[REPLACE_WITH_BEETHOVEN_JOKE]

November 20, 2013 4:36 PM

A whole bunch of dogs playing the piano.
posted by griphus (22 comments total)

I love the way the dog keeps turning to the left for approval in the first two.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 4:43 PM on November 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

Well that's a puggle so it may be less "approval" and more "a sandwich."
posted by griphus at 4:44 PM on November 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

approval, tasty sign thereof, tomato, tomahto
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 4:45 PM on November 20, 2013

Those dogs play better than I do :D
posted by surazal at 4:50 PM on November 20, 2013

I have to say I very much prefer the ones that at least seem spontaneous, rather than with the owner prodding them with the promise of a treat. Those that do it for the art, not the money.

Here is my favorite of this genre.
posted by Flunkie at 4:57 PM on November 20, 2013 [9 favorites]

That's all very cute, but they can't compete with a harmonica-playing elephant (to be fair, elephants aren't any good at playing piano, either).
posted by Doktor Zed at 5:16 PM on November 20, 2013

I enjoyed these videos. I think I might set them to music. </beethovenjoke>
posted by uosuaq at 5:18 PM on November 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

Sit, Pere Ubu, Sit!
Good dog. [YIP!]
posted by not_on_display at 5:26 PM on November 20, 2013 [3 favorites]

Also, "Scientific analyses suggest that canines have a sense of pitch. Recordings of wolves have shown that each will change its tone when others join the chorus. No wolf seems to want to end up on the same note as any other in the choir. This is why a dog howling along with a group of singing humans is instantaneously noticeable. He is deliberately not in the same register as the other voices, and seems to revel in the discordant sound he creates."
posted by not_on_display at 5:29 PM on November 20, 2013 [2 favorites]

I think this is the classic of the genre.
posted by Luminiferous Ether at 5:48 PM on November 20, 2013

After a couple of those videos, I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole and wound up watching the Dog with Perfect Pitch video. Now I'm sure the owner is giving the retrievers all sorts of unintentional cues, but when the one dog starts playing Old MacDonald by ear (at 10:50), I must admit, I was a bit impressed.
posted by sardonyx at 6:08 PM on November 20, 2013 [4 favorites]

Dog plays Beethoven's Minuet in G.
posted by Iridic at 6:17 PM on November 20, 2013 [3 favorites]

Just want to mention that the Puggle No. 1 is legendary in my household and we have to watch it at least once a week. Every time I'm about to play a show, my wife will say "PLAY GOOD SONG. GET GOOD TREAT" as an alternative to "break a leg"

I've tried to teach my own puggle to play / sing like that but he just ignores me and licks his own ass and wiener. "Sure bro, I can't play piano, but you can't do ...THIS" (grunting and slurping sounds)
posted by jake at 6:51 PM on November 20, 2013 [5 favorites]

Whenever anyone mentions pugliese bread, my brain parses it as "pug Elise" and I imagine a dog playing Beethoven on the piano. Now I can finally live out my fantasy.
posted by archagon at 8:09 PM on November 20, 2013 [2 favorites]

wait... does that guy dress his poodle in a onesie before he leaves for work every day? Who does that?
posted by memewit at 8:34 PM on November 20, 2013

Wha?! . . . THEY STOLE MY BIT!!

/meltdown
posted by petebest at 5:22 AM on November 21, 2013

I actually liked the white poodle/terrier guy's performance. Unexpected consonance!
posted by ignignokt at 8:05 AM on November 21, 2013

Aw heck, I liked 'em all. But poodle/terrier set herself apart by being less avant/serialist.
posted by ignignokt at 8:06 AM on November 21, 2013

That "dog plays Old MacDonald" video that sardonyx linked to is really pretty wild. I'd like to see what the dog does if you play an interval, or even a chord.
posted by Flunkie at 9:11 AM on November 21, 2013

This completely devastated me. Something about the imitation of the humans combined with the plaintiveness of the howls. It's like fuckin Schoenberg. I can't take it. I may be pregnant.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:12 AM on November 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

Ooh, I finally have an occasion to use this drummer doge gif!
posted by Metroid Baby at 10:42 AM on November 21, 2013

not_on_display: This is why a dog howling along with a group of singing humans is instantaneously noticeable. He is deliberately not in the same register as the other voices, and seems to revel in the discordant sound he creates."

Also, they rarely know the words.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:44 AM on November 21, 2013