Groucho Marx once said that Chico never practiced the pieces he played. Instead, before performances he soaked his fingers in hot water. He was known for 'shooting' the keys of the piano. He played passages with his thumb up and index finger straight, like a gun, as part of the act. Other examples of his keyboard flamboyance are found in "A Night at the Opera" (1935), where he plays the piano for a group of delighted children, and "A Night in Casablanca" (1946), where he performs a rendition of "The Beer Barrel Polka".