Let's Duet: Volume 3 - Viola: Viola Duet Book

Latham writes duets that actually sound like music, not finger exercises dressed up as pieces. Volume 3 demands real musicianship—the higher positions, clef variety, and double stops ensure your students are engaging with genuine chamber repertoire, not simplified arrangements that feel beneath them.

Playing these duets feels like stepping into real ensemble work. The writing sits in a confident upper register, the two voices weave around and through each other with intent, and the double stops add texture and harmonic weight that transform what could be a simple melody into full musical statements.

Violists who have moved solidly into Grade 3.5 territory and are ready for literature that takes their developing technique seriously. This collection works beautifully for students preparing for string quartet experience, competitive chamber music festival participation, or simply seeking duet partners within their studio who want to grow together.

• Balance the two parts by listening across the room, not just to your stand partner. In pieces using higher positions, the sound can thin unexpectedly, so intentional tone production becomes essential.
• Practice separately first: master each viola line on its own before combining them. The double stops require secure intonation and finger placement that won't hold up if you're sight-reading both parts simultaneously.
• Negotiate bowings and vibrato choices as a pair early. Since both players are in higher positions using multiple clefs, unified stylistic choices create cohesion rather than collision.
• Use a music stand positioned so both players see the score together, or place stands side by side at matching heights. Chamber music breathing and cuing depend on visual connection.

Position these as chamber music recital material for advanced-intermediate violists, either performed by a matched pair or programmed alongside the violin and cello versions if you have students at this level across strings. They're substantive enough for end-of-year studio showcases or informal concert programs where you want to highlight ensemble work rather than solo displays.

• Intonation in higher positions on viola
• Reading treble and tenor clefs fluidly
• Double stop execution and ensemble balance
• Chamber music listening and cuing without a conductor
• Vibrato control and tone production in upper registers
• Collaborative musical decision-making with a stand partner