Awake and up all night

That's fantastic!  It's something I've always wanted to do, but can only play a few tunes my granny taught me when I was a nipper.  I'm in awe of those who can play properly. Fabulous stuff Jane xxx

What a lovely suprise for you Sarah.I was 7 or 8 when I started playing.I think the last time I played was on John’s mum’s electric piano.She plays the organ and piano.I’ve always wanted to try different instruments to see what I might be good at.I’d love to play something really well.My cousin in France is a professional jazz drummer and his son plays so many instruments brilliantly.Xx

Oh, amazing to be a professional musician Jane. I wish I had more ability-I started lessons at school when I was 9 and played in festivals and competitions:still have all my certificates somewhere. I can’t play any other instrument, but we have a saxophone, guitar and complete drum kit here (drums are in the shed!) should I fancy trying! 

I was keen for my daughters to play an instrument when they were young, so one plays the flute, and the other plays the clarinet. Don’t remember when I last heard either of them play, but they were both very good! 

Sarah xx

Wow!  Two of you on the bounce with a talent I so wish I possessed.  What a superb surprise your OH gave you and you must have been thrilled to bits.  You must play more Sarah; imagine cold winter nights, the wind howling outside but muted by the mellow tones of a piano.  I'm such a fan of live music xx

Yes, my daughter also owns an electric piano and I'm forever nagging her to play, although her cats seem quite snooty if she does.  Years ago, she taught me the opening bars of Moonlight Sonata - I thought I was brilliant, which of course I wasn't.

Don't stop Sarah, and if the neighbours moan that's their lookout.  I know I'd appreciate it if I heard one from next door xxx

Wonderful stuff Jane.  I also encouraged my two to learn instruments, and the eldest got a scholarship, progressing to orchestra level on a French horn.  They both played in some quite grand locations, and I look back on those times great fondness and pride.  If only mobiles had been around then xxx

• I never took any exams.Mum was grade 8 and had played in concerts.I remember her playing the piano for a hospital show one year.I enjoy making up compositions.One year mum suggested she wrote down what I was working on.I told her I wouldn’t be able to read it as my sight reading was not good enough.You sound much more advanced than I am.I’d be around a grade 4 if I had taken the exams.I had a cruel piano teacher who would slam the lid of the piano down on my fingers or hit them with a ruler if I made a mistake.The next teacher was really nice but she died after a short illness and I never had lessons after that.xx

Wonderful to have such talent.I would love to play something brilliantly.I sung in Bath Abbey once as part of a multi school choir,that was a special night.Xx

I'll bet it was Jane, something wonderful to look back on.  Well, by you mentioning moving a piano, we've discovered a wealth of talent we didn't previously know about.  And it's brought up great memories to reminisce over, so thanks my lovely xxx

I’m glad about that  xx

I enjoyed reading the posts from our musically gifted members. While I have played some musical instruments at school, I only scraped up to average proficiency, none of it on keyboard or string instruments, only a recorder at primary school then brass instruments during my early and late secondary education. I suppose my 'best' efforts were on the B flat euphonium but also played the baritone and cornet for a short while. At my final school in Germany (dad was in the RAF), I made the mistake of saying I could play a euphonium when asked about musical abilities. I was immediately drafted in to school assembly duties as part of a 5 or 6 piece brass band for hymns. The music teacher fished a euphonium out of a store cupboard. It was a 4 rotary valve E flat euphonium - I'd only played 3 valve instruments. A cold sweat developed as I began to practice (= rediscover) how to play a euphonium. Next, to my horror, the music teacher said that the music sheets were written for a B flat instrument. Just transpose as you play was his advice. Transposing resulted in me being at least a bar behind everyone .... so I started miming. He did not notice!! I very soon opted for a change of subject to history, thereby dropping my musical duties with a sigh of relief.  Ray x