I knew that one day it’d come full circle. I started playing piano when I was 6 and at that age, I can only assume it was not of my own free will. My parents never forced me to play – they just set high expectations for me to want to play. And for the next 10 years, I can honestly say the only reason I stuck with the piano was because I felt guilty giving up on it, despite being presented with the opportunity on numerous occasions. Now that I’m a parent, I can relate to both perspectives of my experience, I sympathize for my younger self but also empathize with my parents, who had the best intentions at heart. Quincy, who is now 4, has loved tickling the ivories since he was a baby. He got his knack for music from his dad, clearly. So I can’t believe that now, after all these years, I’m actually thinking of buying a piano. I grew up with a grand piano but I appreciate the practicality of an upright and am growing to love the aesthetic. I imagine it’ll just be there whenever the kids want to play. Maybe I’ll even tinker with it here and there. And of course, lessons will never be required. What about you? Did you, or do you, play the piano? Any piano purchasing tips are welcome!
(images via Design Sponge, Gardenista, Loppisliv, My Scandinavian Home, Ikea, Inger Marie Grini, Anouk the Kleermaeker)
Love this post! Pianos are beautiful instruments and totally eye catching as pieces of furniture in your home. If you’re looking to buy one and you grew up playing a grand, I’d look into an upright grand piano. The larger the soundboard the better the sound. They’re just a little taller than a regular upright And in my opinion give better opportunity to play with the acoustics.
I’ve played piano all my life and loved music so much I ended up following it all through school and ended up going to university for piano performance. Music is a wonderful thing.
Anyway if you have any more questions about purchasing, let me know I’d be happy to help. I’ve talked many of my students through the process.
Also ps- I’ve followed honestlywtf for years but don’t think I ever really say hello, so, hello!
@Talktomyshoes Ohhh, yes – I will definitely look into the upright grand! We have tall ceilings so that might be perfect for us. I agree that music is a wonderful thing – I just wish it came as naturally to me as others. Haha. Thank you so much for commenting!! Will try to update you guys on what I end up with! xx
I love the style of an old piano, I wish I could play it!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
@Michelle It’s never too late! xx
A piano is a cultural art piece. More important than a TV…. no matter if you play it or not.
You never know if a visitor is coming that can play it. You could miss the opportunity of a wonderful evening..! Playing, singing, having a jam session… all happened at our house… love it!
@Iren I couldn’t agree more!!
I did play the piano as a kid, just like you and I hated it. Because it wasn’t my choise and I strongly wanted to swich to the guitar but my parents didn’t let me do it. I had a horrible teacher back then, a trully neurotic person who was screeming at me every time I did a mistake. The result was, that since I was miserable but I wasn’t aloud to leave the piano, I had to fail at the exams and get kicked out of the conservatorium. Something my teacher made so easy since I became incapable to play piano anymore especcialy at the exams. Since then I hadn’t touch it for30 years, although it still is at my house. Recently I decided to fix it, hopping that one of my sons would be interested in it. Like you, I might have been a miserable piano player as a kid but I could (now) understand my parents and to realise how important it was for me learning to play music. So I want that for my kids too. And I did fixed the piano and tried to play again (after 30 years) and strangely enough it started to come back to me. And I love it! And I play almost 2 hours every day! And I feel very happy by doing so! Isn’t that amazing?
Probably I enjoy it so much because I don’t have a neurotic teacher screeming at me and no exams and that’s the beauty of it. I don’t know if my kids will learn to play the piano, but I will, I won’t leave it again 🙂
@Veronica Thank you for sharing your experience. This gives me hope that I’ll play and actually enjoy piano again. 🙂 It’s amazing how teachers can make all the difference, right?
Oh my, so many of us have had similar upbringings. Like you and Veronica, I had to take lessons for years as a child and into my teenage years, which I did not enjoy at all — I also ‘had’ to play the flute but I enjoyed that, esp. competing and going off to ‘band camp’ for 2 weeks in summertime!! We had an upright, a Kimball I think, that my parents bought used — nothing beautiful like the black uprights in your blog photos, but my parents had it tuned for me and it had a great sound.
My piano teacher made me SING while I played, as her next ‘victim’ listened in the waiting area and as a young girl, I was horrified because my voice was not great. So I would to not go to my lessons and suffered through having to practice an extra 30 minutes…
Now, of course, I wish my parents would not have allowed me quit, but the day she and my father said I could stop taking lessons, I stopped. I think I had to write a letter to my teacher, thanking her…
Now, like you, I want to begin again, some 30 years later, and have started pricing pianos!
@Michelle I played the flute too! It only lasted a few months – my instructor told me parents that I should stick with piano, I was that awful at it. Haha.
I like pianos. They are beautiful instruments ( I tried to learn with no success) 🙁
Very nice post (as always) with great photos!
Vana
http://lifestyleandberries.com
@Vana thank you!
I took 12 years of classical piano, voice and organ (hated the organ, still do). I loved every minute of it, including practice. For my 18th birthday and joint Christmas present (lo, those many years ago), my parents bought a seldom-used player piano which has been moved around the country. It has presented many opportunities for fun entertainment, including one where I played Beethoven while guests pretended to be cartoon characters – Bugs Bunny comes to mind. I love my piano, and it will be handed down to my great nephew who is a musician.
@Betty What a fun game!! I would love music to be a more integral part of my children’s lives. Clearly it had such a positive impact on yours – thank you for sharing!
Yay for the piano! I’m a pianist actually (nothing and nobody managed to discourage me enough when I was a kid :)) There’s never too late to go back to it. I have a student who has decided to start learning when he started his retirement & he’s doing great. As for buying the piano – look for the ads and give a home to the piano with some history and the past. Whatever aesthetics you prefer – ornamented, simple,there’s something for everyone out there.
@Karolina Thank you for the tip and the encouragement!
It’s not as pretty (or as economical) as a vintage stand up piano, but we love our electric keyboard. It’s weighted like a piano, never needs tuning, and can be as quiet or as loud as necessary. It’s great for insecure adults who want to practice, or parents who want to play after the kids go to bed, or kids who want to mess around on the piano when parents neeed quiet. Headphones or speakers, depending on the situation! I think it’s made our whole family play more often.
What inspiration I have here in this wonderful website, thank you ☻♥
I’m currently in possession of the upright baby grand that was in my childhood home. I don’t know when or where my parents picked it up, but it has been in the family as long as I can remember. Six of us kids plunked on it for years. Non of us Mozart, but better than chop sticks. It has seen more moves then should be physically allowed and in need of a tune-up. There are so many memories attached to it, as well as a hope that one of my own sons will pick it up. I don’t think you’ll regret the purchase.
I used to play piano as a kid but fell out of favour with it when I started moving around for work and couldn’t lug it around with me. Playing is something I dearly miss and I already have visions of the piano I’ll have in my house when I finally settle down!