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New 2010 Reliance music rolls available played by James P. Johnson & Les Copeland! Click here
Lost roll played by Scott Joplin discovered! Click here


Welcome to pianola.co.nz! Here you can listen to the performances of the great pianists and arrangers of the past,  converted from the original player piano rolls to modern MIDI format!
Player grand piano in operation
The player piano had its heyday between 1900 and 1930, when it brought music to the home prior to recorded music becoming widely available (and of acceptable sound quality). During this time, literally millions of piano rolls, recorded and arranged by some of the most famous pianists of the era, were produced by dozens of music roll companies. Music to suit every taste was available, from classical to ragtime to the popular hits of the day.
Recording a hand-played piano roll, 1920s


Now, over 100 years after the player piano was invented, time has taken its toll on the paper music rolls. Thanks to the dedication of enthusiasts worldwide, the technology now exists to preserve this wonderful music for all time, using custom-built optical scanners and software. What you hear on your computer is exactly what was recorded or arranged onto roll, in many cases over 90 years ago.

I've made these scanned piano rolls available for all to download and listen to, free of charge. All I request in return is that, if you enjoy the music, you sign my guestbook and let me know.

To start listening, click the 'Piano Roll MIDI scans' link on the menu at the top of the page. Other interesting parts of the site include the Piano Roll Artists page, where you can read biographical details about some of the pianists who made the rolls. Want to watch the piano keys move on your screen as the music plays, just like a real player piano, while viewing the full details of each rollscan? Click here to download the best MIDI player in the world - and it's free!

 

Enjoy the music!
 

SITE NEWS/ADDITIONS:
21 February 2010:
New biographies of Imperial artist Jack Clyde and Ideal/Jewel artist Ed. Sheppard ("L. Bradley") added.
07 February 2010:
First zipfile from the Erik York collection available for download - the files within will be progressively added to the main database.
01 February 2010:
2009 zipfile now available for download - contains all 166 of my 2009 scans. Hilda Myers biography updated.
31 January 2010:
New biographies of Vocalstyle artist Ruth Mack and Capitol/Supertone artist Bonnie Bergstrom added
25 January 2010:
Over 30 new rollscans. Biography of Columbia/Supertone artist Marg. Thompson added
29 June 2009:
Over 50 new rollscans!
02 May 2009:
43 more rollscans added!

 


To search or listen to the complete archive of over 400 scanned piano rolls, visit the Piano Roll MIDI Scans page. Below, you'll find a small selection of my latest scans.



 

18th Street Strut - Blues  (Moten, 1925)
Played by Jones, Eubie (pseudonym of J. Lawrence Cook)          US Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     18thStreetStrut(1925)_US-43538_EubieJones

Anything Is Nice If It Comes From Dixieland - Fox-Trot  (Clarke - Meyer - Ager, 1919)
Played by Davison, Walter & Murray, Joe          Vocalstyle Song Roll
Click to Listen >>     AnythingIsNiceIfItComesFromDixieland(1919)_Vocalstyle-11388_WalterDavisonAndJoeMurray

Blue Room - Fox Trot  (Rodgers - Hart, 1926)
Played by Murn, Edith          Mastertouch Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     BlueRoom(1926)_Mastertouch-AD4548_EdithMurn

Bouncing At The Rubber Ball - Fox Trot  (Lewis & Erdman, 1916)
Played by Grey, Minerva          Connorized Guaranteed Hand Played Record
Click to Listen >>     BouncingAtTheRubberBall(1916)_Connorized-20391_MinervaGrey

Ching Chong - Popular Song  (Lee S. Roberts, 1917)
Played by Arranged Roll          Kimball Music Roll
Click to Listen >>     ChingChong(1917)_Kimball-7160

Ching Chong - Saxo-Rag One Step  (Roberts, 1917)
Played by Mason, Ben          Perfection Full Score Arrangement
Click to Listen >>     ChingChong(1917)_Perfection-87035_BenMason

Eccentricity - Syncopated Waltz  (James P. Johnson, c. 1917)
Played by Johnson, James P. (The Composer)          Artempo Roll
Click to Listen >>     EccentricitySyncopatedWaltz(1918)_Artempo-12997_ComposerJamesPJohnson

Four O'Clock Blues - Blues  (Dunn & Horsley, 1923)
Played by Johnson, "Buck"          Vocalstyle Song Roll
Click to Listen >>     FourOClockBlues(1923)_Vocalstyle-12355_BuckJohnson

Good-Bye Shanghai - Chinese Fox Trot  (Johnson & Meyer, 1921)
Played by Straight, Charley (assisted by Horace O. Prell)          US Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     GoodbyeShanghai(1921)_US-40659_CharleyStraightAndHoracePrell

Hawaiian Sunshine - Popular  (Carey Morgan, 1916)
Played by Goodman, Caroline          Vocalstyle Song Roll
Click to Listen >>     HawaiianSunshine(1916)_Vocalstyle-10662_CarolineGoodman

He Never Did A Dawgone Thing - One-Step.  (Jean Andrews, 1920)
Played by Andrews, Jean (the Composer)          Orient Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     HeNeverDidADawgoneThing(1920)_Orient-12571_TheComposerJeanAndrews

How 'Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm - (After They've Seen Paree)  (Lewis - Young - Donaldson, 1918)
Played by Pardey, Laurel          Mastertouch Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     HowYaGonnaKeepEmDownOnTheFarm(1918)_Mastertouch-AD4986_LaurelPardey

June Night (Just Give Me A June Night, The Moonlight And You) - Fox Trot  (Friend & Baer, 1924)
Played by Myers, Hilda          Vocalstyle Song Roll
Click to Listen >>     JuneNight(1924)_Vocalstyle-12972_HildaMyers

Lafayette (We Hear You Calling) - One Step  (Mary Earl, 1918)
Played by Sawyer, Neal & Bixby          Artempo Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     LafayetteWeHearYouCalling(1918)_Artempo-71568_NealSawyerAndBixby

Lovin' Sam The Sheik Of Alabam' - Fox Trot  (Yellen & Ager, 1922)
Played by Myers, Hilda          Vocalstyle Song Roll
Click to Listen >>     LovinSamTheSheikOfAlabam(1922)_Vocalstyle-12318_HildaMyers

March Waikato  (T. S. Webster, 1908)
Played by ? (uncredited)          Reliance Music Roll
Click to Listen >>     MarchWaikato(1908)_Reliance-35017

Mean Blues - Blues  (Smythe & Gillham, 1923)
Played by Gillham, Art (The Composer)          Vocalstyle Song Roll
Click to Listen >>     MeanBlues(1923)_Vocalstyle-12786_ComposerArtGillham

Mr. Sandman - Fox Trot  (Ballard, 1954)
Played by Murn, Edith          Mastertouch Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     MrSandman(1954)_Mastertouch-AD4837_EdithMurn

My Mammy Knows - Fox Trot  (De Costa & Jerome, 1921)
Played by Straight, Charley          US Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     MyMammyKnows(1921)_US-40654_CharleyStraight

Nights Of Gladness - Valse  (Chas. Ancliffe, 1912)
Played by Heilbronner, Sollie& Cripe, Mabel          QRS Autograph Hand Played
Click to Listen >>     NightsOfGladness(1912)_QRS-100076_SollieHeilbronnerAndMabelCripe

Oh! Gee! Say Gee! - Fox Trot  (Brown & Von Tilzer, 1921)
Played by Bargy, Roy          Recordo Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     OhGeeSayGee(1920)_Recordo-65080_RoyBargy

Popular Rag Medley, No. 19 - 1) That Dawggone 2) Hungarian 3) Dynamite 4) Humpty Dumpty 5) American  (Various, Various)
Played by Brown, M. E. [arr]          Supertone Music Roll
Click to Listen >>     PopularRagMedley19(1915)_Supertone-870765_MEBrown

Rag Medley No. 3 - Contents: Somebody Stole My Gal; Who; I Can't Give You Anything but Love; Nobody'  (Various, Various)
Played by Pardey, Laurel          Mastertouch Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     RagMedley3_Mastertouch-AD3847_LaurelPardey

Red Hot Mamma - Fox-Trot  (Wells - Cooper - Rose (uncredited), 1924)
Played by Robbins, Everett          Supertone Player Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     RedHotMamma(1924)_Supertone-5493_EverettRobbins

Rose, Rose, I Love You - English adaption of famous Chinese Song  (Wu Cun & Chen Gixin, 1940 & Arranged by Chris. Langdon. English Lyrics by Wilfred Thomas, 1940/1951)
Played by Pardey, Laurel          Mastertouch Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     RoseRoseILoveYou(1951)_Mastertouch-AD4612_LaurelPardey

Sally - Selection  (Jerome Kern, 1920)
Played by ? (Uncredited)          Reliance Music Roll
Click to Listen >>     SallySelection(1920)_Reliance-35020

Singin' in the Rain - Fox Trot  (Freed - Brown, 1929)
Played by Hill, Alex          Supertone Player Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     SinginInTheRain(1929)_SupertoneCapitol-6231_AlexHill

Swanee - One Step  (Caeser & Gershwin, 1919)
Played by Reeves, Eva          Connorized Song Words
Click to Listen >>     Swanee(1919)_Connorized-6739_EvaReeves

The Jazz Dance Repertoire - "The Love Boat"  (Brooks, 1920)
Played by Baker, Edythe          MelODee Song Roll
Click to Listen >>     JazzDanceRepertoire(1920)_MelODee-3737_EdytheBaker

The Tennessee Blues - Fox Trot  (Warner & Holt, 1916)
Played by Wendling, Pete          QRS Autograph Word Roll
Click to Listen >>     TheTennesseeBlues(1916)_QRS-228_PeteWendling

Tripping Along With You And Me - Waltz  (Sullivan & Hasford, 1923)
Played by Myers, Hilda          Vocalstyle Song Roll
Click to Listen >>     TrippingAlongWithYouAndMe(1923)_Vocalstyle-12705_HildaMyers

Where Do We Go From Here? - March Song  (Wenrich, Percy, 1917)
Played by Luttman, Ida          Rolla Artis Hand Played
Click to Listen >>     WhereDoWeGoFromHere(1917)_RollaArtis-50515_IdaLuttman

You're In Kentucky Sure As You're Born - Fox Trot  (Little, Gillespie & Shay, 1923)
Played by Schutt, Arthur          Standard Play-A-Roll
Click to Listen >>     YoureInKentuckySureAsYoureBorn(1923)_StandardPlayARoll0588_ArthurSchutt


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