🎹 Calories Burned Playing Piano Calculator
Calculate your calorie burn from piano playing using MET-based science — enter your weight, session duration & intensity
| Body Weight | 30 Min (Active) | 45 Min (Active) | 60 Min (Active) | 60 Min (Performance) | 90 Min (Performance) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lbs (54 kg) | 96 cal | 144 cal | 192 cal | 240 cal | 360 cal |
| 140 lbs (64 kg) | 112 cal | 168 cal | 224 cal | 280 cal | 420 cal |
| 155 lbs (70 kg) | 124 cal | 186 cal | 248 cal | 310 cal | 465 cal |
| 170 lbs (77 kg) | 136 cal | 204 cal | 272 cal | 340 cal | 510 cal |
| 185 lbs (84 kg) | 148 cal | 222 cal | 296 cal | 370 cal | 555 cal |
| 200 lbs (91 kg) | 160 cal | 240 cal | 320 cal | 400 cal | 600 cal |
| 220 lbs (100 kg) | 176 cal | 264 cal | 352 cal | 440 cal | 660 cal |
| 250 lbs (113 kg) | 200 cal | 300 cal | 400 cal | 500 cal | 750 cal |
| Sessions/Week | Min/Session | Weekly (155 lbs) | Monthly (155 lbs) | Annual (155 lbs) | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 30 | 372 cal | 1,488 cal | 17,856 cal | Active |
| 5 | 30 | 620 cal | 2,480 cal | 29,760 cal | Active |
| 5 | 60 | 1,240 cal | 4,960 cal | 59,520 cal | Active |
| 7 | 45 | 1,302 cal | 5,208 cal | 62,496 cal | Active |
| 5 | 60 | 1,550 cal | 6,200 cal | 74,400 cal | Performance |
| 7 | 90 | 3,255 cal | 13,020 cal | 156,240 cal | Performance |
| Activity | MET Value | Cal/Hr (155 lbs) | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping | 0.9 | ~62 | Rest |
| Sitting (watching TV) | 1.3 | ~90 | Sedentary |
| Piano (Teaching/Listening) | 2.0 | ~138 | Light |
| Piano (Casual Practice) | 2.3 | ~159 | Light |
| Piano (Active Playing) | 2.8 | ~193 | Light–Moderate |
| Piano (Live Performance) | 3.5 | ~242 | Moderate |
| Piano (Concert Recital) | 4.0 | ~276 | Moderate |
| Walking (3 mph) | 3.5 | ~242 | Moderate |
| Golf (carrying clubs) | 4.3 | ~297 | Moderate |
| Cycling (light) | 5.8 | ~400 | Vigorous |
| Running (6 mph) | 9.8 | ~677 | High |
| Pounds (lbs) | Kilograms (kg) | Cal/Hr MET 2.3 | Cal/Hr MET 2.8 | Cal/Hr MET 3.5 | Cal/Hr MET 4.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 lbs | 50 kg | 115 | 140 | 175 | 200 |
| 132 lbs | 60 kg | 138 | 168 | 210 | 240 |
| 154 lbs | 70 kg | 161 | 196 | 245 | 280 |
| 176 lbs | 80 kg | 184 | 224 | 280 | 320 |
| 198 lbs | 90 kg | 207 | 252 | 315 | 360 |
| 220 lbs | 100 kg | 230 | 280 | 350 | 400 |
Playing piano really burns more calories than many folks believe. Many factors affect that, so various resources commonly mention different values for the calories burned. Even so it matters to check the figures, to have a rough image of what happens during a practice session.
Basic mode estimate it start with the basic metabolic rate, or BMR. It shows how many calories the body uses simply because of life. To count BMR, one needs to enter height, weight, age and sex.
How many calories do you burn playing piano?
For instance, if some have BMR of 2400 calories, that matches to around 100 calories each hour, only during lying in bed. If one sits before the piano during three hours, one burns a bit more than 300 calories, only because of life and sitting there.
The real expense of calories for playing piano during sitting of 60 minutes estimate at around 197 calories. Other calculation lay it at roughly 119 calories each hour. Extra ratings point, that piano can consume between 6,5 and 11,5 calories each minute.
Like this the values change according to the source.
Also matters, what style one plays. Burning 200 calories during one and half of hours is more likely, when one plays energetic books of authors as Liszt or Rachmaninov. There is a famous video about a pianist, that plays all transcendental studies of Liszt, and at the end sweat flows down his face, because he gives everything for every bit.
That style of play could consume at least 300 calories. Even playing of ragtime peices, as “The Entertainer” or “Maple Leaf Rag”, can raise the heart rate, with around 200 calories spent during hour of practice.
One mode estimate the active calories are made up of multiply the played minutes by 1,5. So 60 minutes of play would result in around 90 active calories.
Piano playing involve more than only the fingers. The arms and the belly also work physically. The arms move quite a lot, which burns some extra calories compared too something as typing, where only the fingers move.
The heartbeat can rise during the play, and you normally feel sweating and tired after one or two hours of practice.
Even so, although one burns calories playing piano, it is not the best exercise to lose weight. But it beats doing nothing. Compared to other instruments, blowing trumpet also consume around 119 calories each hour, and violin playing close to that.
Guitar playing burns between 100 and 200 calories each hour, according to the guitar and the effort. Sitting and playinganybody instrument do not consume much more than other sitting activities.
