http://www.englishforums.com/English/GeneralEnglishVocabularyIdiom-Questions/Forum29.htmHelp with defining words and idioms, and new words and idioms that you've learntenXMOD (Build: 3607.32596)http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/3/cvhhk/Post.htm#190259Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190259Clive0http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/3/cvhhk/Post.htm#190259http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190259.xmlHi HSS, Yes. It's very common. Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190248Sat, 23 May 2009 08:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190248HSS1http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190248http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190248.xmlDo you normally use this construction "be good with" with people, such as in, "He is good with young students"? Hiro/ Sendai, Japanhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190242Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190242davkett2http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190242http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190242.xmlHSS wrote: Hi, Wouldn't you also say, "You are good with the piano"? Best, Normally, no.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190220Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190220HSS3http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190220http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190220.xmlHi, Wouldn't you also say, "You are good with the piano"? Best,http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190216Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190216Itasan4http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190216http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190216.xmlMrPedantic wrote: Hello Itasan You sit "at" your own desk. When you visit your bank manager, though, he sits "behind" his desk. You "sit down at" the piano. You wouldn't say "in front of" for the ordinary business of playing the thing. MrP Thank you very much, MrP.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190213Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190213MrPedantic5http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190213http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190213.xmlHello Itasan You sit "at" your own desk. When you visit your bank manager, though, he sits "behind" his desk. You "sit down at" the piano. You wouldn't say "in front of" for the ordinary business of playing the thing. MrPhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190210Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190210Itasan6http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190210http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190210.xmlForbes wrote: In front of the piano would usually be used to refer to someone standing near the piano on the same side as the keyboard. Behind the piano would mean you were on the other side. (Don't ask about grand pianos which have three sides! ) Thank you very much. 1. You sit BEHIND the (steering)wheel, right? (In Japanese we say 'sit in front of the wheel'.) 2. If you are sitting at the desk, are you sitting BEHIND the desk or IN FRONT OF the desk? 3. If you sit at the piano, you sit IN FRONT OF the piano, right? I'm confused.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190203Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190203MrPedantic7http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190203http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190203.xmlSeems to me we know the same pianist, Clive.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190069Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190069Clive8http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190069http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190069.xmlHi, Really, MrP. I didn't know you were musical. I thought I showed restraint in not commenting on She's a good girl behind the piano . Let's not even start with Sh e's good on the piano . Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190057Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:190057MrPedantic9http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/2/cvhhk/Post.htm#190057http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-190057.xmlActually, "she's good at the piano" lends itself to innuendo. MrPhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#189908Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:189908Forbes10http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#189908http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-189908.xmlItasan wrote: I see. So in the UK, "She is good at the piano" is taken as "She's a good girl in front of (behind??) the piano"? I wonder if it means "She is good at playing the piano" in the US. Not quite. "She is good at the piano can mean "She is a good piano player" but can also mean "She is well behaved at the piano." I concede that the second meaning is perhaps a little strained. Sentences like this rarely occur in isolation so the context will usually tell you the correct meaning. Itasan wrote: BTW, 'in front of the piano' or 'behind the piano'? At the piano usually means you are sitting down ready to play or are actually playing. In front of the piano would usually be used to refer to someone standing...http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#189793Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:189793LeicesterLad11http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#189793http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-189793.xmlHmm, I wouldn't say that. Unless you specifically imply something different, 2 and 3 would be understood in the UK to mean simply that you are a skilled pianist. Phrase 1, as said, sounds a bit odd in isolation, but could be heard in certain contexts, for example, 2 friends talking: "You're very good at painting" "Really? Thankyou. You are very good at piano"http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#189768Sat, 23 May 2009 08:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:189768Itasan12http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#189768http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-189768.xmlForbes wrote: No. 1 is definitely not Standard British English. No. 2 could imply that the person addressed is well-behaved at the piano. I see. So in the UK, "She is good at the piano" is taken as "She's a good girl in front of (behind??) the piano"? I wonder if it means "She is good at playing the piano" in the US. BTW, 'in front of the piano' or 'behind the piano'? Thank you.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#189705Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:189705YoHf13http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#189705http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-189705.xmlI quite agree with Forbes here.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#188951Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:188951Forbes14http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#188951http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-188951.xmlNo. 1 is definitely not Standard British English. No. 2 could imply that the person addressed is well-behaved at the piano.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#188942Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:188942Anonymous15http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#188942http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-188942.xmlActually all three are correct.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#188880Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:188880Itasan16http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#188880http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-188880.xmlClive wrote: Hi, #3 is fine. Best wishes, Clive Thank you very much for the valuable info as always, Clive.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#188866Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:188866Clive17http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htm#188866http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-188866.xmlHi, #3 is fine. Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htmMon, 23 Feb 2009 09:51:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:188846Itasan18http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoodAtPiano/cvhhk/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-188846.xmlWhich is correct? 1. You are good at piano. 2. You are good at the piano. 3. You are good at playing the piano. Thank you.