Since the late 1890s, dueling pianos have been a source of entertainment. When this trend first started, it was essentially a race for the two performing artists, who would try to play faster than each other to win the duel.
Nowadays, the field has changed. Instead of battling, the two musicians are more likely to work with each other in a collaborative spirit as they try to engage and amuse the audience, sometimes even inviting the crowd to sing with them in order to create a lively feeling for the performance. There are now clubs and bars that specialize in this kind of entertainment.
Unlike a regular recital or concert, a dueling show has a distinctive style of playing that includes a lot of comedy and lively musical flourishes. The musicians will tell pre-written jokes, add humorous parody lyrics to songs, or banter improvised comic bits. Sometimes pairs will work as a duo on a recurring basis, but other times two independent pianists will simply be thrown together in the show, and discover their comedic and musical chemistry as they play for the crowd.
One of the features of this kind of show is that the patrons can usually ask the musicians to play specific songs. That means the pianists must be familiar with and able to play a greater number of pop and rock music pieces than it is likely for them to be able to memorize completely, even though most of the songs are popular and familiar tunes.
Many players will carry a book of sheet music which includes a lot of the songs they may be expected to be able to play. The performers will have practiced these songs in order to be able to play them, but they will not have necessarily memorized them all before a show, which is why the sheet music is helpful.
Although tipping is considered standard practice at almost any bar or club when you make a song request of the musicians, the method by which you ask for your tune changes from place to place. You may have to sign up on a list, or you may simply be able to yell your preferred song title at the performer. Other places will want you to write the song name on a napkin and pass it to the stage. Whatever the system, look for the tip receptacle where you can leave a bit of cash as a sign of gratitude.
Some piano players who work in this line have classical training, whereas others come from a rock background, but regardless of where they learned their trade, playing a dueling pianos show lets the artist share his or her abilities with a lively crowd, and help the patrons have a fun evening out. After more than a hundred years of delighting audiences, this kind of show seems like it is here to stay.
dueling pianos
Nowadays, the field has changed. Instead of battling, the two musicians are more likely to work with each other in a collaborative spirit as they try to engage and amuse the audience, sometimes even inviting the crowd to sing with them in order to create a lively feeling for the performance. There are now clubs and bars that specialize in this kind of entertainment.
Unlike a regular recital or concert, a dueling show has a distinctive style of playing that includes a lot of comedy and lively musical flourishes. The musicians will tell pre-written jokes, add humorous parody lyrics to songs, or banter improvised comic bits. Sometimes pairs will work as a duo on a recurring basis, but other times two independent pianists will simply be thrown together in the show, and discover their comedic and musical chemistry as they play for the crowd.
One of the features of this kind of show is that the patrons can usually ask the musicians to play specific songs. That means the pianists must be familiar with and able to play a greater number of pop and rock music pieces than it is likely for them to be able to memorize completely, even though most of the songs are popular and familiar tunes.
Many players will carry a book of sheet music which includes a lot of the songs they may be expected to be able to play. The performers will have practiced these songs in order to be able to play them, but they will not have necessarily memorized them all before a show, which is why the sheet music is helpful.
Although tipping is considered standard practice at almost any bar or club when you make a song request of the musicians, the method by which you ask for your tune changes from place to place. You may have to sign up on a list, or you may simply be able to yell your preferred song title at the performer. Other places will want you to write the song name on a napkin and pass it to the stage. Whatever the system, look for the tip receptacle where you can leave a bit of cash as a sign of gratitude.
Some piano players who work in this line have classical training, whereas others come from a rock background, but regardless of where they learned their trade, playing a dueling pianos show lets the artist share his or her abilities with a lively crowd, and help the patrons have a fun evening out. After more than a hundred years of delighting audiences, this kind of show seems like it is here to stay.
dueling pianos
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