Dueling pianos (also known simply as “sing-along”) are a form of entertainment, usually on stage with two grand pianos, each played by a professional piano player who sings and entertains; humor and audience participation are prevalent. Often, these types of pianos have substantial sound systems, and most of the songs performed are rock and roll, classic rock, Top 40, R&B, or country, and today’s hits played primarily by request.

Literal “dueling pianos” can be verified as early as the late 1890s when ragtime piano playerswould actually “duel” to see who could play better and faster. In 1933, when B.H. O’Brien and Charlie Cantrell opened Pat O’Brien’s Bar in New Orleans, they included a room where two piano players would entertain the crowd on copper-topped baby grand pianos. Piano players would take turns singing songs requested by the audience, written on cocktail napkins.