How I Survived the Dranoff Two Piano Competition

If you're not familiar with the Dranoff Foundation, It was founded by Loretta Dranoff as a tribute to her late husband Murray Dranoff and their long career as a piano duo. Every four years the Dranoff Foundation hosts a piano duo competition sponsored by Steinway.

The semi-finals of the competition ran all day over 3 days. There was a Gala event and a Finale concert. I was responsible for maintaining the pianos and being on call throughout the entire competition. To say it was tough would be an understatement.

I'd like to outline some of the strategies that helped me get through a competition of this magnitude.

1. Pitch

Tuning for piano duos is particularly challenging. Keeping two concert pianos at A440 and in tune with each other requires sharp aural skills and also a rock solid ETD. Only with an ETD like Tunelab (my personal choice) or an Accu-Tuner can you guarantee synced tunings.

Pianos can drift throughout the day. If found that the two Steinway D's would drift as much as 2 cents. If they drift in opposite directions you've got a 4 cent variation which is plainly audible. This is where your honed aural skills can help mitigate the drifting. Running some 3rds and 10ths in the tenor can quickly tell you if there's movement happening. You can then measure the area and check to see if it's happening on both pianos.

If they're drifting together, great. If not, you'll have to decide what to move based on how much time you have. Which brings me to the next issue...

2. Time

One of the ways concert work can be difficult is with time. You never have the time you need and are sometimes cut short. Adding a second piano into the mix makes things all the more hairy. Using your time strategically can make or break the gig for you.

As a rule, always count backwards from the event start time to know when to arrive in the morning. Ask the event coordinator about any breaks and their length.

Keep an eye on how long it takes to tune each piano on the first day. You'll then have an idea of what kind of time you'll need the next time you do full tunings on each piano.

3. Tuning Method

We all have our habits and ways of doing things but I need to stress one particular tuning method for two piano concerts. Use an ETD and fully tune one unison at a time. Here's what I do...

I start at A0 and tune up through the single strings. When I get to the bi-chords I use 1 mute on the right side of the unison. I tune the left string to the machine, move the mute to the next bi-chord and tune the up the right string.

When I get to the tri-chords the method changes. I put mutes on the left and right strings and tune the center string to the machine. I then move the right mute to the right string of the next tri-chord and tune the right string. I then move the left mute to the right string which allows me to tune the left string and sets me up for the next unison. Unisons at plate breaks or at the tenor are a little different but you'll figure out what works for you.

The big picture here is that you're tuning each note to the machine and watching the machine as you hammer in the unisons. You'll know if a note drops and you can correct it.

4. Be Invisible

We all want to be appreciated for our diligent work. As technicians though, we rarely get recognized publicly. Part of our job though is to actually aim to be invisible.

High profile events are stressful for the artists and the organizers. Holding up the show because of a tricky unison or a ill-planned regulation/voicing move is not good. Be invisible as much as possible. Trust that everyone involved can hear your good work, and then get off stage as quickly as possible. 

Should you be faced with a tough event like the Dranoff Competition, hopefully these tips will help you come out on top.