Music for duet?

[hannah]

I was wondering where can I find music for duets on the Internet? Cos I have recently realized that one of my closest friends also plays the tin whistle! She has the D whistle like mine too. Lol, and two weeks ago I was worried about none of my school friends being interested in this intrument…

[Craig Stuntz]

Any dance tune (jig, reel, hornpipe, etc.) should be fine. Airs are trickier to do as a duet since there isn't such a consistent beat, but dance music works well in a group.

Playing with another whistle player will give you both good practice keeping in tune. When you play out of tune with another whistle playing the same melody it becomes really obvious.

As for where to find tunes in general, look here.

-Craig

[peeplj]

You can also find many duets in classical music written for other instruments that will work just fine on whistle.

Like this: http://www.flutesite.com/samples/serpduet.mp3

That's from the Telemann Sonata #2, which is a flute "echo duet," played on a Serpent B-flat whistle.

--James

[colomon]

Any dance tune (jig, reel, hornpipe, etc.) should be fine.

What Craig's trying to say, I think, is that in traditional Irish music (and usually in traditional Celtic-y music in general) there is a strong tradition of both players playing the melody in duets. So you can take any piece of traditional dance music, and just play it together at the same time.

With good players it is usually an amazingly cool sound.

[bwrynn]

One point needs to be added. A duet is not merely 2 instruments playing the same tune, but playing different lines in harmony, or counterpoint, etc. Experienced players can improvise to the same tune, but newer players could benefit from music that has the 2 separate parts written out.

[springrobin]

I think somewhere on this board is a reference (and link) to Pachelbel's Canon in D, which works kinda like a round in that the players play the same tune but starting at different time. Not really ITM but it works for D whistle or flute and is lovely to hear.

[colomon]

A duet is not merely 2 instruments playing the same tune, but playing different lines in harmony, or counterpoint, etc.

As I said, in Irish traditional dance music, standard practice is for a duet to be two players both playing the same melody line. In fact, in the CCE rules for the Fleadh explicitly require this: "In the case of Duets and Trios, all participants must at all times play the melody of the tune."

Of course, it means that all ITM dance music is duet music.

This is not to say there is anything wrong with harmony and counterpoint! Just that you can have great fun playing together without them.

[slowair]

If you'd like to really play duet, there is a small selection in a book titled, "Airs For Pairs".
Compiled and arranged by Matt Seattle.
Published by DRAGONFLY MUSIC; PO Box 13772; Peebles, EH45 8YE, Scotland
matt@dragonflymusic.co.uk
There is a companion cassette that can also be obtained.
The book contains 20 songs/tunes. You may know most of them as something other than airs, but if you've been playing for a while you will recognize many of them.
I hope this helps.
Mike

[brewerpaul]

Like this: http://www.flutesite.com/samples/serpduet.mp3

That's from the Telemann Sonata #2, which is a flute "echo duet," played on a Serpent B-flat whistle.
--James

That's from one of the Telemann Canonic Sonatas. He wrote 6 of these three movement works in which both instruments play exactly the same notes, starting variable distances apart (eg like Row, Row, Row your boat).There are several editions available for recorder, but not all of the movements will work easily on whistle withough extensive transposition. Amazing compositions.

[Kar]

Also, remember that simple songs that can be sung as rounds are great for duets.

And...most Christmas music is playable on the whistle and there are LOTS of Christmas duets books out there. They don't have to be for the whistle, per se. I realize it's March and so this is out of season but if you just need TUNES, they can work well.

There's also a book called Tune Book Two (for one-octave instruments) and it does have some duets.

None of this is ITM but it's fun anyway.

[hannah]

Cool, thanks everyone

[Sandy Jasper]

Hannah

If you email me your postal address I will send you a few duets that I use with my students. It can be a lot of fun to play with friends. It is great to hear that you have found one to play with!

Best of luck,

Sandy Jasper