13 replies to this topic

[Gran'piano]

I tripped over this forum while looking for basic information about organs. I have pulled stops and turned pages for an organist friend a couple of times and wanted to know a bit more about the instrument. I don't really belong on here at all as I am obviously not in the same league as the rest of you. I don't play an instrument 'properly', but there have been several questions about learning to play an instrument when no longer young, so I thought I'd 'join' and then add my comments on the subject in the relevant section. I am long since retired, live abroad, love music, enjoy cycling and swimming, write English, talk foreign, don't give up easily (that's putting it nicely), have a British sense of humour which doesn't always go down well in the Land of Tell, and last but not least, I like the thought of reading what others on here are doing in the music field.

[corenfa]

Welcome to the forum- there's no requirement to be at any level of playing any instrument to be on this forum. Have fun and hope you find the forum useful.

[Misterioso]

Hi and welcome! 

[chris13]

Hello Gran'piano and welcome. I'm not an organist but am retired and came back to learning piano in middle age. In my early twenties I was privileged to make the acquaintance of an amateur organ builder and learnt  much about the ways they work and even played the organ he was building. Have you come across the following organ forum ?

 

https://www.organmatters.co.uk

[fsharpminor]

 Gran'piano.  I am one of the longer serving (over 17,000 posts) forum members and am an enthusiastic but amateur pianist and organist

[Sylvette]

Welcome!  I am also retired and a relative beginner pianinst.  Your contributions will be very welcome.

[Gran'piano]

Thanks to all for your welcoming words.

Hello Gran'piano and welcome. I'm not an organist but am retired and came back to learning piano in middle age. In my early twenties I was privileged to make the acquaintance of an amateur organ builder and learnt  much about the ways they work and even played the organ he was building. Have you come across the following organ forum ?

 

https://www.organmatters.co.uk

Looks interesting. I hadn't seen that site but I found some information very useful for folk who play the piano well and are then asked to play an organ at church. Not that that applies to me but the title of the first of five parts attracted my attention - "how not to make a scary noise in church!"  Having once 'made' a scary noise in church as stop puller, I know why the author felt this a good title for articles about registration. There is indeed a vast difference between a single wrong note on the piano and the wrong stop on an organ.  I survived, and so did the organist, but it was a close call.

[Gran'piano]

Decided to reawaken this area of the forum. Now we are getting the new members validation thing sorted, there will, hopefully, be a few members who might like to say something about themselves on here. As 'forum branches' are only visible when recently used and are only likely to be used when clearly visible... here goes.

[wendym]

Hello everyone! I’m one of the newbies who has this week had my validation thingie approved - much to my delight. I played the piano for a few blinks of the eye in my childhood - family had no money for piano/lessons etc but I was in love with the piano and promised myself that I’d buy my own one day and learn. As life goes, that happened in my thirties and I never looked back. Found an amazing teacher who has also become a dear friend - she put me straight onto grade 6 material and within a couple of years I had grade 8 under the belt. Not because I’m some kind of genius - I worked incredibly hard, fuelled by my love of music and the feeling that I was finally doing what I should have decades ago - and because I had such an inspiring teacher who believed I could do it. Somewhere along the line I upgraded my humble Yamaha digital for a 1920s Bechstein grand which is my pride and joy. Same teacher encouraged me to give teaching a go a few years back, and I love it, teaching within a wonderful school and privately. I’m really pleased to finally be a part of this forum now - I’ve read all your wonderful posts for years and have learned so much that I use for my own playing, and within my teaching too.

[Gran'piano]

What a lovely introduction. Good to have you posting. With your experience I imagine you can come up with fresh ideas sometimes too when folk on here are facing problems. Welcome
.

[mel2]

Welcome to the forum, wendym. Happy posting.

[wendym]

Thank you for making me feel welcome

[ejw21]

Hi wendym, welcome!

[wendym]

Thanks ejw21!
You weren’t by any chance on a Finchcocks course last year were you?