Superduets Book 1: Duets with a Difference for Beginner Violinists - Tapa blanda

Mary Cohen's Superduets 1 and 2 are both winners for beginner violinists and offer some exciting ways of introducing the basics of music reading and violin technique, together with ensemble training. Each of the ten pieces in book 1 is prefaced by a rhythm-and-beat exercise (on two staves) using the crotchet and its rest (`wait'), and quavers. After showing the difference between beat and rhythm, she suggests a variety of ways of keeping the beat in both pizzicato and arco playing: she includes both the more usual clapping and stamping, and more novel suggestions, such as `flick hand from side to side like a cat's tail', `shrug shoulders grumpily', tapping collegno, and tapping (the stand) with the screw end of the bow. The very short imaginative pieces are written on two staves and used to introduce pitch reading (including open strings G D and A, and the notes B (on the A String) and E and G (on the D String), dynamics and rhythmic control. Music Teacher Magazine, May 2000

Superduets Book 1 provides a wonderful new repertoire of original and entertaining duets for beginner violinists. It can be started as soon as pupils have mastered basic playing technique. Encouraging rhythmic confidence and listening skills, and exploring a wide range of techniques, sound effects and movements, Mary Cohen's Superduets are tailor-made for players at the very earliest stages of learning. These delightful pieces serve as a unique introduction to the joys of social music-making and help pupils to develop the invaluable skills required for ensemble playing at an early stage.