Mel Bay Eastern European Music for Violin Duet

This is a student-favorite duet book in my violin/fiddle studio. The duets are exotic, interesting, and short. The second violin parts are equally interesting. Some are very easy (end of Suzuki book one level) and some require advanced counting skills. They don't get out of first position unless you feel like taking a part up an octave, which some of the more advanced students like to do. They make for a great little five - 10 minute break from difficult technique studies or at the end of a lesson for fun or to overlap lessons between students to create confidence when plaing with others. My copy came with a cd example of each tune. I purchased this one for a graduating senior as part of her graduation gift because it contains good memories. I don't know if it still comes with a cd or a if it has moved to digital downloads. This is a winner in the violin deut department!

This book is good if you want to have fun with folk tunes, learn more (I suggest to search on youtube also) and as a tool for those who can teach. Actually I bought a digital version but it believe the paperback must be thick - and full of music.The recordings are short, everything is very quickly done, because they are more than 90. The book is intended to be be opened on any page and played sight-reading (at least it is how I use it).I like the tunes. They are from differents countries, the author stating where the are from, and not hard at all. Style is key to make them come alive, from which a sample is shown on the recording.The only think I do not like about it is the second violin - it is basically only a second part in thirds or sixths (whatever,pretty simple). I like where the are polyphony or harmony for the melody parts (this book is not like Bartók's 44 Duets in any sense). Anyway, the basic chords are wrtitten along.Again, if you are an Eastern music addicted just like me and looking for fun, this book is a nice start out or a practice tool. Still, for deeper dives I would recommend her "Gypsy Violin" book - a gem.

I just started getting into this book with my duetin friend and we are having a blast with it. Mary Ann Harbar plays some of the tunes a little faster then we like and almost mechanical in her delivery. I think mainly because she plays the songs one time through, after all there's over 90, so I imagine she needed to get the job done. And I did say "some" of the songs were a bit fast and mechanic, for the most part it was beautifully played and a very well written duet book. Good book for intermediate levels of playing. Happy I bought it! Tomorrow I have another fiddler coming over, a uke player, my hubby on guitar and my dueting buddy to check out the book together. I'm sure with five of us will have some serious fun here.

This is a great book to give a good set of tunes for beginner/intermediate playing of eastern european music. Most of the arrangements are simple and easy to follow and figure out. They are also easily embellished to give more texture and variety to the songs as well. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to put something a little different (and beautiful) into their repertoire.

If you're interested in the least in Eastern European songs this is the book for you. The tunes are very simply written - not alot of embelishments (you can figure that out easily, though, once you get them down properly). I've received some rave reviews after playing these songs out in a violin and accordion duo. The included CD also helps tremendously when learning the songs and getting the proper timing. A great buy.

The collection of eastern european/gypsy music gathered here is excellent. It's easy to find songs you want to learn, and the accompanying music in the book, and as someone previously stated, easy to isolate the separate parts of the duet. Even if you don't have a partner to work with, the pieces are wonderful solo as well when the main violin melody is isolated. The music on the companion CD is performed beautifully, as always, and the graphics in the book are sweet.

all is fine but the cd inside for practice de songs is wrong and is a guitar collection not violin, amazon you must send me de ok version of this cd.

This is a 144-page beginning-intermediate book and CD companion set. It's a collection of 92 delightful folk melodies from Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldavia, Transylvania, Czechoslovakia, Moldavia, Serbia, Croatia and more, arranged for two violins in the first position with accompaniment chords. This package includes the recording, a 72-minute stereo CD presenting a performance-tempo rendition of all 92 duets from the book. Each violin is isolated on its own channel, so by adjusting the balance of your player to the left or right you can play along with the first part, second part,or both. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

Absolutely brilliant. A mix of very simple and mind-boggling. The CD is invaluable when it comes to some of those wonderful but tricky rhythms.

It is very complete book with a wide range of different eastern sheet music. It is impossible not to find songs that you love. I'm a beginner and I'm having lot of fun playing alone and also with the cd. If you want to go for a change from classical music, this book is for you.Mélanie