he was playing the piano. vs he was playing with the piano

Both phrases are correct, but they convey slightly different meanings. 'He was playing the piano.' indicates that he was playing music on the piano, while 'He was playing with the piano.' suggests that he was interacting with the physical piano in a playful or non-musical way.

Last updated: March 12, 2024 • 989 views

he was playing the piano.

This phrase is correct and commonly used to indicate someone playing music on the piano.

This phrase is used to describe someone performing music on the piano.

Examples:

She was playing the piano beautifully.
He has been playing the piano since he was a child.

Show examples from the web [+]

[M] [T] Mary plays the piano. [M] [T] Can you play the piano? [M] [T] He played piano by ear. [M] [T] He was playing the piano. [M] [T] She plays the piano by ear.
He's led a strange life; he's a bright guy – a musician, a scholar with a Ph.D in Shakespearian studies and a published poet - but he was playing the piano for ...
And then he went nuts again when he heard he was playing the piano alongside Jon and Curtis.” Wess is featured on flute on Quincy Jones' “Jessica's Day,” ...
It was Gould's mother who taught him to sing along with the music when he was playing the piano at home. By the time he noticed that he had retained the habit ...

Alternatives:

He was playing a piece on the piano.
He was practicing the piano.
He was performing on the piano.
He was playing a melody on the piano.
He was tickling the ivories.

he was playing with the piano

This phrase is correct and can be used to indicate someone interacting with the physical piano in a non-musical way.

This phrase is used when someone is engaging with the piano in a playful or non-musical manner.

Examples:

He was playing with the piano keys.
She was playing with the piano pedals.
The children were playing with the piano cover.

Show examples from the web [+]

Apr 1, 2013 ... The sound is… Anyway, I don't know who he was playing with, the piano player— I can't give a name. A European, French, American, Italian…

Alternatives:

He was fiddling with the piano.
He was toying with the piano.
He was tinkering with the piano.
He was messing around with the piano.
He was exploring the piano.

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he was playing the piano. vs he was playing with the piano