# Free Rhodes and electric piano samples

> Free Rhodes, Wurlitzer and electric piano samples: notes, chords and loops for neo-soul, lo-fi, jazz and R&B, with root notes and a licence verdict.

28 samples from 3 sources (Openverse 14, Wikimedia Commons 13, Orange Free Sounds 1), updated 2026-10-23. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily.

- Same search in the browser: https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=electric+piano&category=keys
- Same search over the API: `curl "https://sound.shep.bot/v1/search?q=electric+piano&category=keys"`
- Details, files and the credit line: `GET https://sound.shep.bot/v1/samples/{id}` with an id from the table below.
- Licence verdicts: "Commercial use OK" (with or without credit) is cleared for a release; anything else must be checked or is non-commercial. See https://sound.shep.bot/docs/licences.md

## The sound of soul and lo-fi

Electric pianos were built as portable, amplified alternatives to the acoustic piano, and ended up with a sound of their own. The Rhodes is the warm, chiming keyboard of 1970s jazz fusion, soul and R&B, and of today's neo-soul and lo-fi hip hop. The Wurlitzer has a reedier, edgier tone heard in pop, rock and soul. Both respond strongly to how hard they are played.

## Using electric piano samples

Single-note samples are most useful as a multisampled instrument: several notes and velocities mapped in a sampler, so you can play your own chords. Chord one-shots and loops are quicker for sketching. A Rhodes almost always sounds better with some movement, so add a tremolo or chorus, and a touch of saturation for the overdriven bark.

Some free electric piano sets come from vintage-instrument sample sites; others are community recordings with mixed licences. The verdict on each card tells you which are cleared for a release.

## Samples

| Sample | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Electric Piano Man (Antti Luode)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Electric_Piano_Man_(Antti_Luode).mp3) | `wikimediacommons:Electric_Piano_Man_(Antti_Luode).mp3` | Keys, 3:40 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Electric piano chilled melody](https://freesound.org/people/Toivo161/sounds/266005) | `openverse:0805deb8-86f8-43f5-8ff3-61290f35439c` | Keys, 16 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Electric Piano Ident](https://orangefreesounds.com/electric-piano-ident/) | `orangefreesounds:26091` | Keys, Phrase, 6.0 s | Orange Free Sounds | CC BY-NC 4.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [Electric Piano Jazz Chords](https://freesound.org/people/nadetastic/sounds/528222) | `openverse:1a6b7525-89ab-4e5e-94fb-cd0ab57aa679` | Keys, 8.7 s | Openverse | CC BY 4.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Smooth Electric Piano Loop 123BPM](https://freesound.org/people/Orboram/sounds/663949) | `openverse:8368397e-cb3d-4166-8469-f54d7649e952` | Keys, Loop, 123 BPM, 31 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Electronic piano performance of Charles-Valentin Alkan Opus 31 No. 8 "La chanson de la folle au bord de la mer"](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Electronic_piano_performance_of_Charles-Valentin_Alkan_Opus_31_No._8_%22La_chanson_de_la_folle_au_bord_de_la_mer%22.wav) | `wikimediacommons:Electronic_piano_performance_of_Charles-Valentin_Alkan_Opus_31_No._8_"La_chanson_de_la_folle_au_bord_de_la_mer".wav` | Keys, Phrase, 3:06 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Rhodes Mark I Tubeamp](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhodes_Mark_I_Tubeamp.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Rhodes_Mark_I_Tubeamp.ogg` | Keys, 8.6 s | Wikimedia Commons | Public domain | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Electric Piano Man.wav](https://freesound.org/people/SystemShock79/sounds/592851) | `openverse:ccd08edf-c82f-4d07-b4b9-366631df26c7` | Keys, 15 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Jericho to město písní](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jericho_to_m%C4%9Bsto_p%C3%ADsn%C3%AD.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Jericho_to_město_písní.ogg` | Keys, 2:57 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Electric Piano Jazz Chords (Strummed)](https://freesound.org/people/nadetastic/sounds/528223) | `openverse:a40c9c24-1caf-4143-a32a-5d1354292303` | Keys, 8.9 s | Openverse | CC BY 3.0 | Commercial use OK with credit | yes |
| [Ehma - Prélude](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ehma_-_Pr%C3%A9lude.flac) | `wikimediacommons:Ehma_-_Prélude.flac` | Keys, 2:46 | Wikimedia Commons | FAL | Unclear: check the terms | yes |
| [Dissonant Electric Piano Sting 3](https://freesound.org/people/nomiqbomi/sounds/578340) | `openverse:8f665275-1b26-4b7f-9e8c-d91af1258613` | Keys, One-shot, 5.4 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [I To půjde](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:I_To_p%C5%AFjde.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:I_To_půjde.ogg` | Keys, 2:01 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dissonant Electric Piano Sting 2](https://freesound.org/people/nomiqbomi/sounds/578341) | `openverse:6ec16399-d21f-472d-b223-a017861c1008` | Keys, One-shot, 5.4 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Dissonant Electric Piano Sting 1](https://freesound.org/people/nomiqbomi/sounds/578343) | `openverse:61c118af-1309-45f0-b2d3-12db718d7e91` | Keys, One-shot, 5.4 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Etuda Spirituální rock](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Etuda_Spiritu%C3%A1ln%C3%AD_rock.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Etuda_Spirituální_rock.ogg` | Keys, 1:04 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dissonant Electric Piano Sting 7](https://freesound.org/people/nomiqbomi/sounds/578344) | `openverse:95f4eb28-e220-4029-bcfd-932ad36b2f10` | Keys, One-shot, 5.4 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Z popela](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Z_popela.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Z_popela.ogg` | Keys, 1:29 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Convoluted electric piano.](https://freesound.org/people/DefySolipsis/sounds/615968) | `openverse:a1ca83c6-dc90-4663-a9d2-0aefade59fdf` | Keys, 16 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Jazzy life](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jazzy_life.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Jazzy_life.ogg` | Keys, 3:46 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dissonant Electric Piano Sting 10](https://freesound.org/people/nomiqbomi/sounds/578342) | `openverse:223420b2-2f41-4d29-808d-67e66e60ead9` | Keys, One-shot, 5.4 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Etuda Mít tě tam na kytkách](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Etuda_M%C3%ADt_t%C4%9B_tam_na_kytk%C3%A1ch.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Etuda_Mít_tě_tam_na_kytkách.ogg` | Keys, 1:42 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Dissonant Electric Piano Sting 5](https://freesound.org/people/nomiqbomi/sounds/578346) | `openverse:6e536c34-17c1-4973-9a56-22e4c71c8d30` | Keys, One-shot, 5.4 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Jižák etuda](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ji%C5%BE%C3%A1k_etuda.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Jižák_etuda.ogg` | Keys, 1:24 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [Electric Piano Pedal.wav](https://freesound.org/people/Tairblenn/sounds/531529) | `openverse:deacaf91-bf44-4879-96b4-7708082a9572` | Keys, 16 s | Openverse | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes |
| [Jižák bicíII](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ji%C5%BE%C3%A1k_bic%C3%ADII.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Jižák_bicíII.ogg` | Keys, 1:27 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |
| [CS 80 ELECTRIC PIANO - 67 (G4) - vel 127](https://freesound.org/people/mogigrumbles/sounds/526330) | `openverse:617fdec8-29d6-40cc-9d58-19056e1a8748` | Keys, MIDI, 8.5 s | Openverse | CC BY-NC 3.0 | Non-commercial only | yes |
| [B Dárky pro Ježíška](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B_D%C3%A1rky_pro_Je%C5%BE%C3%AD%C5%A1ka.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:B_Dárky_pro_Ježíška.ogg` | Keys, 1:49 | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes |

## Questions

**How does a Rhodes make its sound?**

A hammer strikes a thin metal tine next to a tuned bar, and an electromagnetic pickup, like a guitar's, turns the vibration into a signal. Played softly it is warm and round; played hard the tines bark and bite.

**What is the difference between a Rhodes and a Wurlitzer?**

A Wurlitzer uses metal reeds rather than tines, which gives it a reedier, more nasal tone that breaks up into grit when played hard. A Rhodes is rounder and more bell-like.

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Source: https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-rhodes-electric-piano-samples