Who remembers when many homes had a piano...?

We had a piano and had weekly sing songs in the 30s and 40s ,I tinkered with it from the age of 6 and at 10 years old was playing any tune that was required,I played old Music hall songs from Victorian days WW1 songs, 20s 30s and 40s tunes, I was always working week-ends playing in bars and private parties ,but arthritis stopped me playing in the late 70s I gave the piano to our local Catholic church

We had one and I wanted to learn but not so much as I wanted to be warm on a cold winters night when I had a one bar electric fire and a warm coal one was in the next room. An aunt had a Grand piano and I remember being told that I was not musical like the rest of the family and could not sing to save my life. I've been asked to join several choirs since although I cannot read music and told I have a good voice. pity it's taken over 70 years

I have never been the slightest bit interested in nor concerned about what other folk have or had: it has always seemed none of my business. I do, however, recall my wife insisting we bought a second hand upright as soon as our children were old enough to be taught to play. And then as soon as they could do that well she sold it "to save the space it took up". Of those three children, now in their late forties, only the financially successful middle one has a piano: a highly polished grand, to go with the Aga, the fish tank ("aquarium"), the expensively equipped exercise room, the horse, and all the other gee-gaws of upper middle class pretentiousness. On my visits, it is only the Aga that I really appreciate (apart from my much more entertaining grandchildren). My son prefers a boat, a 4 x 4 to tow it, and a mobile home. My younger daughter uses her surplus income for property speculation and foreign holidays (Tibet, Viet Nam and elephant watching in southern Africa). Myself, with far fewer resources, i have gone in for the delights of a jacusi and proper house insullation...

My sister and I took piano lessons for a few years. Our mother bought us an upright Heintzman for $75. It was then about 75 years old and I inherited it in the 70's. I moved it with me four times over the years and a few years ago I gave it to some neighbor children when I moved into an apartment.

We never had the talent of my grandmother. She was a student at the Boston Conservatory of Music in the early part of the 20th century and was a wonderful pianist. My youngest granddaughter is a talented pianist, also.

That brings up a good memory for me. My aunt and uncle had a huge recreation room that was hardly ever used. There was an upright piano in one corner of that huge room, and when we visited we liked nothing better than to bang on that piano. I had my brother's accordion at home with a lot of sheet music and there was also some sheet music in the piano bench, and almost everything I knew about music until high school, I learned from teaching myself to read it. Best of all, Aunt Audrey didn't mind the noise.

Yes indeed. A piano was an essential part of the family furniture.

Happy days - before the advent of b & w hired tv sets (just in time for the 1953 Coronation) - our piano was central to family get-togethers, parties, etc.

A Uncle of mine - still going, aged 90-something - could rattle the ivories like a magician - everything from boogie-woogie to soft Chopin compositions.

He couldn't read a sheet of music - never had a 'piano lesson' in his life.

I was GREEN with envy - never getting beyond misplaced renderings of 'Frere Jacque, dormez vous ? - in a somewhat Nelly the Elephant style - which annoyed me even more those unfortunate enough to be listening.

But each to their own - my large record, album, CD collection mainly comprises piano pieces - and I remain a good listener. Tim Minchin 's pretty good, isn't he - almost up there with Elton John ?

; ))

There was never a piano in any house I lived in.

I did have an uncle who had a piano and two organs, all the family could play and uncle was the church organist. I enjoyed our visits to their home.

Yes, I do indeed, I still have one, not that I play it as I got it many years ago for one of my children they were taking piano lessons but when they move away they left it behind in the house and is sitting there getting dusty.

When I was young, it was just after WW2 and we lived in an asbestos prefab home. My dad and mum managed to get a really old and somewhat decrepit upright piano. My dad loved playing the old songs on the piano. He had never had a lesson, but was absolutely great. We loved it; it made living in atrocious conditions bearable.

When I was a child I used to love visiting one of my aunts as she had a baby grand piano and I was allowed to play it. I say play it, but the only thing I could actually play was Chopsticks.

She had 3 children (my cousins) - 1 of them had no interest in the piano at all, 1 of them was given piano lessons but it was a chore and he gave up, but my other cousin had no lessons at all but was able to sit at the piano and play anything you like. It just seemed to come natural to her.