Easy Duets Volume 1

Daniel Berg

General Info

Year: 2013
Duration: 00:15:00
Difficulty: Elementary to Intermediate
Publisher: Edition Svitzer
Cost: €16.00

Instrumentation

Player 1: Vibraphone
Player 2: Marimba

Program Notes

Easy Duets Volume 1 contains five easy duets for any combination of 2 mallet instruments. All five duets use a 3-octave range from F to F. The duets can be played on the same instruments however, it is preferable for part 1 to be played on vibraphone and for part 2 to be played on marimba. The duets can also be played as ensemble pieces. Double each parts depending on the number of players and instruments available.

Review

At one time or another, most of us have struggled with getting a young student to practice. I always find that performing with students can give them extra incentive to learn their material. This collection of five duets is educational, adaptable, and motivational.

The educational aspects of this collection range from conceptual to technical. I enjoy the practical way in which Daniel Berg includes improvisation. Rather than worrying about chord changes, Berg indicates to “improvise on ‘white’ keys,” or “improvise on ‘black’ keys.” This approach encourages the students to explore the instrument and fosters creativity. Chord changes are later addressed in “Blues Brothers.” This composition introduces the concept of tonic, dominant, and subdominant chords. Four of the five compositions are scored for one two-mallet player and one four-mallet player. Teachers can perform either part, depending on the ability level of the student. The two-mallet material is manageable for a very young performer. Using a heavy dose of double vertical strokes at comfortable intervals, most of the fourmallet material is suitable for a student just learning the technique. Slow double lateral strokes and single independent strokes are also included.

If your studio has a wide range of ability levels, you can double parts and turn these duets into a larger ensemble. Berg includes bass parts for three of the five pieces. A teacher could also create drum and accessory parts with minimal effort. All five duets use a 3-octave range and can be performed on a variety of keyboard instruments. Berg’s compositions and virtuosic performances have already gained him recognition. We can now add pedagogue as one of his many talents!

Recent Performances

To submit a performance please join the TEK Percussion Database

Books for Percussion by this Composer

Easy Solos Volume 1
Easy Solos Volume 2
Easy Solos Volume 3
Easy Solos Volume 4
Easy Duets Volume 1
Easy Duets Volume 2
Easy Duets Volume 3
Easy Duets Volume 4
Mallet Ensembles Volume 1
Mallet Ensembles Volume 2
Mallet Ensembles Volume 3
Mallet Ensembles Volume 4
Easy Marching Percussion Ensemble Volume 1

Works for Percussion by this Composer

1966 - Mallets
3 Etudes - Marimba
Blue Memories - Marimba
Cattelin - Marimba
December - Marimba (low A)
Over the Moon - Marimba
Stockholm groove II - Marimba