My 13-y-o son, who’s been taking piano for four years, came home from his lesson a couple of weeks ago and informed me that his piano teacher had decided that I will be playing a duet with my son for his recital in May. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I said, “Uh…I need to see the piece first.”
I finally got the piece, and thank Og, it’s in the key of C and mostly quarter notes. (It’s a duet arrangement of “Glow Worm.”) However, I am PETRIFIED of playing in public, and when I asked my son if he’d be disappointed if I didn’t do it, he looked crushed and said, “Yes!”
My fate has been sealed. 
I took piano aeons ago and have developed nothing but bad habits playing on my own. And in all my years of piano lessons, I never had to play a recital! Here are some specific issues I’m having:
-
What’s the best way to work out fingering? This is one of my biggest areas of sloppiness, and I know that being consistent about my fingering is key to me getting the piece in my hands as well as my head.
-
My son and I keep tripping over each other at certain places. When that happens, we work through the measure slowly and decide whose hand needs to go where. Is this the best way to approach this?
I think if I get these things working, it will go a long way toward helping me not freak out. But any other tips or suggestions would be great.
A filler answer until a real pianist shows up.
Fingering in C Major is actually harder than in other keys. Your rule of thumb is that fingers 2 - 5 handle the black keys wherever possible. Crossing 1 under 5 is awkward, which is why you try to cross under 2, 3 or 4.
Primo and Secondo always end up fighting over whether it should be left over right or right over left. Work it out together and write in your parts whether you’re up or down (over or under; whatever terminology works for you. Just make sure that when you’ve told Primo you’re going up, you do or you end up shaking hands.)
How’d you end up taking piano and never doing a recital? Not even a ‘class’ where all the students in Studio X play for each other? I have to play one every 4 months or so, which now includes singing for one of the budding accompanists and playing the accompaniment of a song for one of the amateur singers. Just relax - performing for others is a great experience.
Any chance you can go along to one or more of his lessons?
Duets are great. Have a blast! I hope it works out and you can get together and do duets all the time. I highly recommend the Faure ‘Dolly’ Suite.
Le Ministre, if you’re not a real pianist, you do a convincing imitation.
I never played a recital because I never completed an entire year with the same teacher! I don’t think I kept chasing teachers away. I think it was a luck-of-the-draw kind of thing.
The odd thing is I love performing for others. I have two degrees in theater, fer god’s sake! I can sing in public – solo, even – with no problem.
I grew up massacring duets with my sisters and know how much fun they can be. I would be thrilled if my kid and I continue playing together.
Thanks for your suggestions!