Piano player with speedy fingers hits 1,030 keys in one minute for seventh record title

The 88 black and white keys were shining brightly on his piano, but unlike many pianists, Keita Hattori (Japan) was only focused on one. 

The Guinness World Records titleholder was a lifelong musician, who already collected a handful of records for his quick drumming skills. But for his most recent attempt, taken on 20 December 2024, he’d be taking on his fastest challenge yet – trying to hit the most piano key hits in one minute. 

He had attempted the record twice before, in August and December 2023, obtaining the record for hitting 892 and then 958 keys, respectively. But Keita knew that he could do even better – and increase the gap between him and the next-best titleholder – by making his third time the charm. 

So he practised for months and tweaked his form until he felt confident enough to call up the Guinness World Records team and announce his attempt.

Keita decided to sit on the far right of the piano, and alternating between his two index fingers, he would hit the furthest-most right high C key repeatedly until the one-minute timer was up.

He stretched out his hands thoroughly before the attempt, and then standing facing the piano, he took a deep breath and began to play.

Sitting rigid and upright, his stiff body was slightly shaking as the quickly repeated motion jerked him back and forth. A close-up, slow motion video camera focused on his hands showed that his fingertips would lightly graze the key before lifting back up, ceaselessly tapping. The high C key let out an unrelenting squeal while he played, warbling in the millisecond that Keita’s fingers would lift off the key.

But his practice (and perhaps his nervous panic) paid off – by the time the timer squeaked at one minute, Keita had hit a record-breaking 1,030 keys.

The piano prodigy also set a similar record that same day, for most piano keys hit in 30 seconds. In half the amount of time from the prior record, Keita was able to hit 533 keys, breaking the 500-key record title held by Thurzó Zoltán (Romania) since October 2024.

He also holds the record titles for most single stroke roll drumbeats in a minute using drumsticks (1,334), most single stroke roll drumbeats in 30 seconds using drumsticks (687), and the most single stroke roll drumbeats in three minutes using drumsticks (3,706).

His quick brain also helped him obtain record titles in the fastest time to solve a 6 level Tower of Hanoi (23.02 sec) and 10 level Tower of Hanoi (8 min 12 sec), which is a mathematical stacking game involving relocating rings.

Here’s to hoping his hands don’t get sore!