Treasures for Two, Book 2: Piano Duet (1 Piano, 4 Hands) Book

Mier writes duets that feel genuinely fun to play from both sides of the bench, avoiding the common trap of making one hand feel like the accompaniment. The mix of blues, jazz, ragtime, and other styles keeps students engaged across multiple rehearsals, and matched difficulty levels between primo and secondo mean both players stay invested in the musical outcome.

These pieces swing, stride, and shimmer with character. You'll find yourself trading melodic ideas, grooving on bluesy harmonies, and discovering how much personality emerges when two equal voices weave together. Each style speaks in its own dialect, whether it's the syncopated bounce of ragtime or the sophisticated cool of jazz.

Intermediate to late intermediate pianists who have developed solid technical control and are ready to explore ensemble playing without being overwhelmed by part complexity. Duet partners of similar skill levels will find these pieces rewarding for developing listening skills and collaborative musicianship in a recital or studio setting.

• Balance the musical weight between parts by listening carefully to whether melody or accompaniment should dominate in each section; Mier often shifts this role between primo and secondo.
• Work out hand independence and rhythmic alignment at a slow tempo first, then gradually increase speed once both players trust the pulse together.
• Let the style of each piece (blues swing, ragtime stride, jazz articulation) guide your phrasing and touch; these aren't classical abstractions but grounded in real musical traditions.
• Use the written dynamics and articulations as your roadmap for voicing; Mier's markings shape how the duet breathes as a unified sound.

Duets from this collection work wonderfully on a student recital as a break from solo performance, giving audiences a glimpse of partnership and sparking interest in students who haven't yet tried ensemble playing. You might also pair one duet with a complementary solo from another Mier collection to showcase her stylistic range across an evening.

• Coordinating tempo and pulse between two independent parts
• Reading and performing jazz and blues idioms with appropriate articulation and swing
• Balancing ensemble sound and managing dynamic relationships
• Playing stride bass and other accompaniment patterns with rhythmic precision
• Interpreting style-specific markings and phrasing in jazz, blues, and ragtime contexts