Planning Your Dueling Pianos Events - What You Need To Know
- Jeremy Bell
- Jul 15
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 4
Dueling pianos bring an undeniable energy to any event. The interactive, high-energy performance, fueled by audience requests and good-natured banter, can turn a standard gathering into an unforgettable party. But before you envision your guests singing along at the top of their lungs, there are a few crucial elements to consider for a seamless and spectacular dueling pianos experience.
Here's what you need to know when planning dueling pianos for your next event:
1. Space, Glorious Space!
Dueling pianos aren't just two keyboards squeezed into a corner. You'll need adequate space for the staging area because we bring a lot of equipment. Typically, we request 8' x 10' for our standard setup, and around 12' by 15' for when a drummer is included.
Two Baby Grand Pianos: First off, the pianos aren't real acoustic baby grand pianos. We use piano shells that are 40 inches wide. The legs detach and reaattach for easy assembly and transportation, and we insert digital keyboards. Keyboards don't really fall out of tune are far easier to amplify and EQ and a lot lighter!
The Pianists: We don't need a whole lot of space, but definitely enough to fit on the stage with the shells.
Sound Equipment: Speakers, monitors, mixing board – all this requires space, usually behind or to the sides of the pianos. Lighting Equipment: Every one of our setups comes with at least one light tree. This takes up a small amount space, but still extends the stage area needed.
Audience Engagement Area: People will want to gather, dance, and sing along; so it's usually a good idea to have a bit of empty space between the stage the seating area.
2. Power Up Your Party
This might seem obvious, but it's a big one. Dueling pianos requires access to an outlet within a reasonable distance from the staging area. We try to stay within 25' but can go up to 50'. Anything beyond, though, and we risk the chance of power failures or something coming unplugged even if we tape the cables down.
Dedicated Circuits: A dedicated circuit is important so that a fuse isn't blown or a breaker is tripped. All of our setups run power through a single power conditioner; so all we really need access to a 20-amp outlet. The rest we plug in using the power conditioner.
Proximity to Outlets: The closer the power source, the better. Long extension cords can lead to voltage drop and potential issues. This is especially true for outdoor events.
3. Sound Considerations: Beyond the Pianos
While the pianos are the stars, the overall sound quality is paramount.
Venue Acoustics: Does your venue have a lot of hard surfaces that will create echo, or is it well-dampened? This will impact the sound setup.
Professional Sound System: We bring everything that we need to put on a great show, but sometimes the size of the venue can become a factor. While our speakers are powerful, and we can double up if necessary, extremely large venues might be better handled with by a professional audio team. When situations like this arise, we tend to provide a lower quote since there is less equipment to setup; so it never hurts to ask when booking us.
Sound Check: We typically do a sound check before any guests arrive, and then a quick adjustment once bodies fill the room. We'll take a quick walk around to adjust levels and double-check the balance.
Volume Control: Discuss with the performers if there will be specific periods where the volume needs to be adjusted (e.g., during dinner service or speeches). Please let us know if it's ever too loud. In some instances, you might prefer us to be background music, which we can certainly do, but it isn't our standard type of show, which thrives more on audience interaction and singing along. For a better understanding of whether or not Dueling Pianos is the right fit for your entertainment needs, check out our blog post about it.
4. Lighting: Setting the Mood
Good lighting enhances the show and makes the performers visible and engaging and is incredibly helpful for getting people dancing.
Stage Lighting: Even simple stage wash lighting can make a huge difference in darker environments. We provide basic stage lighting, but if you're really interested in getting the party started, it never hurts to upgrade. Check out our different lighting add-ons under our pricing information.
Mood Lighting: Consider how overall venue lighting can complement the performance. Dimming the house lights during the show can create a more intimate and focused atmosphere. Uplighting can also be incredibly useful in highlighting the ambience that you want.
Special Effects (Optional): Our standard lighting includes 4-par lights for a single tree. We have additional lighting that we can include such as the Chauvet Kintas and our very popular DJ Gig Bar Move+. If you have any questions, we can always help make suggestions for the best additions.
Take a look at the video below to get an idea of what we typically
provide for weddings and larger events.
5. Logistics and Communication are Key
Load-in and Load-out: Discuss the logistics of getting the pianos and equipment into and out of the venue. Are there stairs? Elevators? Loading docks? Some load-ins are a dream. Here are double doors that you can park next to, and the staging area is about 20 feet from there. Others are a complete nightmare - I'm looking at you downtown Chicago Westin. Drive down below the hotel, unload and climb some stairs to get to a service elevator, now drag everything on carpet that feels like it's adding an extra 30 lbs to your load 120 yards to the conference room.
Set-up Time: Set-up and load-in is all kind of factored into the same time allotment. It generally takes anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours from arrival to a finished setup.
Performance Schedule: Our performance details are always specifically outlined in our contract. We will always be ready to start according to what is in the contract, but if the performance begins late due to no fault of our own, the ending time will always supersede the duration of the performance.
Rider Requirements: For most events, we don't usually have a rider. Our typical ask is that hot meals are provided and bottles of water for the entertainers and the production assistant for larger events, such as corporate events and weddings. We're pretty easy to please and don't need anything crazy.
6. The "X" Factor: Picking the Right Performers
Beyond the technicalities, the most important element is choosing the right dueling pianos company. This is HUGE for us. All of our performers generally have at least 8 years of experience in piano bars. We are very particular about the entertainers that we provide.
Experience & Reviews: Look for experienced performers with great reviews. When we're assigning performers to your event, we generally try to have one male and one female performer. This helps cover a larger amount of repertoire and just works better, we've found. In addition, we want to make sure that they will be the right fit. We don't want to hire someone who knows primarily newer music for a 50th Anniversary, and likewise, we tend to want those people for weddings, where that music will work better, which leads me to next topic.
Repertoire: Do they have a wide-ranging repertoire to cater to diverse musical tastes? All of our players can perform music from the 50s up to today, but some will have a stronger catalog of various types of music from yacht rock to hip-hop to jazz standard. We want to book the right entertainers for your event.
Personality & Engagement: Check out our performance videos. We're always trying to add new ones whenever we can. Also, you can follow us on Instagram where we post most of our videos from events.
Professionalism: This one's pretty obvious, but we try to be as professional as possible. Mostly, though, we want this to be one of the easiest things for you when coordinating your event. We generally reply to e-mails within a few hours and are always very responive to the needs of our clients.
By considering these key elements, you'll be well on your way to planning a dueling pianos event that's not only successful but truly spectacular, leaving your guests talking about it for years to come. Get ready for a night of laughter, singing, and unforgettable memories!
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