On September 3rd, 2025, a Flat composer who goes by Realistic was bored. He had not posted in a while, had just finished a short piano solo that sounded decent, and thought, "I'm just going to publish this because why not." He could not think of a name, so he called it after the date: September 3rd. At the bottom of the description, he added a half-joke: "October 3rd next?"

The community answered. September 3rd shot up the popular charts in days, and the comments filled with the same three words: OCTOBER 3RD NEXT. That accidental post became the 3rds tradition, a full year of short piano solos released on the 3rd of each month. Now Realistic is handing it to you. Here is how it started, what it grew into, and how the whole Flat community can keep it alive.

So, what is a "3rd"?

A 3rd is a score posted on the 3rd of any month, dedicated to that 3rd of the month. In Realistic's own words:

"3rds is what I call scores posted on the 3rd of any month, dedicated to that 3rd. The tradition started on September 3rd, and that 3rd was posted and dedicated to that day."

The format is small on purpose. One piano, one short piece, named after the day it goes out. No orchestras, no symphonies, no duets. Just a little piano solo that captures how a moment in the year feels to you.

How one bored afternoon became a worldwide tradition

Nothing about this was planned. That is what makes it special.

"I was bored and hadn't posted in a while. I had just finished a short piano solo and thought, 'I'm just going to publish this because why not.' I couldn't think of what to name it, so I named it the date. Then I jokingly asked, 'October 3rd next?'"

The joke turned into a promise. Users from all over Flat kept commenting the same thing, so on October 3rd, Realistic posted October 3rd. Then the comments changed to "Why stop there?" So November 3rd arrived. By then it was no longer a one-off. It was a monthly ritual that people watched for and counted on.

A whole year written in seasons

Here is the part most people did not notice at first. The 3rds were never random. Each one is a snapshot of where the year is emotionally.

"Looking back, the 3rds weren't just songs. They were reminders. Each 3rd is meant to remind you of the season of life."

Across the year, the mood shifts on purpose:

  • September and October lean mysterious and a little spooky.
  • November is the turn, moving from eerie toward warm.
  • December through April are joyful and uplifting, carrying in the new year.
  • May takes a twist for Paranormal Day, the halfway mark to Halloween.
  • June through August relax into the easy feel of summer.
  • September 3rd, 2026 lands the series with a strong, smooth finish.

Twelve months of life, told through thirteen short piano pieces. That seasonal thread is exactly what the tradition invites you to make your own.

Why Realistic is passing the torch

The series was fun. It was also a lot of work. A new piece every month, each one meant to capture a slice of the season, is harder than it sounds even when the pieces are short. And there is a bigger reason for stopping.

"The more of something there is, the less special it becomes. If I kept making 3rds forever, eventually they wouldn't feel special. Having thirteen of them for one year keeps them rare."

So the series has ended, but the tradition has not. Realistic wants to give the whole community the chance to show their own flow of life through a 3rd. Everyone on Flat loves to write. Some prompts click, some do not. This one asks for something only you can answer: what does this month feel like to you, in one short piano solo?

The rules are simple

There are only three, and one is optional:

  1. Post on the 3rd. Any month works. Write your piece whenever you like, but release it on the 3rd of that month.
  2. Make it a piano solo. One piano, nothing else.
  3. Keep it short (optional). The original 3rds run about 1 to 6 minutes. Longer is allowed, but short is the spirit of it.

Then name it after the day. Release something on April 3rd, and it is called April 3rd.

Why September 3rd is the big one

Every 3rd counts, but September 3rd is where it all began, so it carries the most weight.

"September 3rd is the most important day because that's the exact day this tradition accidentally started. I'd love for everybody who wants to, to write and post their own version of their September 3rd, and what it looks and sounds like for them."

Think of it as the anniversary of the whole idea. Post a 3rd on any date that means something to you through the year, and rally around September 3rd as the day the community shows up together.

How to post your own 3rd

You do not need to be an experienced composer. As Realistic puts it: "Music is music. If you feel passionate about your work and content with how you write, keep going."

Try this in Flat:

  1. Open a new score in Flat and write a short piano solo that captures what the current month feels like to you.
  2. Name it after the release date, for example October 3rd.
  3. Publish it on the 3rd, and in the description, say why you wrote it and what it means to you, in celebration of Realistic's 3rds tradition.

That is it. Share it on Flat so the rest of the community can find it, listen, and cheer you on.

Also, you can join our discord server and check out the 3rds tradition channel to share your scores and listen to what the others make 👉🏽 join here.

Keep the tradition alive

The 3rds started with one composer, one quiet afternoon, and two words at the bottom of a description. It grew because the community wanted it to. Now it belongs to all of us. The next 3rd is never far away, and every September 3rd from here on is a chance to show what a year sounds like through your hands.

Ready to write yours? Try Flat free and compose your first 3rd right in your browser, no download needed. Post it on the 3rd, and pass the tradition on.