Disklavier

I found this egroup a few weeks ago after we purchased our Disklavier.

It was delivered today! Yeah! Anyway we purchased a Yamaha MX1 or MX1Z I
can't remember at the moment but the difference between the two are subtle.

I've already downloaded a bunch of Christmas and Billy Joel midi files that
were in the egroups files, can't wait to give them a try.

Anyway, my question concerns my two children, mainly my youngest who is 4
1/2. I was wondering what sort of resistence this piano would have to just
letting him "play" with it. He's been around a piano at grandpa's house and
knows not to bang at the keys.
Actually as I type he is tapping out "Three Blind Mice", which is far better
than anything I can play :-)

So will he be okay just playing around at the piano, or should I limit him
to when we get an instructor in here to teach us all? I'm afraid if I won't
let him play I'll squelch his love of music but at the same time I don't
want him to damage our investment.

Thanks
~Stacy

on 12/19/00 4:44 PM, Stacy C at stacyc@... wrote:

> So will he be okay just playing around at the piano, or should I limit him
> to when we get an instructor in here to teach us all? I'm afraid if I won't
> let him play I'll squelch his love of music but at the same time I don't
> want him to damage our investment.

When I service a piano with a child around I hold out one finger and invite
the child to touch his fingertip to mine. Then I say that this is how we
play the piano -- with our fingertips. As long as your child knows not to
use his fists or anything held in his hands (toys, shoes, pets) to bang on
the keys, fun will be had with no danger to the piano.

I think young children should be encouraged explore the sounds of the piano.

Kent Swafford
Registered Piano Technician

I agree with Kent that it is fine for young children to play the new piano.  
Just make sure they are taught proper respect for it; like ONLY playing with 
your finger tips and washing their hands before touching the keys.  The 
biggest problem I have encountered with children at the keyboard is the 
tendency for the very, very young ones to  put coins between the keys!

Since you own a new Dislavier, Iwould go a step further and show the kids 
how to record what they play.  I have found they are fascinated with the 
playback of their "songs".  For older children, show them how to record the 
left or right hand separately so they can practice each part with or without 
"accompaniment".  I would also show them the Voices features!

Carol Beigel
Registered Piano Technician and DK owner!
>From: "Stacy C" <stacyc@...>
>Reply-To: disklavier@egroups.com
>To: <disklavier@egroups.com>
>Subject: [disklavier] Introduction and a question
>Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 14:44:39 -0800
>
>I found this egroup a few weeks ago after we purchased our Disklavier.
>
>It was delivered today! Yeah! Anyway we purchased a Yamaha MX1 or MX1Z I
>can't remember at the moment but the difference between the two are subtle.
>
>I've already downloaded a bunch of Christmas and Billy Joel midi files that
>were in the egroups files, can't wait to give them a try.
>
>Anyway, my question concerns my two children, mainly my youngest who is 4
>1/2. I was wondering what sort of resistence this piano would have to just
>letting him "play" with it. He's been around a piano at grandpa's house and
>knows not to bang at the keys.
>Actually as I type he is tapping out "Three Blind Mice", which is far 
>better
>than anything I can play :-)
>
>So will he be okay just playing around at the piano, or should I limit him
>to when we get an instructor in here to teach us all? I'm afraid if I won't
>let him play I'll squelch his love of music but at the same time I don't
>want him to damage our investment.
>
>Thanks
>~Stacy
>
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

Let him play with it.  Encourage him to play around but not pound on it.  
The only problem I had with a disklavier in the house and a little one was 
that she tried to feed it cherios through the disk drive door.  For a 
"small" fee the disk drive was restored to it's pristine condition and I 
removed it from the under the keyboard location and set it on a shelf above 
her reach.  She is 10 years old now and a budding pianist herself.  I was 
conerned that she would not want to learn since it was so easy to just pop a 
disk in and let it do it herself, but that seems to just encourage her and 
her older brother who is also a good pianist and a very good bassist.


>From: "Stacy C" <stacyc@...>
>Reply-To: disklavier@egroups.com
>To: <disklavier@egroups.com>
>Subject: [disklavier] Introduction and a question
>Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 14:44:39 -0800
>
>I found this egroup a few weeks ago after we purchased our Disklavier.
>
>It was delivered today! Yeah! Anyway we purchased a Yamaha MX1 or MX1Z I
>can't remember at the moment but the difference between the two are subtle.
>
>I've already downloaded a bunch of Christmas and Billy Joel midi files that
>were in the egroups files, can't wait to give them a try.
>
>Anyway, my question concerns my two children, mainly my youngest who is 4
>1/2. I was wondering what sort of resistence this piano would have to just
>letting him "play" with it. He's been around a piano at grandpa's house and
>knows not to bang at the keys.
>Actually as I type he is tapping out "Three Blind Mice", which is far 
>better
>than anything I can play :-)
>
>So will he be okay just playing around at the piano, or should I limit him
>to when we get an instructor in here to teach us all? I'm afraid if I won't
>let him play I'll squelch his love of music but at the same time I don't
>want him to damage our investment.
>
>Thanks
>~Stacy
>
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

Hello Everyone,

In a message dated 12/19/00 5:53:29 PM, Stacy writes:

<< Anyway, my question concerns my two children, mainly my youngest who is 4
1/2. I was wondering what sort of resistence this piano would have to just
letting him "play" with it. He's been around a piano at grandpa's house and
knows not to bang at the keys.
Actually as I type he is tapping out "Three Blind Mice", which is far better
than anything I can play :-) >>

Having taught piano since the early 1970s, my opinion is that your youngster 
should be encouraged to experiment at the piano. Keep in mind that most piano 
methods now have MIDI disks that are available which are compatible with the 
Disklavier.

Regards,
PianoBench