# Man teaches octopus to play piano **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 7, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212 "2026-08-07T15:30:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/21 "2026-08-08T13:29:05Z")
Honestly, I suspect that, on an individual basis, octopuses are more intelligent than humans. Us being social (and hence teaching each other what we’ve learned) is the only thing that keeps us ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/22 "2026-08-08T13:45:18Z")
I had never thought about that! Upon reflection I also suspect that it’s true once you also consider their short lifespans. Imagine how intelligent they would seem if they could communicate with each other _and_ lived for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/23 "2026-08-08T14:26:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Us being social (and hence teaching each other what we’ve learned) is the only thing that keeps us ahead. > [@Ludovic](#): > > once you also consider their short lifespans Yeah, considering most species are gone in about a year or two, some in less than that and even the longest-lived in about five, octopuses are never getting anywhere. Remarkable critters, but in a broader sense very, very limited by habitat and lifespan. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/24 "2026-08-08T22:14:04Z")
Just because you don’t understand them doesn’t mean they don’t communicate. I suspect the first humans didn’t live long either, or communicate any better. Heck humans still have trouble communicating, today. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/25 "2026-08-08T22:21:00Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I suspect the first humans didn’t live long either, or communicate any better. Yes, they did, not as long as modern humans, but for several decades, long enough to form social/communicative bonds. We evolved from creatures that were social animals a long time ago. long before we got speech. Octopuses are creatures that developed quite differently, so you really can’t compare those two in terms of intelligence or abilities. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/26 "2026-08-08T22:56:41Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Just because you don’t understand them doesn’t mean they don’t communicate. It’s not because we don’t understand them. We don’t understand whales, either, but we’re confident that they do communicate (and their communication might, for all we can tell, even be as advanced as our own languages). But octopuses never interact with each other except to mate, that only briefly, and then they die before the eggs even hatch. They don’t even have any opportunity to communicate. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/27 "2026-08-09T22:29:11Z")
Taco is the coolest musician ever! And just like human musicians, he can get crabs. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/28 "2026-08-09T22:35:38Z")
It’s interesting though that cuttlefish do communicate, through a complex system of changes in skin coloring and texture, as well as body posture. And octopuses have the same ability to change their skin coloring and texture but apparently they use it much less for communication. They do however use it for communication occasionally during mating and territorial disputes. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/29 "2026-08-09T22:37:13Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Taco is the coolest musician ever! I beg to differ: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YsGjFh1ke44/maxresdefault.jpg "Taco - Puttin' On The Ritz (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsGjFh1ke44) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2026, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/30 "2026-08-09T23:56:44Z")
If George can teach Ringo chord progressions, anything is possible. [George and Ringo](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HFeAb3UW7tk) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/31 "2026-08-10T00:13:28Z")
Kinda reminds me of Remarkably Bright Creatures- which was fine until the ending- which was just stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/32 "2026-08-10T01:03:24Z")
Eh, it was OK, but it gave the octopus the wrong kind of intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212/33 "2026-08-10T02:17:16Z")
I’d always heard John and Paul wrote that and gave it to Richie; nice to see Ringo actually wrote some of it. Thanx. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-teaches-octopus-to-play-piano/1032212.md?page=1)