Halloween Piano Horror Stories
From eye-popping pooches to passionately noisy neighbors, these are the terrible tales of horrifying piano practices, told by you.
Every pianist has lived through a nightmare lesson or two. The kind where your fingers freeze, with terrifying teachers hovering over you as the metronome ticks like a heartbeat in a horror film. This Halloween, we asked you to share your piano-playing horror stories — the lessons that sent shivers down your spines, and you really delivered.
From gruesome teachers and haunted cottages to eye-popping pooches, buzzing drills, and distracting unexpected duets — these are the true tales that remind us all how frightening (and funny) piano lessons can be.
The One With Miss Walsh and the Creepy Cottage
At a crooked old cottage, there lurks an old piano teacher with bad breath and even worse lessons… Let’s just say this lesson hit all the wrong notes and still echoes in this pianist’s memory today.
The One With the Drills, the Dog, and... the Noisy Neighbors
It’s usually better to practice piano in a quiet environment, but sometimes you’ll have some unexpected guests join your performance. In this story, a piano tutor faces power drills, barking dogs, a surprise Balkan brass band, and neighbors passionately performing their own kind of duet next door. A true symphony of distraction.
The One with the Protesting Pupil
Some students practice their scales. Others… make a splash. One determined pupil went to some pretty wet extremes to escape their lesson and created an unforgettable performance of another kind in the process.
The One With the Eye-Popping Pekinese Pooch
Picture this: a dark Victorian home, a mysterious teacher, and a tiny Pekinese with bulging eyes. This wasn’t a lesson for the faint-hearted — or the squeamish.
Tell us your terrifying piano tales
Got a piano lesson that still haunts you? We’d love to hear it. Share your story in the comments of your favorite piano horror story video or tag us on social at @roli_learn.
But don’t let your next piano session become a fright night. With ROLI Piano, Airwave, and the ROLI Learn app, learning piano isn’t tricky; it’s a musical treat. Follow illuminated keys that guide you to the right note with real-time feedback, and play along with all the songs you know and love. ROLI Learn is not just another piano lesson. You can master songs step by step, at your own pace — no scary teachers or haunted metronomes in sight.
Discover ROLI Piano, Airwave, and the ROLI Learn app.
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