- It may take time to get really comfortable.
- Try to put a little space between you.
- You can communicate well because you are so close.
- Practice starting and ending your piece several times, until you both feel comfortable.
When you play duets with a partner, prepare for close company
Playing duets with a friend/partner is one of the most satisfying ways to make music. There are many duet books for your use, at all different levels. There is music in which one part is simpler than the other. There is music in which the parts are technically even.
Using one bench for two people feels a little crowded, but you will get used to it. Each of you should sit as close to the side (right or left) as is comfortable. The part of the music at the high end of the piano is the “primo”. The part of the music at the low end is the “secondo”.
Two Pianists on One Bench
You will find that the secondo right hand and the primo left hand are side by side, or even crossed in places. The two of you may need to decide which hand plays above and which under.
Two Pianists on Two Benches
Sitting on two smaller benches or chairs can make playing a little easier and more comfortable. You can use two double benches and turn both 90 degrees. If you place the benches at an angle to the keyboard, with the side near the middle placed the farthest away from the keyboard, you may have more room for the inside arms and elbows.
Since there are two people playing, you should be sensitive to the loudness of the accompanying part. This may be in the primo left hand and/or the secondo right hand. Once you have identified the accompaniment, try playing it at half the dynamic level. It will make the more important parts sound even more important!
March
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Primo and secondo; two ways to print the music
Some duet music is written on two pages; i.e., the primo part is on the right side, the secondo is on the left side. Duet music can also be printed with both parts on the same page; i.e., the primo part is printed above the secondo part so that you can see exactly how the parts fit together.
No matter how the music is printed, each person in the duo must learn his/her part thoroughly. When a pianist practices a duet part alone, he/she should sit on the side where he/she will sit with the partner; that is, if he is playing the secondo part, he should sit on the left side of the bench when practicing. Use a metronome to imitate playing with a partner.
If you have recording capabilities, record the other part so that you can practice hearing it when you practice alone.
Duet Music on One Page
Listen for the accompaniment parts—make sure they aren’t drowning out the more important themes.
When you practice alone, the metronome may help take the place of a partner. Be sure to have it tick slowly enough for you to play easily, and try only one hand at a time.
When you are rehearsing with a partner, practice different combinations of hands separately: both right hands, both left hands, primo left hand secondo right hand, primo right hand secondo left hand. If a spot is hard to get together, both of you count out loud to make sure you are counting and feeling the passage the same way.
Practicing Your Duet Part Alone
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What else do you need to know?
You will want to practice your part, primo or secondo, until it feels easy. You will practice your part sitting on the appropriate side of the bench—on the right side for the primo, on the left side for the secondo.
When you first hear your part with the other pianist’s part, it will actually feel differently, even though it is not. Be sure to practice regularly with your partner in order to get used to hearing the whole piece. This is where recording capabilities are a help. If you can record your partner’s part you can practice with it when alone.
All the practice aids you have learned and used so far will help you with your part. Watch out for clef signs; go through the music and circle the clef sign when it changes.
Down in the Valley
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When you sit on the appropriate side to play your part, notice where middle C is. Your orientation to the keyboard has completely changed! When you have practiced your part thoroughly, and you are playing with your partner, you won’t notice the change in orientation.
If you and your partner are not used to playing together, try playing a slow scale together, either one hand or both. You will have to communicate your tempo, when you start, when you end. It’s an excellent way to get started.
Decide before your first rehearsal together at what tempo you need to practice the piece, and what the final tempo will eventually be. (This can change, but it is helpful to have a sense of where you are headed.)
Bobby Shaftoe
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I should be an expert, but . . .
When you are playing with a partner, make sure you keep in contact with the other person. (This goes for playing with one or more singers, or another instrumentalist.) You don’t necessarily have to look at each other (you are too busy looking at your music!), but you can sense the other person. Practice starting and ending a piece together. You must have your hands ready on the keys, feel the pulse (can you sense your partner’s rhythmic pulse?), and breathe together for that first note. You don’t have to make a sound, but you both need a sense of the upbeat before the first note.
Duet Pianists Ready to Begin
You may have trouble sounding that first note together. When you rehearse, both of you look at your hands to see how you “attack” the beginning note(s). It is always helpful to see the hands playing. Make sure you decide who the leader will be. This person gives the upbeat breath, and lifts the wrist in anticipation of the first note. Also, the two of you have to decide who will signal for ritardando, and for the ending.
Crossing Hands
Page turning can be troublesome. Sometimes the choice of who turns the page is obvious, but there are times when both parts are so busy that neither of you can spare a moment for a page turn. You can do two things about it: 1. Copy the pages you will need, tape them to the appropriate sides, and turn at the next convenient place; 2. Both of you memorize your parts at that place. You might find it convenient to turn before the difficult spot or after the difficult spot. The two of you must decide and take care of the problem.
Be sure to label who turns at the bottom of each page to be turned.
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Coordinate with your partner by learning both parts of the duet
The composing of piano duets parallels the history of the piano. By the time the piano became more popular than the harpsichord, in the 1770s, the publication of piano duets equaled that of piano solos. Famous composers of solo piano music also wrote duets. Wolfgang Mozart and his sister, Nannerl, played duets in concerts.
Duet playing was popularized during the golden age of piano manufacturing. By the mid-1800s the middle classes of European countries and America felt the need of a musical pastime, and playing the piano was among the more prominent means to this end. Many composers realized the market for duet music was growing.
Scherzo
Since there was no radio, nor were there recordings, composers saw a quick way to get their orchestra compositions known. Therefore there are many orchestra pieces, and symphonies, in a piano-duet reduction. You can find all the Beethoven symphonies and all the Brahms symphonies in piano-duet arrangements.
When you practice the duet below, learn both parts, so that you and your partner can switch places. It is always helpful to know what the other person has to contend with. If you know the music of both parts completely, you will make an even better duet partner!
This is especially true if the primo and secondo parts are on separate pages. You will need to know what the other part sounds like since you can’t really see it; and even if you play the part, it is difficult to see how the parts line up.
All these problems will get worked out in rehearsal. The most important thing is that you enjoy the music, your partner, working on something you like, and seeing results.
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Use your digital piano or computer to record the other part
If you have recording capabilities, now is the time to use them. Learn both parts of the duet, and record one or both parts. Then play it back and play along on the duet part. Have your partner record the part he/she is playing, slowly. Use this recording to practice the duet alone.
You may be pleasantly surprised, or disappointed. If recording is easy for you, record some of your solos. Don’t feel discouraged or overconfident; just use the recording as a way of improving your playing. The recording is not a judge!
Try playing along with any recording. If you know the key of the piece you can practice the primary notes, I, IV, and V, and even the primary chords, then try playing a note or a chord where you sense it should be. Many folk and rock musicians learn their art by playing along with a very good recording, or a very old recording (from the Library of Congress, for example).
For duet playing, try the folk duet, “Chopsticks.” There are only two chords for the bottom part, G major and C major, and the top part can be learned from many people. The timing is three beats per measure. Playing this will get you accustomed to ensemble playing and to hearing the balance.
There are other duets that you can try, one in a major key, one in a minor key that is a little jazzy. The main theme of the primo part to this last one (I have no name for it) begins by ascending a minor five-finger pattern, from C up to G. The secondo has a C minor triad in the right hand, a descending bass line which is C, B-flat, A-flat, G. Play bass-chord, bass-chord in a steady 4/4 beat.
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