Snapchats duets & trios, a four-book series featuring original compositions, is intended for students from beginner to late intermediate standard of the British music examination board levels: Snapchats duets & trios for Beginners, Snapchats duets & trios Book 1 (initial level to Grade 3), Book 2 (Grade 2 – 4), and Book 3 (Grade 4 – 6).
Snapchats duets and trios for beginners is a collection of twenty piano duets (four hands at one piano) and five piano trios (six hands at one piano). The volume takes students from the start of their musical journey, almost from the beginning or at a similar level to that found towards the end of a beginner’s first piano method book. Short and succinct, the pieces contain no key signatures but appropriate accidentals suggesting various keys are added instead, serving as a helpful reminder for pupils at this stage.
The majority of the duets and trios in this book employ a hands separate approach: some are for two right-hands, others are for two left hands together, and the rest generally explore hands playing alternately. The volume has been constructed in this way to help beginners become accustomed to playing with a fellow student as opposed to a teacher, although teachers are free to play these little pieces with their students. The pieces also provide sight-reading material for those who need to brush up on these skills focusing concentration on simple note and rhythmic patterns combined with ensemble playing.
Students would benefit from working their way through the volume as note patterns become progressively more widespread including ledger lines. Black notes also pop up from time to time, again reiterating note learning. Once students have played the upper part, or Player 1, of the duets (or trios), it is highly recommended that they then learn the lower part, or Player 2 (in duets), and Player 3 (third) part of the trios, offering a thorough approach to note learning. Metronome markings have purposefully not been added so that students are free to play these pieces at a speed of their own choice.
I hope this Snapchats volume is fun to play and that it kick-starts an interest in ensemble playing.