r/piano • • 4d ago

Weekly Thread 'There are no stupid questions' thread - Monday, October 19, 2026

6 Upvotes

Please use this thread to ask ANY piano-related questions you may have!

Also check out our FAQ for answers to common questions.

*Note: This is an automated post. See previous discussions here.


r/piano • • 10h ago

🗣️Let's Discuss This Why do pianists try to do " vibrato" on the keys?

44 Upvotes

I was watching Zimmerman's emperor concerto and I've seen others do it as well. I know its a passion of the moment thing but am i missing something? Bad habit? Tick?


r/piano • • 2h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) noctourne in C# minor

6 Upvotes

r/piano • • 14h ago

🎶Other My pianos are infested with tiny bugs is there anyway to save the pianos.

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47 Upvotes

Not sure if this is the right subreddit to post this on but i have both pianos in my shed in the garden and now they have been taken over by these tiny little bugs ( the white dots all over the piano and keys). Not sure if anyone else has had this issue but is there anyway to get rid of them.


r/piano • • 12h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) Fly me to the moon cover, any tips?

18 Upvotes

Learnt this a couple years ago, picked it back up the other day. One of my favorite pieces!


r/piano • • 2h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) Bach BWV 881 fugue

3 Upvotes

r/piano • • 47m ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) Rate my skills 2 and a half years self taught 18M

• Upvotes

r/piano • • 11h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) Chopin nocturne help

13 Upvotes

Hi everyone, here’s a recording of me playing an excerpt from Chopin’s nocturne op 27 no 2. I’m interested in how you evaluate it from a performance/competitive standard, treating professional/top-tier renditions (e.g. Rubinstein) as the benchmark. If you had to describe my performance level in a few words, what would you say?

I’m really just trying to identify the things that are holding my performance back. Nevertheless, I’d appreciate any observations.


r/piano • • 1h ago

🎹Acoustic Piano Question Which kind of glue should I use for this?

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• Upvotes

I got carpenter glue, super glue, basic white glue, other stuff that isnt glue. So, what should I use?


r/piano • • 6h ago

🧑‍🏫Question/Help (Intermed./Advanced) Grande Valse Brillante

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4 Upvotes

I'm really confused. I'm trying to play Chopin's grande valse brillante. As shown in the picture, the final chord of the right hand of one bar is connected legato with the first note of the other bar. However in various recordings it's more of a staccato than a legato. Am I interpreting this wrong? I need help.


r/piano • • 6m ago

🎼Useful Resource (learning aid, score, etc.) "Say It Again"

• Upvotes

During the 1920s, there were many player piano roll artists. One of my favorites was Lee Sims. He was incredible. He arranged this roll in 1926. I'm playing it on my 1914 Smith & Barnes upright player piano. I hope you enjoy it. 😉


r/piano • • 6h ago

🙋Question/Help (Beginner) I am looking for piano bench recommendations

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I am looking for piano bench recommandations.

I can’t easily visit piano stores to try various benches because I am disabled, so I am used to buying online. I don’t even know which piano stores to visit, I’ve check some online and they don’t have listings for benches.

I have lipedema in both of my legs, so they are large and painful. This is the main reason I’ve been thinking about upgrading. I currently own an entry price level bench and since I’ve been spending more time at the pianos, I’ve been sitting on an ikea chair because my bench is not comfortable enough for me to spend hours on it. I can feel the wood on the sides of the bench because the cushion is only on top of the bench.

The issue I have with the chair is that it’s a bit too low.

I haven’t set my mind on a specific price range, I only know that 250 euros or dollars would be the maximum.

TLDR: I am looking for a bench with a comfortable cushion. I have several disabilities causing chronic pain in my body (and my legs) so the cushion mustn’t be too firm. I’d like something comfortable and preferably thick but not too firm.
The cushion should cover the whole above and upper side area so my legs are not in contact with the wood of the bench on the sides while I’m sitting.
My current bench has a cushion but it’s only on the top of the bench.

Do you have any suggestions? If you can’t recommend a specific model, which brand would you recommend?
Thank you for your help!

Edit: I live in France.


r/piano • • 13h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) Mozart's Fantasia in D minor (my performance, in the spirit of Halloween)

8 Upvotes

My performance of Mozart's Fantasia in D minor, K397. Mozart didn't finish this piece, the major key "happy" ending was added by another composer.

In the spirit of Halloween, we're putting a spin on the ending. In this version, it ends where it began. It never escaped the opening at all, leaving the question of whether we just experienced was real or ... just a (fantasy).

Happy haunting!


r/piano • • 7h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) Any tips for technique on this octave section? Please help, no teacher atm

3 Upvotes

r/piano • • 2h ago

🎹Acoustic Piano Question How do I make it so you can hear the individual notes better on Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement?

1 Upvotes

I know it's not great but like to me at least, I can't really hear each note because I'm making some quieter than others. I don't really practice as much as I probably should be so I haven't really gotten dynamics down very well in general. Is there any advice you guys can give me other than just press harder or something? lol


r/piano • • 1d ago

☺️My Performance (No Critique Please!) 4 years of adult piano progress (1st clip Dec 2022, 2nd clip Oct 2026)

262 Upvotes

This week I’ve officially been learning piano for 4 years. Started at 25 years old. Did 2 years of classical and then switched to jazz lessons which I’ve been in for 2 years now and continue taking. I have been taking private lessons this entire time.

First clip is “Little Brown Jug” from Alfred Basic Adult Level 1. Second clip is the jazz standard Donna Lee - I’m not too happy with my performance (phrasing, accenting, comping etc) cause I was pushing the tempo way faster than I’m comfortable with just to get this video lol.

It’s been a fun journey and it keeps going! I gig with a couple of local funk/pop/r&b bands now which is great experience.

Definitely deleting this in a couple hours cause putting myself out here like this is a bit too vulnerable for me, but I was getting reflective while bored at work and wanted to share lol.

EDIT: wow thanks for all the kind comments everyone! I guess I’ll keep this up for a bit. To answer some questions:
- I take one hour lessons once a week with a private teacher through zoom.
- I practice at least an hour a day. Usually broken up into a couple 10-20 minute sessions.
- The Nord was indeed expensive and is incredible.


r/piano • • 10h ago

☺️My Performance (No Critique Please!) Chopin Waltz Op. 34 No. 1 played by my mom

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2 Upvotes

r/piano • • 8h ago

🧑‍🏫Question/Help (Intermed./Advanced) Playing by ear

2 Upvotes

I'm not surrounded by any other piano players and so I don't ever talk to anyone about this but I grew up playing classical and have played piano for like 27 years. I started playing by ear like 5 years ago because classical just wasn't super fun for me.

I just don't know what level of expertise I play at when it comes to playing by ear and am wondering how other people do it? I am just genuinely curious if I sound like a beginner, or intermediate, or what. People that don't play piano or instruments are impressed but they don't really know how easy or difficult it is to play certain things.

How do other people do it? I pretty much only play pop songs and look up the chords for the songs as my sheet music. I then do base lines, chord progressions, etc with my left, and then I can just play the melody consisting of notes and chords with my right. I can just play whatever melody in my right hand without even thinking about it. It's easy as long as I don't think about it too hard. I go up and down the entire keyboard practically when I play. Some keys are easier than others but I practice the songs around the circle of fifths so I can be more proficient in all keys.

How do other more advanced players play by ear? How did you start and how did you personally get better at it? I don't play jazz btw just pop/indie music etc btw. Which are the easy chords i know lol


r/piano • • 4h ago

🔌Digital Piano Question Help I think I broke my housemate’s piano

1 Upvotes

Casio AP-23 electronic piano. Hadn’t been played very much over the past few years or so, but then I decided to get back into piano. Now this key is being silly. Not sure if there’s any simple fixes I can do myself?


r/piano • • 13h ago

🗣️Let's Discuss This vocês já acharam uma partitura "rara"?

3 Upvotes

minha professora recebeu um acervo de partituras da antiga professora dela, tem obras de 1940 inclusive! Uma das que eu escolhi é uma partitura que simplesmente não existe registro na internet! É uma obra argentina e eu estou no Brasil, fiquei animado com a ideia de só descobrir como a música é se eu tocar, é meu quinto mês aprendendo piano. O que mais me animou é o fato de eu não ter encontrado sequer a partitura na internet, então será que eu tenho o último exemplar dessa música perdida?? OMG EU ESTOU MUITO ANIMADO


r/piano • • 5h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) Tips and Feedback/Critiques

1 Upvotes

I started learning Eric Christian’s Nocturne in D flat major (Un Reve) and this is what I have learned so far. Any tips or feedback so I can improve? I have only been playing piano for a year, and the only other intermediate piece I’ve learned was Lizsts’ Consolation 3 but only the first 30 measures or so. Thank you in advance!


r/piano • • 5h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) I made a Piano song! (Well, on noteflight) but still a song!

1 Upvotes

Sé lo que estás pensando... ¡Publicidad! No lo es, en realidad. No tengo el propósito de hacer publicidad; solo quería que esos teóricos locos se animaran a dar su opinión. Sí, hago publicidad, pero en otros subreddits.
Bueno, viajero, déjame enseñarte el link. ¡Tienes libertad, claro! Hay millones, miles de millones de canciones que todavía falta por hacer. Esta es solo una de ellas.
¡Me da gusto escuchar tus opiniones!
Song link was long so :p


r/piano • • 9h ago

☺️My Performance (No Critique Please!) My take on My Hero Academia

2 Upvotes

r/piano • • 14h ago

🗣️Let's Discuss This Does anyone know the name of this song?

4 Upvotes

I thought it was beautiful and i wanna learn the whole song


r/piano • • 15h ago

📝My Performance (Critique Welcome!) Mozart K310 A minor feedback

4 Upvotes

Hi all,

First time posting here. So quick intro, I’ve been playing piano for fun for the past 5 years nothing serious but for the past 1 year and 3 months I’ve been getting lessons.

I’ve been learning Mozart k310 as my piece of choice and wanted to get some feedback on my progression. Is there anything really off with my playing, what could be done better and so on.

I make a fair bit of mistakes in the video where I just try continue to play so I definitely acknowledge that!

Happy and open to all critique!