Let's Duet: Volume 2 - Viola: Viola Duet Book

Latham builds shifting and advanced string techniques into repertoire that students actually want to play. Rather than isolating technique in exercises, she embeds dotted rhythms, pizzicato variety, and double stops into arrangements of familiar melodies, so the musical context makes the work feel purposeful instead of remedial.

Musically satisfying without oversimplifying. These duets maintain the character of their source melodies while introducing enough technical challenge that students feel genuinely accomplished when they execute clean shifts, crisp pizzicato patterns, and coordinated bow strokes with their partners.

Viola students in their second or third year of study who are ready to navigate intermediate rhythmic patterns and shifting technique in a duo setting. The cross-compatible instrumentation also makes these duets valuable for mixed-string rehearsals where you have both violins and lower strings working at similar levels.

• Assign the more advanced student to the top line; this part carries the primary melodic voice and includes the more demanding technical passages.
• Work the double stops section by section, having both players lock into the harmonic function before increasing tempo.
• Experiment with bow stroke contrast between parts to highlight rhythmic or textural differences, especially in passages featuring multiple bow types.
• Use the pizzicato sections as an opportunity to refine left-hand accuracy while the right hand rests; rhythmic precision matters as much as tone.

Use Volume 2 as a bridge between foundational duet material and more sophisticated chamber repertoire, or weave individual duets into sectional rehearsals to reinforce specific techniques your violas are learning that week. The familiar tune arrangements also work well in informal performance settings or studio recitals where ensemble playing builds confidence.

• Reading and executing dotted rhythms and 6/8 meter
• Chromatic fingering patterns and intonation in shifted positions
• Pizzicato control and articulation
• Multiple bow stroke types within a single piece
• Double stops and harmonic awareness
• Shifting technique in an ensemble context
• Part independence and listening while playing