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 Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,953
6000 Post Club Member
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6000 Post Club Member
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Posts: 6,953 |
In the Student Activities Center on campus, the piano is there and it is more or less encouraged for people to tinker around on it, so I enjoy playing it from time to time.
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 222
Full Member
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Full Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 222 |
It depends on the situation. Though I had a fantastic time playing and associating with other pianists in NYC when Sing For Hope's Pop-Up pianos were around.
Conservatory of Music @ Brooklyn College
Piano Performance, Class of 2014
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 74
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Full Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 74 |
The majority of my early piano-practicing were on the hospital's Steinway piano. (The hospital was next to my apartment)
I probably clocked 100 hours on the public piano.
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,675
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1000 Post Club Member
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Posts: 1,675 |
The last piano I saw in public had the sign, "If you know how to play piano, please play, otherwise, don't".
Professional pianist and piano teacher.
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 379
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Full Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 379 |
I would just look at it longingly, I'm too shy to play in public. If I *really* had that (completely out of character) urge, I'd look around for a manager or desk clerk and ask if I coukd play a few pieces. If I couldn't find anyone to ask permission, I would never assume it.
Starting over after a decade-long hiatus from playing!
Yamaha CLP320
Burgmuller - Inquietude
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,104
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
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Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,104 |
BTW, in such situations, even when we've gotten permission, I think it's best to always start with something relatively soft and low-key, and 'feel out' how people are reacting and whether we're disturbing anything.
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,644
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
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Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,644 |
A generous friend visiting took me out to dinner on my 30th birthday to a pricey French restaurant in a rural setting. It was a quiet evening with only a few tables occupied. After dinner I inquired with the French owner/chef about playing a few of my pieces on his piano sitting in the restaurant. I played a short set and afterwards to my (and my friend's) surprise he wiped off our entire bill - over $200 ! And a young couple visiting from the States invited us over to their table and proceeded to order $150 bottle of Champagne, then another.... until finally the owner cut them off and told me privately they had already spent over $1000 that evening. You must have played REALLY REALLY well !!!!! 
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 56
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Full Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 56 |
Unless you're Valentina Lisitsa, it's very rude to randomly start playing in public... but that doesnst stop even the most polite of us from doing it occasionally xD. I play the rehearsal piano at my school's theater before rehearsal for the musical starts every day.
MAH!
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,352
2000 Post Club Member
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2000 Post Club Member
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Posts: 2,352 |
I am amateur and not as good as you, piano corner posters. But I play any piano I find in public or out of sight. I travel on business too much (almost 50%), if I don't take advantage of pianos avaialble, I can never practice enough. The problem was my need to practice scales. I don't want to annoy people but I need to practice. So I made up combination of contrary and same motion scale with crescendo and decrescendo that I can practice scales and make it easy to listen. To my amazement, i had some people say, "wow, how nice! What is that?" I could not believe it.
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,278
6000 Post Club Member
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6000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,278 |
The last piano I saw in public had the sign, "If you know how to play piano, please play, otherwise, don't". The last one I saw had the sign "Please do not play the piano". I'm assuming it meant "please do not play this piano", rather than a universal prohibition!  To answer the original question, no, I don't play it.
Du holde Kunst...
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,104
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
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Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2009
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....The problem was my need to practice scales. I don't want to annoy people but I need to practice. So I made up combination of contrary and same motion scale with crescendo and decrescendo that I can practice scales and make it easy to listen.... Nice! I've had the same issue, and even though I have some exercises that I use regularly which are like that, I don't think I've ever dared play them in public! In such situations I try to find passages from actual pieces that fit the bill. But it's great to hear that you do OK with those exercises! BTW, people often ask here about what kinds of exercises are best for developing and strengthening technique. I think interesting stuff that we make up, like what you said, can be the best -- and I mean for the regular kind of practicing, not just in public.
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,916
2000 Post Club Member
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2000 Post Club Member
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I was in Kansas City with a 6 hour wait for the train. In a fancy hotel across the street from Union Station, up on the deserted third floor mezzanine, tucked away in a far corner was an old Yamaha grand.
So I got to play some stuff.
Gary
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 437
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Full Member
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I basically never play in public. But one time I was in a hotel with hundreds of other teenagers trying to qualify for the Jeopardy Teen Tournament. The wait was getting long, so I finally decided to play the piano which was sitting unoccupied for a long time. Then some man approached me and said "That's Beethoven, right?" and walked away. It wasn't until the next day that I realized he was TV actor. I had a feeling that there were other celebrities there than Alex Trebek. Anyways, no one was bothered by my playing, which was only about 10 minutes. What piece did you play?
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 655
500 Post Club Member
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500 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 655 |
I live by the rule that if it is not yours, do not touch it.
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,194
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2000 Post Club Member
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I've been visiting a lot of piano dealers...and have been invited to play on their pianos a lot, especially if there aren't a lot of people around. Mostly small stuff like a Kapustin etude, or his Variations, though I have played....the third movement of the Waldstein and the Liszt sonata...
Only when given explicit permission (or encouragement) and no customers around!!
Working on:
Chopin - Nocturne op. 48 no.1
Debussy - Images Book II
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,106
1000 Post Club Member
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1000 Post Club Member
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Posts: 1,106 |
When I see a piano in a public space it draws my curiosity and I can't resist going over to take a look. On occasion, with polite inquiry and permission I'll sit down and play. Pianos in other spaces/places are very tempting to try out. I've met some very interesting people by playing piano anonymously and sometimes it has led to performance situations. I respect other people's spaces and possessions so it's always been appreciated asking first.
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,651
6000 Post Club Member
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6000 Post Club Member
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Posts: 6,651 |
Unless you're Valentina Lisitsa, it's very rude to randomly start playing in public... So every other pianist should not ever play in public randomly? Why her? Is she the only person you feel knows how to play? Hopefully not, since...well I'll leave your delusion untarnished...
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
♪ ≠$
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,562
6000 Post Club Member
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6000 Post Club Member
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Posts: 6,562 |
... I scratch it with my keys! For no good reason... I'm just an evil person!
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,106
1000 Post Club Member
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1000 Post Club Member
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Posts: 1,106 |
... I scratch it with my keys! For no good reason... I'm just an evil person! C'mon now Nikolas, Are you just being silly, or presenting your angelic side?
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Re: What do you do when you see an unoccupied piano in public?
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 977
500 Post Club Member
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500 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 977 |
Unless you're Valentina Lisitsa, it's very rude to randomly start playing in public... So every other pianist should not ever play in public randomly? Why her? Is she the only person you feel knows how to play? Hopefully not, since...well I'll leave your delusion untarnished... I'm thinking the poster you're responding to is speaking in general terms, that is, unless you're quite good it's rude.....It's not about V.L. That bit of defense out of the way, I don't think it really matters who you are. I understand that many people are curious about how a piano might sound, or would like to sneak in a little practice while on vacation or whatever, but it makes me pretty uncomfortable.
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