More piano

Well, it's become clear that there isn't a tuner in three counties who is willing to tune our new piano. Turns out that it's not a piano, it's a "pianette". Specifically, it's a Hardman Peck & Co. Eavestaff Minipiano. They are, evidently, not like any other piano in the world - -at least in the tuning stakes.

It's not in bad shape, other than one sticky key and one dead key -- so Rod is studying up on how to tune this baby himself. It turns out that there are tools he can get for his Mac that will tell him how far out of tune a key is and in which direction -- information that it formerly took a piano-tuner's ear and experience to determine. It won't be a concert pianists idea of tuned, but for now, it'll have to do.

We also have gotten the idea that Suzuki teachers might not be happy with this quality of piano -- and in any case, we don't have the money just yet.

But that's Ok. We live in the 21st century. Jack and I spent several hours last night watching various children play "Gently row" on various instruments and we interspersed that with a video of an excellent teacher showing note by note how to play it. Jack ended up out in the parlour noodling with far more purpose than he ever had before. Then he came back and we watched a video of a teacher explaining how to identify the notes, and then the teacher with our first tune again.

Today, I intend to take notes about where exactly the keys are and I'll practice a bit. (I have been practicing which fingers as we watch the teacher, but that's less than half a start.)

I don't have any illusion that this is as good as a face to face teacher and personalized feedback - -but it's a a lot better than banging on the keyboard and getting nowhere. An this is pretty much my idea of how homeschooling works - -we want to know, so we go find out. When we reach the point where we can find a teacher (that we can afford) who can do what we can't do for ourselves, then we'll take that route. For piano -- and for life.