What (interesting) pianos have you played & in what locations?

ShiroKuro · 2026-05-25T16:08:15+00:00

@twocats reminded me that I have played in a proper concert hall on a concert piano exactly once. It was a million years ago, when I was in my second year of playing (i.e., about 25 years ago). The music school where I was taking lessons had a fancy recital. I played and sang a Beatles song. I'm pretty sure it was Let it Be, but back then I had a few songs that I sang and played, so I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, at the time, I wasn't a member of PW yet, and my home piano was a Yamaha acoustic upright. I didn't know a lot about pianos and I don't remember what the piano was. But from the photo, I'm guessing it was a Yamaha. (This was when I lived in Japan btw, so Yamaha concert grands are more common than S&S unless you are in a more urban area). All I remember was that it was wonderful! I think think I was nervous but this was before my recital "crash and burn" that really triggered my stage fright. Plus, I was singing, and found that to be easier than solo music. Anyway, here's the pic: Please share if you've played in a concert hall or played an interesting piano!

ShiroKuro

Gombessa I only see two pianos. Is there a third?

Gombessa

ShiroKuro

Indeed there is!

ShiroKuro

Gombessa I think I spotted it, is it an upright?

Gombessa

ShiroKuro Not quite! It's really hard to see, but if you draw a line from the first to the second piano, the third is right along that path!

ShiroKuro

Gombessa Not quite! It's really hard to see, but if you draw a line from the first to the second piano, the third is right along that path!

OMG, on the balcony (or stairwell landing, I can't tell)?? Another grand (lid down), right?

Gombessa

ShiroKuro You got it! Sorry for the bad picture, it was the only angle where I could get all three pianos in the same shot.

Here's a close up of that one, with its evil notice and the ground floor piano visible.

I sometimes check hotels (including the conference/ballrooms to see if there is a piano tucked away somewhere. I've never before seen three, and of course all three are off-limits.

ShiroKuro

Gombessa the evil notice indeed! Did all the pianos have such a notice on them? It would be especially crazy to have three pianos and allow none of them to be played.

I mean, I get it, people working there, guests, etc. don’t want to hear someone who doesn’t know how to play just banging on the keyboard… but still… Isthere an alternative? A sign that says “you’re welcome to play, but no banging?” 😅

Back to your original photo, great job getting them all! What an amazing spot. I would love to play somewhere on a balcony.

Btw what hotel is this?

MRC

I don't see a notice on the nearest one in the first photo, but since it's closed, completely covered and with the keyboard pushed against the wall, I doubt anyone will try to play it.

But the one on the ground floor is invitingly open...

Gombessa

ShiroKuro mean, I get it, people working there, guests, etc. don’t want to hear someone who doesn’t know how to play just banging on the keyboard… but still… Isthere an alternative? A sign that says “you’re welcome to play, but no banging?” 😅

Back to your original photo, great job getting them all! What an amazing spot. I would love to play somewhere on a balcony.

Btw what hotel is this?

Yeah, I'm not complaining too loudly, I'd probably end up doing the same if I managed a hotel and there were issues with people playing in a distracting/destructive way.

This was at the Grand Hyatt Taipei. If I knew it had a haunted reputation, I totally would have skulked around the empty lobby/corridors at 3am 🙂

MRC But the one on the ground floor is invitingly open...

Unfortunately the lobby piano also had a "do not play" sign, looks like it's barely visible on the music desk zoomed in:

They did have a pianist come in to play that one on the weekend, which was quite delightful. Certainly more pleasant to listen to than I would have been!

ShiroKuro

Gombessa I'm just surprised to see so many pianos in that space. I wonder if the two that are on balconies/landings are just there because they didn't have anywhere else to put them 😃

thepianoplayer416

Kawai baby grand at the Indigo bookstore. The piano is open to the public. Used to have a made in Canada Heintzman getting too old. A bookstore can be a quiet space for reading but people don’t mind having music in the background.

ShiroKuro

thepianoplayer416 it’s nice that they let you okay it, but do they let you open the fly lid to prop up the music desk? 😅

thepianoplayer416

ShiroKuro
There is no sign that says don't touch. The bench is underneath if anybody wants to play something.

Guess the way the books are stacked anybody can open the front top cover to use the music stand. The back cover with stacks of new releases is a convenient place to put books and not intended to be opened.

BartK

thepianoplayer416 Do they have any sheet music?

thepianoplayer416

BartK

A bookstore is not an instrument store. The store has Faber & Alfred’s adult piano books. Anything specific like a Mozart concerto or Beethoven sonata, better luck at a store that sells piano.

thepianoplayer416

Hoffmann & Kühne Is a German brand. Today probably assembled in China or Indonesia. The public piano is in the Olympian City mall across from a McDonald’s and Mark & Spencer provided by Tom Lee Music. It’s a new piano, slightly out of tune. Tom Lee Music does not have a location in the mall. Probably planning on it for the future. They sell mostly Yamaha pianos & DPs.

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