Player piano

The player piano is a musical instrument. Listen to 2 recordings and learn how it makes its sound.

Listen to the player piano

Dusty player piano and robot drummer (Antti Luode)

4:19CC BY 3.0by Antti LuodeWikimedia Commons

4:19

Boring Player Piano (Antti Luode)

5:22CC BY 3.0by Antti LuodeWikimedia Commons

5:22

Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.

From Wikipedia

A player piano is a self-playing piano with a pneumatic or electromechanical mechanism that operates the piano action using perforated paper or metallic rolls. Modern versions use MIDI. The player piano gained popularity as mass-produced home pianos increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sales peaked in 1924 and subsequently declined with improvements in electrical phonograph recordings in the mid-1920s. The advent of electrical amplification in home music reproduction, brought by radios, contributed to a decline in popularity, and the stock market crash of 1929 marked the end of their prominence.

Questions people ask

Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.

Is it bad for a piano player to work out? · Music SE
Why are drums generally panned to the listener's perspective but piano panned to the player's perspective? · Sound Design SE

Frequently asked questions

What does a player piano sound like?

Listen to 2 recordings on this page.

Sources & credits

Dusty player piano and robot drummer (Antti Luode) by Antti Luode – CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Boring Player Piano (Antti Luode) by Antti Luode – CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata Q593995 – CC0
Wikipedia: Player piano – CC BY-SA 4.0
Image – CC BY-SA 3.0