If you are a pianist, pianos are as essential as air or water. Missing your beloved piano at home? Always scanning random buildings for keyboards? In this blog I’ve played and reviewed free pianos available in Tartu.
đź“Ť University of Tartu Library 3F Music Room
🕣 Mon–Fri 9:00–19:00, Sat 12:00–18:00, Sun closed
🎹 YAMAHA Arius YDP-163 (digital piano)
On the library’s third floor you can find the Music Room, where you can play the piano and explore a wide range of piano score collections. You can immerse yourself in music with comfortable headphones for extended sessions. Two piano scorebooks are left on the piano: a collection of Georgian composers’ works and world classical music. By default, the keys are tuned so that low tones sound more prominent than high ones. The resistance of the keys is remarkably close to real piano keys.
Some keys in the middle register don’t function as well as others, making it challenging to express sensitive passages, especially under stress or at high speeds. As a result, chords sometimes don’t sound pleasant because these keys detect pressure too sensitively, producing disproportionately loud notes (likely due to a spring mechanism or touch sensor issue). I recommend setting touch sensitivity to fixed mode, though this will slightly muffle the tones. People typically play the piano here after school on weekdays, so I recommend visiting in the morning or early afternoon.
A network printer is nearby, so you can quickly print piano scores as needed. Overall, it’s a great place to play the piano, despite some limitations in expressive range.
x
đź“Ť Tartu Public Library
🕣 Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00, Sat 10:00–16:00, Sun closed
🎹 YAMAHA Arius YDP-S52 (digital piano), GEYER (upright piano)
The public library has two pianos on the fourth floor in the music and film department: one digital piano equipped with two headphones and an upright piano in the hall. You can connect two headphones simultaneously to the digital piano, allowing you and a friend to enjoy playing and listening together. Everything works perfectly, and this is personally my favorite digital piano in Tartu.
The upright piano is located in the small concert room, and it’s possible to use it when no events are taking place. The piano is well-tuned; however, you might find the pedals are positioned slightly high if you’re not wearing shoes. The music department has a rich collection of piano scores, films, CDs, vinyls, and even provides a CD player and record player. It’s a cozy place to immerse yourself in culture—a treat for both your ears and eyes.
PS: You can also rent musical instruments from the library!
x
đź“Ť University of Tartu College of Foreign Languages and Cultures (Lossi 3) 1F Entrance Lobby
🕣 Mon–Fri 7:00–21:30, Sat–Sun 8:00–20:00
🎹 J. BECKER (grand piano)
Right next to the entrance of Lossi 3 there is a grand piano. It’s not actively used and the condition is poor; some keys don’t function at all and the piano is badly out of tune. However, this is the only place I found where you can play a grand piano in Tartu. Please avoid working hours as it produces a very loud sound throughout the lobby. While it’s not suitable for piano practice, if you happen to attend parties at this location, you might find an opportunity to give a small recital.
x
đź“Ť University of Tartu Molecular Biology Institute
🕣 Mon–Sun working hours
🎹 Roland HP704 (digital piano)
You can play the piano at the end of the corridor in the Molecular Biology Institute. Currently, this place is set up for making a camouflage net for Ukraine. The piano is exceptionally high quality, and you can enjoy it with or without headphones. All keys detect sensitive lines well. I could not confirm the opening hours of the building, but as far as I know, it is open for regular working hours.
x
đź“Ť University of Tartu Delta Centre 3F Vaba Lava
🕣 Mon–Sun 7:30–8:00
🎹 Roland FP-90 (digital piano)
Next to the Sand Box room on the third floor, there is a recreation space in Delta Centre. Placed with cosy couches and recreational goods, you can find a Roland digital piano there. The keys are all sensitive and catch your tiny differences in expression. However, after pressing the keys, the reaction mechanism makes a muffled noise. I do not enjoy this backlash sound of the spring mechanism. You can set separate equalisers for low, middle, and high parts. You can also change a variety of parameters for the sound. The height of the pedals is perfectly set and functioning correctly. Please note that this piano is not equipped with headphones or a piano chair. The location, Vaba Lava, is a space for staff and Ph.D. students. Enjoy the piano if you are a staff or Ph.D. student.
Overall most of the places I covered are not well known, and pianos are seldom used. I appreciate those who shared with me information about pianos in Tartu. I am still looking for other places to play the piano in Tartu. If you know any, please let us know or comment down below!
Images author’s own. Cover image retrieved from https://tartukorraldab.ee/en/syndmused/tartu-city-piano/
Leave a Reply