Overview
The Piano skill in The Sims 4 lets your Sims learn, perform, and compose music across 10 levels. This guide covers each skill level, how to build it quickly, all unlockable songs, and cheats to boost progress. Whether you want your Sim to entertain, inspire, or become a musical star, this guide has everything you need.
About the Piano skill
- The Piano skill comes with The Sims 4 Base Game, and is a 10 level skill.
- Elder, Adult, Young Adult, Teen, and Child Sims can all build this skill.
- Mentoring other Sims is available from this skill once a Sim reaches level 5.
- Select this option from the piano.
- If you own The Sims 4 Get Famous Expansion Pack, writing, licensing songs, and performing in public will increase your Sim’s Fame level.
- The following Traits are helpful when building the Piano skill:
- Creative Trait: These Sims are inspired more often, Share Creative Ideas with other Sims, and become upset if they’re not creative for a period of time
- Music Lover Trait: These Sims gain powerful Moodlets and boost their Fun Need when Listening to Music and become Happy when playing instruments.
- Looking for a side hustle? If your Sim performs on non-residential Lots like a Bar or Lounge, they can earn tips!
- The Great Acoustics Lot Trait increases how fast your Sim builds this skill.
Mastering the piano skill is a key part of the Entertainer career. Want to learn more? Check out our Entertainer career guide.
How to build the Piano skill
There are multiple ways for your Sim to build the Piano skill. Some interactions are only unlocked when your Sim reaches a certain level of skill.Select a Piano and choose Practice. There are a couple of pianos that come with The Sims 4 Base Game, and more are added with other Packs. Find and buy these from Build Mode:As your Sim levels up in this skill, more interactions will become available to them. Eventually, your Sim can perform and write songs, which also builds skill.
- DigiRAD Keyboard (§945) comes with The Sims 4 City Living Expansion Pack
- San Sequoia Classic Upright Piano (§1,300) comes with The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack
- Chestnut Saloon Upright Piano (§1,300) comes with The Sims 4 Horse Ranch Expansion Pack
- Get Down Up Right Piano (§1,350) comes with The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack
- Tickle my Ivories Grand Piano (§1,415) comes with The Sims 4 Base Game
- Swooning Grand Piano (§2,250) comes with The Sims 4 Wedding Stories Game Pack
- Grandiose Piano (§3,400) comes with The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy Expansion Pack
- Classical Genius Antique Piano (§3,600) is unblocked at level 7 of the Music branch of the Entertainer career
Reading skill books will work towards building skills, but is slower than other methods. Books will only get you as far as level 9 of a skill. To buy skill books:The skill books are:
- 1Select a bookshelf and choose Purchase Books.
- 2In the pop-up, select the drop-down at the top-left that reads Show All.
- 3Choose Skill and scroll through to find the book you want to buy. These will be added to your Sim’s bookshelf.
- Piano Vol 1: It’s Pretty Black and White
- Piano Vol 2: Sharps, Flats, and Naturals
- Piano Vol 3: Concertos, Minutes, and Sonatas
If you own The Sims 4 Jungle Adventure Game Pack, the Peace and Quiet Lot Trait helps your Sim build skill faster when reading skill books.
If you own The Sims 4 Discover University Expansion Pack, your Sim can attend skill-building classes. These are rabbit-holes, so your Sim will leave the Lot for some time and then come back when the class is over. Note: Skill Classes are only available between 9 a.m.– 9 p.m.
- 1In Live Mode, select your Sim’s phone.
- 2Open the Business app (the briefcase icon).
- 3Choose Sit in on Skill Class (§250).
- 4In the pop-up menu, choose Piano. Your Sim will leave the Lot and gain Piano skill while at the class.
If you own The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack, your Sim can learn or teach the Piano skill using the Sharing is Caring Whiteboard. You’ll find this in Build Mode.
Piano skill levels
As your Sim builds the Piano skill, they’ll unlock new abilities and interactions along the way. A green progress bar will appear above your Sim’s head and gradually fill up as they’re building a skill. You can also check their progress by:- 1Entering Live Mode.
- 2Selecting the Sim Panel (bottom left).
- 3Selecting the Skills tab.
At this level, your Sim can Practice playing piano.
At this level, your Sim can:
- Rhapsodize about Piano Sonatas to other Sims
- Appreciate Classical Music on a stereo
At this level, your Sim can:
- Plunk for Inspiration on the piano
- Play Traditional Songs: Groove Groove, O Oasis Springs, Oh My Darling, The Lot of the Rising Sun, Willow Creek Ditty
At this level, your Sim can:
- Play Concerto
- Play Blues Songs: I Failed the Smoke, No Time for Now, Where’d the Day Go
At this level, your Sim can:
- Listen and Learn from other Pianists who are more skilled
- Play Romantic Songs: All My Hearts, For Bella, Meant to Sims, Relationship Bits
At this level, your Sim can:
- Serenade other Sims
- Play Post-Bop songs: But I Said So, Need More Information, Not the Best Location, Triage
At this level, your Sim can:
- Promise to Dedicate songs to other Sims
- Play Latin Songs: Let’s Go Downtown, Often I Wonder, Saloon Sweetheart, Seriously Suave
At this level, your Sim can
- Write, Scrap, and Name songs
- Perform Jazz Up the Place
- Play Ragtime Songs: Comparing Errors, The Nag Report, Wag It Out
At this level, your Sim can:
- License Songs
- Do this with a song your Sim has written. Select the Mailbox and choose License Song.
- Play Classical songs: All My Hearts, For Bella, Relationship Bits
At this level, your Sim can:
- Play Avant-garde songs: Cue the Queue, PPT on Deck, Social Positioning
Piano skill cheats
When using skill cheats, type in the number of the level you want to reach. For example, putting stats.set_skill_level major_piano 7 into the cheat bar will get your Sim’s Piano skill up to level 7.PC and Mac
PlayStation®
Xbox
- 1Press Control + Shift + C to open the cheat dialogue box.
- 2Type testingcheats true and press Enter to turn on cheats.
- 3Type stats.set_skill_level major_piano [skill level] and press Enter.