With the premiere of "Reed Phase" at Fairleigh Dickinson University in early 1967, Reich and a musician friend, Arthur Murphy, had the opportunity to attempt "Piano Phase" with two pianos in live concert. Reich discovered that it was possible to dispense with tape and phase without mechanical assistance. Reich experimented phasing with several versions, including a version for four electric pianos titled "Four Pianos" dating from March 1967, before settling on a final version of the piece written for two pianos. The first performance of the version for four pianos was given on March 17, 1967 at the Park Place Gallery, with Art Murphy, James Tenney, Philip Corner, and Reich himself.