Duets for All: Tuba Book

Stoutamire and Henderson solved a real logistics problem: most tuba students rarely find duet partners at their own level. This book lets a tuba player perform chamber music with a violinist, flutist, clarinetist, or another tuba—without transposition headaches. The repertoire spans Mozart, Bartók, and Shostakovich, so students encounter genuine musical diversity rather than exercise-like material.

These duets feel like conversations between two musicians. Some moments are playful and energetic (Kabalevsky's Leaping, Tchaikovsky's March of the Tin Soldiers); others require patience and careful listening (Purcell's A Farewell, the Andante section of Stoutamire's own contribution). Each piece unfolds quickly enough to feel rewarding but with enough musical substance to keep both players engaged.

Tuba students in grades I through IV who are ready to move beyond solo repertoire and explore what chamber playing demands. This book is equally useful for section coaches working with young tubists and for private studio teachers building confidence in a student who rarely gets to play with peers.

• Establish a steady pulse before you start; these pieces demand rhythmic precision even when one player carries the melody. Count off together or use the accompaniment recording to lock in your starting tempo.
• Balance your sound carefully when the other instrument sits in a different register. A tuba paired with a violin needs different dynamic control than two tubas playing in parallel.
• Mark fingerings and valve combinations during rehearsal so both players know exactly which notes might be tricky; this builds trust before performance.
• Work through the piece slowly enough to hear intonation issues. Duets expose tuning problems immediately, which is exactly why they're so valuable for developing ear.

Use these duets in a pre-concert rehearsal to remind your tuba section that they're not just supporting voices. Pair this book with a concert structured around historical periods or styles, and let students perform duets that represent baroque, classical, and modern eras. You might also assign duets as sectional work during the season to build ensemble sound and intonation without requiring full rehearsal time.

• Balancing melody and accompaniment roles within the same instrument family
• Maintaining independent rhythmic lines while listening to a partner
• Adjusting intonation in real time when performing with another player
• Stylistic choices across baroque, classical, and contemporary idioms
• Score reading and understanding how parts relate to one another