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How a Player Piano Works

This one is very basic and mechanical, although quite a good piano, and gives a fairly full explanation of the mechanism:

Reproducing Pianos

At the top end of the player piano scale, however, mechanical "reproducing" pianos like this beautifully restored Ampico grand are capable of astonishingly expressive playing. You may recognise the tune. It is Joseph Ascher's "Alice, Where Art Thou", and it was used as the theme music for TV's "Open All Hours":

Pianola Documentary

A "Calendar Carousel" documentary about pianolas from 1980. Recorded at an NWPPA meeting at Geoff Worral's house in Sheffield:

Conlon Nancarrow

Conlon Nancarrow was a composer who lived in Mexico and wrote pieces for a "prepared" Ampico player piano: