“You thought you came here to see a professional!”: Taylor Swift hits a Champagne Problem as she plays the wrong note on the piano and is forced to restart song during a recent Eras Tour show

Taylor Swift piano mistake
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift had already been hit by one piano-related mishap already on her Eras tour - playing a rain-damaged keyboard live on stage isn’t a good idea, it turns out - and at her recent show in Buenos Aires, she suffered another one. This time, though, it was all on her.

The incident occurred when Swift sat down to perform the appropriately titled Champagne Problems. Things were going fine until she very obviously played the wrong chord, going to a C major rather than an F major.

Rather than attempt to style it out, Swift chose to stop and acknowledge the mistake. “I have had two months off,” she chuckled, referencing the fact she’s only just gone back on the road after a break in her touring schedule.

“I practised this so many times before tonight!” Swift continued, before joking that “You thought you came here to see a professional!”

Which brings to mind the old adage that we were constantly reminded of when we were learning to play the piano: Amateurs practise until they get it right; professionals practise until they can’t go wrong. Judging by their amused reaction, though, Swift’s fans were more than happy to let her off on this occasion.

The incident also caused much mirth on social media, with Swifties announcing that the ‘Errors’ tour is back. The name refers to the numerous minor mishaps that have befallen Swift during her Eras era, such as the aforementioned rain-soaked piano that started playing itself and the time when a trapdoor that she was supposed to descend through failed to open.

There was also much amusement earlier this year when a fan who purchased her re-recorded version of the Speak Now album discovered that it had actually been pressed with some rare ‘90s UK electronica.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.