Line #91 Main/ThePianoPlayer


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9
10	->''Over the piano was printed a notice: "Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best."''
11	-->-- '''Creator/OscarWilde''', ''Personal Impressions of America''
12
13	The Piano Player could very well be a large reel of paper in a mechanical "player piano", making the piano effectively a large music box.
14
15	When an actual person is used, they don't necessarily have more personality. This is a shame, as the ragtime music featured in most western saloons used heavy repetitions of notes that could very well be LevelGrinding your arms into a level of badass.
16
17	Expect a competent professional musician in white shirtsleeves and slicked hair, often brought in from "out East" for the sole purpose of being able to play the latest popular songs as well as any classic old-timey requests. (That doesn't stop them from playing almost the exact same tune in every bar.)
18
19	The Piano Player becomes an important device because although he is able to play for hours without a break, the mere mention of "Bad Bart" or any local BigBad causes him to slam the keys once before the foreboding silence. Sometimes they comedically continue playing stoically while the bar behind them breaks out in a BarBrawl, though they might also help out by playing more intense music while there's a fight. If one really wants to be nasty to the player, one could slam the wooden keyboard lid on their fingers.
20
21	However, their character is tied up in the piano and they rarely have any lines, with all questions about the bar or its patrons being directed to TheBartender.
22
23	The Piano Player is a convenient justification for SourceMusic, which can lead to SuspiciouslyAproposMusic (for example a sudden shift to a more ominous tune when the bad guy enters) or a LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn gag.
24
25	Outside of the WildWest, a piano player at an upmarket piano bar or cocktail lounge plays a grand piano and performs pop, soft rock, and possibly jazz songs for tips from bar patrons. They may also sing. The piano bar performer has a huge repertoire of well-loved classic songs and generally has an easy-going stage demeanor. Some piano bars have two pianists who play "dueling pianos", trading riffs and soloing in a Rhythm and Blues style.
26
27	See also PayingTheirDues, for when a performer takes thankless gigs while waiting for their big break.
28	----
29	!!Examples:
30
31	[[foldercontrol]]
32
33	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
34	* In ''Literature/{{Anpanman}}'', there's a character named Piano Man, who is a piano player-- and a player piano.
35	* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'': Whenever he isn't being a lazy uptight snob, Austria is this.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Comic Books]]
39	* ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'':
40	** There's always a piano player playing the instrument when a [[BarBrawl saloon brawl]] erupts. He'll [[TheShowMustGoOn inexplicably keep playing in such cases]] instead of seeking cover, dodging thrown bottles and bullets doing so (which will often create bullet holes in the instrument but won't alter its sound, as the various animated film and animated series adaptations show).
41	** A story has Luke become friends with one, who has ambitions of one day playing at Symphony Hall. He finally gets his chance but on the day of his performance he gets stage fright and freezes completely. Luke correctly guesses he's used to playing in bars with perpetual brawls going on so he ''barges in on Jolly Jumper and starts firing into the air'' causing the room to descend into utter chaos (as the audience enthusiastically joins in)... and the player to get over his stage fright and start playing. They throw him out, of course, but he managed to live his dream.
42	* The comic book ''Munden's Bar'' features a piano player who has about twenty fingers on each of his hands.
43	* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'': One storyline in the UK comics features one of these who actually ''is'' a piano. His purpose in the story is to get assaulted by a local bully, prompting our heroes to come to his aid and thus learn a lesson about how they must never sit by when injustice is being done.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
47	* There is a ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'' villain called 88 Keys, both in the comic strip and the Warren Beatty film.
48	* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' often features piano players in [[TheWestern western]] gags. One particularly funny example combines this with LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: A desperado appears at the doors of a saloon, and the banjo player nervously remarks to the pianist, "Bad guy coming in, Arnie! Minor [[{{Tonality}} key]]!"
49	* ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'': A run-in with the piano player in the saloon in Brian's ''Cattlepunk'' game ends with B.A.'s character having [[AssShove his gun placed in a very uncomfortable location]].
50	* A George Booth cartoon for ''Magazine/TheNewYorker'' had an airline captain being interviewed on the tarmac in front of his plane: "Some nut shot at the piano player, but that seemed to be unconnected to the hijacking."
51	* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'':
52	** Snoopy will occasionally enter a bar and either make a request of the piano player, or begin playing piano himself in the cartoons.
53	** The recurring pianist is Schroeder, who plays only classical music. He does get lines (usually trading Lucy's flirtations for sarcasm), but in big crowd scenes he tends to stay in the background, hunched over his instrument.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Fan Works]]
57	* ''Fanfic/HalfPastAdventure'': PlayedForLaughs at the end of the ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' parody episode, ''Catbells'', when [[{{Deuteragonist}} Robin]] plays the piano dramatically during the final scene.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
61	* There's a piano player in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', and although the film is not a western, he certainly fits the trope.
62	* Captain Hook fills this role in the bar scenes of the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' sequels, perhaps as a shout-out to the AffablyEvil version in the Disney movie ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', or to the original book, where Hook is stated to be an accomplished harpsichord player, despite his disability. It's lampshaded in that, when sent with his men to capture Shrek and co. in the [[WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird third film]], they bring the piano along so he can provide music for the fight scene.
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
66	* Creator/FrankSinatra has a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo as piano player in the 1956 film version of ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays''.
67	* In ''Film/BugsyMalone'', the piano player in Fat Sam's Grand Slam Speakeasy also sings two very catchy songs.
68	* In ''Film/{{Bunraku}}'', the Bartender employs one, up until he scampers out the door when TheDrifter picks a fight with some thugs. Afterwards, he is replaced with a stereo and a "piano player wanted" sign.
69	* ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'', of course. Dooley Wilson, who played Sam, was a singer but not a pianist in RealLife; his piano playing in the film was actually done by Elliot Carpenter.
70	* The Announcer/Bandleader character from ''Film/{{Chicago}}'' seems to fill this role in-universe.
71	* In ''Film/DickTracy'', 88 Keys is the piano player at the Club Ritz.
72	* In ''Film/ElDorado'', our heroes are tracking a wounded bad guy, and follow the trail of blood into a bar, and to a piano being played by a ''very'' nervous piano player, who dives out of the way so allow the good guys to shoot the bad guy through it.
73	* Dan Sr. from ''Film/FriscoJenny''. He came from a conservatory of music and now plays in a brothel. He's in love with the titular Jenny.
74	* ''Film/HellHouseLLC'' has a ghostly piano player who plays the same progression periodically throughout the film. The sequel ''Film/HellHouseLLCIITheAbaddonHotel'' has the same melody showing up years before the opening of the haunted house while also playing in the background during the investigation of the hotel.
75	* One appears in ''Film/IShotJesseJames'', playing in the Creede Hotel and earning a dirty look from Robert Ford when he plays "The Ballad of UsefulNotes/JesseJames" (who Bob killed and doesn't like thinking about).
76	* ''Film/LemonadeJoe'': There is an anonymous Piano Player, a classic stock Western character. He swings with the crowd and plays in whichever saloon is the more popular. He doesn't seem to care about either owner of the saloons -- Trigger Whisky or Kolaloka.
77	* In ''Film/TheManFromColorado'', the piano player in the the miners' saloon acts as lookout for the outlaws who meet in the saloon's back room; changing the tune he is playing to inform them of who has entered the saloon.
78	* ''Film/PhantomOfTheParadise'' is about one of these (Winslow Leach, played by William Finley) who's actually a gifted musician desperately trying to make it in the corrupt, cutthroat music industry. He's discovered by the villainous music producer Swan (played again by Paul Williams, who again wrote all the movie's songs) while playing piano in the background in Swan's club, mostly ignored by the patrons, after the headlining band's big music act is over.
79	* ''Film/ThePianist'' features a rare instance of the trope being PlayedForDrama, and BasedOnATrueStory to boot. Classical concert pianist Władysław Szpilman is forced to take cheap gigs in bars and restaurants when [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany the Nazis]] take over Poland, since they didn't allow Jews to be in the arts. (Then it goes FromBadToWorse. [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Much, much worse]]).
80	* ''Film/{{Rimfire}}'': Porky is the piano player in the Blue Moon Saloon. During the GamblingBrawl between Blazer and The Abeliene Kid, Porky gets hit by [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl a chair thrown by Blazer]]. He keeps playing for several minutes before gradually keeling over sideways.
81	* The main character in ''Film/ShootThePianoPlayer'', Creator/FrancoisTruffaut's second film. The story is about a former classical pianist now working in a dive bar who ends up hunted by criminals thanks to his brother. Unusual in that the focus is on the piano player as the main character, rather than as comedic relief.
82	* In ''Film/SinginInTheRain'' Lina Lamont refers to Cosmo as this, even though he actually has a really big part!
83	-->'''Lina Lamont:''' You ''piano player'', you!
84	* Doc Holliday takes a turn in this capacity in ''Film/{{Tombstone}}''.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Literature]]
88	* Averted in ''Literature/GoodOmens'', where the piano player turns out to have a Kalashnikov concealed in the piano.
89	* In Creator/RobertWService's poem ''The Shooting of Dan [=McGrew=]'' a stranger walks in and takes over for the piano player. His hypnotic performance drives the rest of the plot.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
93	* Technically, it's not a piano that Lurch plays in the ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'' (it's a harpsichord) but he still fills the role. (In fact, the iconic theme song is sung to harpsichord music, so he's likely the one playing it, especially since he's shown performing during the opening credits.)
94	* Piano players show up frequently on ''Series/TheAmazingRace'' as part of tasks, with the best example being Season 17's "Classical Music" Detour in Russia in which multiple pianists continue to stoically play their same pieces repeatedly over Racer hysteria at being unable to identify them correctly. The task itself had to be kept open for hours, though it's unlikely they had to play that long.
95	* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E8TheGunfighters "The Gunfighters"]], there's a subplot about the saloon trying to find a new piano player because their old one was shot last week. Eventually the Doctor's companions are forced to play at gunpoint.
96	-->'''Dodo:''' Do you know the song?\
97	'''Steven:''' Lets hope the piano knows it!
98	* Brad from ''Series/{{Glee}}'', who has [[TheVoiceless never spoken]] and tends to spontaneously appear whenever needed.
99	-->'''Rachel: BRAD!'''\
100	(''he enters'')\
101	'''Rachel:''' [[LampshadeHanging He's just always... around.]]
102	* An episode of ''Series/HaveGunWillTravel'' featured a young woman hiring Paladin to rescue her boyfriend who was one of these. The young man had accumulated a large gambling debt at a saloon and was forced to play the piano night and day without rest to pay it back. Paladin won the young man's freedom in a bet but said young man immediately took the money Paladin won and started playing poker again. At this point the girl who had hired Paladin realized her boyfriend was a lost cause and left.
103	* Skull reveals this talent in ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'' (surprising every member of the cast, ''especially'' Bulk). This is the important part of the plot of the episode where the revelation is made, as King Mondo is fond of the "mysterious piano player's" music and tries to kidnap him.
104	* In the KoreanDrama ''Series/ShiningInheritance'', an autistic child who is a genius on the piano is taken in by a bar owner, and eventually reunited with his family who is looking for him.
105	* Averted in ''Series/{{Westworld}}'' where TheWestern bar has a pianola for RuleOfSymbolism, played by a roll of punched paper.
106	* ''Series/TheWildWildWest'': One of Artemus Gordon's many, many, ''many'' disguises. Both the trope and the piano are well played, from white shirtsleeves and slicked hair to providing light accompaniment for a bar brawl.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Music]]
110	* Music/ElkieBrooke's ''Pearl's a Singer'' is from the point of view of a performer who never made it into the big time, but has enough ability to sustain a career playing at small gigs and as a jobbing piano player in clubs, who knows she's getting older and her dream of hitting the big time is ebbing fast.
111	-->''Pearl's a singer'';
112	-->''She stands up, when she plays the piano,''
113	-->''In a nighfclub.''
114	* Music/BillyJoel's "Piano Man" famously relates the point of view of a pianist playing a gig at the local bar as the regular cast of barflies make requests and sing along to forget their troubles. All together now: ''"It's nine o'clock on a Saturday..."''
115	* Music/EltonJohn has an album titled "Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player", his ShoutOut to the Creator/FrancoisTruffaut crime movie ''Shoot the Piano Player''.
116	** The song "Tiny Dancer" has "Piano man. He takes a stand."
117	* Referencing the Elton John album, the debut album of Branford Marsalis' side project ''BuckshotLeFonque'' features one track with an instrumental piano intro and outro. The former is entitled "Shoot The Piano Player" and the latter is entitled "Sorry, Elton" and ends with a gunshot and a discordant piano note.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
121	* Rowlf likewise serves as narrator and pianist in the original special of ''WesternAnimation/DogCity'', at one point putting his piano in a cart so he can play the music for the CarChase.
122	* Songwriter Music/PaulWilliams wrote the original music for ''Film/TheMuppetMovie''; he also had a cameo as the piano player at the "El Sleezo Cafe." In the dive bar/club, there's a sign next to the piano reading "Don't shoot, piano player."
123	* In the cowboy sketch on the first episode of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', the piano player is, of course, Rowlf, who also acts as the sketch's narrator.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Theater]]
127	* Parodied in ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' with "Ethel Toffelmier, our fine player-piano player--piano." Apparently, River City doesn't have a real piano available for official functions; if it did, Marian would likely be able to play it.
128	* Wesley in the play ''Theatre/TheTimeOfYourLife'' by William Saroyan.
129	* In ''Theatre/TheUnsinkableMollyBrown'', Molly finds work in Leadville as piano player of the Saddle Rock Saloon and Flophouse. She lies about knowing know how to play, and just manages to find one chord when the first customers come in. Her piano playing gets much better later.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Video Games]]
133	* ''VideoGame/FreddyPharkasFrontierPharmacist'' has a piano player called Neville Shute.
134	-->"You know, Neville Shute, the piano player... he's only doing his job."
135	* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies2'' has the Pianist Zombie, a Wild West-era piano-playing zombie. Naturally, the [[BackgroundMusicOverride background music switches to saloon piano]] while the zombie is on the lawn. His music causes the basic zombies to dance and periodically switch lanes, while his piano can quickly crush any plant in its way.
136	* Any saloons featured in ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' tend to have one of these pounding away on the dance floor. Given the setting, it's to be expected.
137	* In ''VideoGame/SnoopyFlyingAce'', Schroeder gets this role in a traditional sense, playing in a bar while the other characters discuss things with one another and bartender Linus (the game being a loving parody of/homage to old war movies).
138	* In ''VideoGame/WestOfLoathing'', every saloon except the one in Breadwood has a piano player. The one in Dirtwater is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKRCLXeZ7hQ out-of-tune]] when you first visit. Lloyd, TheBartender, explains that it's broken. Not the piano, the piano ''player'': a Mysticality check reveals it's some sort of automaton.
139	--> '''Lloyd:''' Well, if you're handy with mechanical-type stuff, something's gone wrong with our player piano player.
140	--> '''Player:''' I'll see what I can do.
141	--> '''Lloyd:''' Thanks! I'd've poked around in him myself, but I lost the key.
142	--> '''Player:''' This has suddenly taken a strange turn.
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder:Western Animation]]
146	* Player pianos, the paper-roll automatic version, is used in ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' for their "ghost player" effect.
147	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
148	** A food fight breaks out, complete with old-timey piano music. Halfway through the fight it cuts to Principal Skinner [[SorryILeftTheBGMOn nervously playing a piano]] in the middle of the cafeteria.
149	** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS14E1TreehouseOfHorrorXIII Treehouse of Horror XIII]]" features zombie UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid demanding Homer play the "piany", and getting angry when Homer starts playing classical music.
150	--->'''Billy the Kid:''' That's pian''o''! I said pian''y''!
151	** This similarly happens again in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E19KillTheAlligatorAndRun Kill the Alligator and Run]]", where Homer is ordered at bullwhip to play the piano. He plays it badly at first, before being whipped once and then playing very well. (Homer has in fact been shown over the years to be quite the talented piano player, even writing his own sheet music, making it one of his many WeakButSkilled abilities.)
152	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ThePianoPlayer