard and play it as a piano to help fill out the sound and contribute to the general cacophony. I have participating in the local sessions as their piano player more-or-less irregularly since then.
In order to avoid taking up a whole table (or any table at all) at the local sessions, I bring a folding stand for the keyboard.
I don't wear a cravat or spats or sandals nor do I read The Guardian or The Observer. What are The Guardian and The Observer? Magazines? Newspapers?
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
They are newspapers under the same ownership - or at any rate, share a website and are closely linked. The Guardian is the UK's leading Left(ish) Monday to Saturday daily newspaper while the Observer comes out on Sundays. The Observer and the Saturday issue of The Guardian are stuffed with regular supplements / magazines and also one-off publications such as these music guides, in the manner of UK weekend papers generally.
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
Thank you for the explanation Nicholas. I have heard of The Guardian and The Observer but this is the first anyone has taken the time and the trouble to tell me what they actually are.
They sound somewhat like the New York Times in this country.
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
The local newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is mostly on the right-hand side (Rightish) of the political aisle. However, they do have some tame liberals who occasionally and irregularly are allowed to publish articles in the newspaper.
Ever since the local Irish sessions started in 1995, the Democrat-Gazette has been cooperative about printing information and announcements on the sessions in their regular Friday supplement.
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
The Democrat-Gazette does get some liberal competition from a weekly newsmagazine called the Arkansas Times and a biweekly newsmagazine called the Little Rock Free Press. Then there is a music magazine called Nightflying which covers music in Arkansas and is published irregularly by an aging hippie.
Nightflying and the Free Press have been as cooperative and helpful as the Democrat-Gazette when it comes to publicizing the local sessions but the Arkansas Times seems to have this attitude of, "Irish Sessions? What Irish Sessions? There is no such thing."
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I wouldn't exactly call The Guardian leftish. Anyway, I didn't have to buy The Observer today after all. My mum bought it and is saving me the part two thingie. Yay.
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
Welcome to the club, toumi. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only piano player who participates regularly in the discussions on this web site.
I haven't tried to start any discussions about the proper and/or improper role of the piano in this type of music because I noticed that subject seems to have already been discussed enough in the past.
The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
Today (Saturday, October 11) and tomorrow (Sunday, October 12) The Guardian and The Observer newspapers respectively are including beginners' guides to playing piano and keyboards, Part 1 on Saturday and Part 2 on Sunday.
I bought Part 1 with The Guardian today, and it looks unintimidating and sparkily presented with commentary by various time-served musos. I think it's actually going to get me playing the piano I've lived with most of my life and never learnt to play, in the way that at least one tutor geared to six-year-olds failed to do. Not that it will turn me into Charlie Lennon, or even John Lennon.
If anyone out there in the circulation area of these UK papers has access to a piano or keyboard but has so far been very intimidated by it, as I have been, these guides *may* be helpful.
For ear bandits, I believe these guides can be had aurally off some branch of The Guardian website but I can't at the moment find chapter and verse. How you set up a computer on / near the keyboard is a problem that is no business of mine.
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by nicholas
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I'm going to broadcast your address nicholas. Lock your doors and board up the windows...
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by ceolachan
*** Spoiler Alert ! Non-ITM content ! *** Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
....if anyone didn't realise......
Actually, does anyone still play piano at a session these days ?
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: The Guardian & Observer guide to session wear
I'm still worried thinking about nicholas with his 88 keys and amp taking a whole table to himself at his local sessions... Didn't there used to be some archaic law in the north about chopping off fingers or hands, something to do with keyboardists and other thumpers? We all now know nicholas reads the Guardian and Observer ~ WHOOOOOOO!!! Do you also wear a cravat and spats? ~ or socks with your sandals?
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
"Didn't there used to be some archaic law in the north about chopping off fingers or hands...?"
Wrong, ceol.
There were no laws in the north.
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by nicholas
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I read the Grauniad too.
And even write letters to it.
My name is not Keith Flett.
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
So, if someone wanted to chop off a keyboardist or thumper's finger or two, or a hand ~ no problem? Sounds reasonable to me...
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
If that happened to me, ceol, I'd certainly be up the creek without a paddle, as I have no extended family here.
But if you tried it on some other player here, his kinsfolk would all know instinctively. Out of housing estates, castles, remote gamekeepers' cottages and branches of Northern Rock they would all pour and speed like the wind in the direction of your whereabouts, bent on your demise.
No law does not mean no repercussions.
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by nicholas
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I still have the two-part 'Guardian/Observer' guide to playing the guitar, published back in May - very well compiled and lots of useful tips. If anyone would like them, please send me a PM.
And, GP, is Keith Flett still selling 'Socialist Worker' on Crouch End Broadway?
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by MacCruiskeen
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I'm sure someone has to.
An incoming Tory government might pay him to do it as part of the heritage / tourist industry.
# Posted on October 11th 2008 by nicholas
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I'm a Grauniad man meself. I bloody hate the Observer because it reminds me of all those stultifying Sundays of my Catholic, do-nowt-but-fester-on-Sundays youth. Apart from that it's crap. But I'll probably yield to the blackmail of having to buy it in order to get part two of the guide. Doubt that I'll ever touch a keyboard in my life though. Buying tomorrow's Observer at nearly two quid could well be the last act of my pre-credit crunch existence.
# Posted on October 12th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
When the local Irish sessions started here in 1995, the other musicians asked me to bring my electronic keyboard and play it as a piano to help fill out the sound and contribute to the general cacophony. I have participating in the local sessions as their piano player more-or-less irregularly since then.
In order to avoid taking up a whole table (or any table at all) at the local sessions, I bring a folding stand for the keyboard.
I don't wear a cravat or spats or sandals nor do I read The Guardian or The Observer. What are The Guardian and The Observer? Magazines? Newspapers?
# Posted on October 12th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
They are newspapers under the same ownership - or at any rate, share a website and are closely linked. The Guardian is the UK's leading Left(ish) Monday to Saturday daily newspaper while the Observer comes out on Sundays. The Observer and the Saturday issue of The Guardian are stuffed with regular supplements / magazines and also one-off publications such as these music guides, in the manner of UK weekend papers generally.
# Posted on October 12th 2008 by nicholas
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
Thank you for the explanation Nicholas. I have heard of The Guardian and The Observer but this is the first anyone has taken the time and the trouble to tell me what they actually are.
They sound somewhat like the New York Times in this country.
# Posted on October 12th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
The local newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is mostly on the right-hand side (Rightish) of the political aisle. However, they do have some tame liberals who occasionally and irregularly are allowed to publish articles in the newspaper.
Ever since the local Irish sessions started in 1995, the Democrat-Gazette has been cooperative about printing information and announcements on the sessions in their regular Friday supplement.
# Posted on October 12th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
The Democrat-Gazette does get some liberal competition from a weekly newsmagazine called the Arkansas Times and a biweekly newsmagazine called the Little Rock Free Press. Then there is a music magazine called Nightflying which covers music in Arkansas and is published irregularly by an aging hippie.
Nightflying and the Free Press have been as cooperative and helpful as the Democrat-Gazette when it comes to publicizing the local sessions but the Arkansas Times seems to have this attitude of, "Irish Sessions? What Irish Sessions? There is no such thing."
# Posted on October 12th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
The guide has lines on the page and wee squiggly things on it.
Not much use to the likes of me.
# Posted on October 12th 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
I wouldn't exactly call The Guardian leftish. Anyway, I didn't have to buy The Observer today after all. My mum bought it and is saving me the part two thingie. Yay.
# Posted on October 12th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
It's more liberal than leftish these days ( both with a small l ). Is there anything leftish left apart from the Socialist Worker ?
# Posted on October 13th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
"Actually, does anyone still play piano at a session these days ?"
Yes, and it has been great fun.
# Posted on October 13th 2008 by toumi
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
Welcome to the club, toumi. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only piano player who participates regularly in the discussions on this web site.
I haven't tried to start any discussions about the proper and/or improper role of the piano in this type of music because I noticed that subject seems to have already been discussed enough in the past.
# Posted on October 13th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: The Guardian & Observer guides to piano and keyboard
The whole thing is now available online (if it wasn't before): http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/series/piano-keyboard-guide
# Posted on October 13th 2009 by Gogsy