Violin Duets and Solos You’ll Be Proud to Play
Beautiful Harmonies for The Advancing Beginner,
So You Can Simply Sound Your Best
Feel like you're missing out on the "music" part of practice?
Do you feel cheated out of the sound you have in mind – and in your heart – by song books that treat all beginners like children?
I know how frustrating it can be. You dream of what it will be like to play the violin… and then come smack up against what it takes to make a beautiful sound. And the solution is supposed to be working hard at child-targeted arrangements that don’t even come close to your idea of music.
Well, I’d love to help you change that. I have over 50 years of experience arranging music for all levels of ability, and I am devoted to writing harmonies that play up advancing beginners’ strengths, to help you sound the best you can.
You can own Good Old Tunes collections filled with music that will show off your musicianship. You’ll be able to launch into them with confidence, because all arrangements are in easy-to-play keys and first position, and expertly harmonized. I believe the music you practice should encourage you as you master melody, harmony, rhythm, and the basics of sounding good.
Let’s boost your repertoire and improve your sound.
Sheet Music Books
That Work For You
Good Old Tunes
You're set up to sound good, playing songs that have pleased players and audiences for generations.
Play as Solos or Duets
You'll not only play beautiful duets, but you’ll be adding traditional violin and fiddle tunes to your repertoire that work perfectly as solos – with or without guitar accompaniment.
Ready-Made Set Lists
Use the books as theme-based set lists for recitals, home and community events and even jam sessions
Start Playing
Good Old Tunes
Transform Your Practice in 4 Steps Today:
1. Download Your Free PDF Songbook Sampler.
2. Enjoy the arrangements that are yours to keep.
3. Add as many Good Old Tunes books as you like to your library.
4. Take pride in transforming your practice into the fun and satisfying musical sessions you deserve.
Ready to rise above the mediocre?
Don’t stay glued to a practice routine that isn’t getting you where you want to be.
Good Old Tunes to the rescue.
- Free up your musicianship with time-tested tunes that sound even better as you add your creative touches.
- Discover the thrill of playing in harmony with a duet partner or an accompanist.
- Try the fun of recording the melody line, and then playing it back as you play the harmony.
Take pride in what you practice, and be proud of how you play.
“You Sound So Good, Playing Good Old Tunes.”
Start Playing Good Old Tunes Today
What You'll Get With Good Old Tunes
Easy-to-Play Keys
Variety of Musical Styles
First Position Fingering
Bonus Guitar Chord Diagrams
Several volumes feature guitar-chord diagrams. Instruments like mandolin, ukulele, piano, accordion can use the chord names, too.
Expert Harmonies
Soak up Music Theory by playing arrangements based on the “good old” harmonies of each style of music.
Tips for Developing Musicianship
Each book contains helpful advice on how to make key musical decisions about phrasing, dynamics, tempo and musicality.
Keys Perfect for Jamming
Arranged in keys that are common for violin, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, tin whistle, concertina and other instruments. Be that musician who always has a good old tune to play along with.
Lyrics Included
- Lyrics help you learn and memorize
- Reference points during rehearsal
- Best source of phrasing, dynamics, bowing, accents
- Folks can gather round and sing along
Slim Volumes that Lie Flat
Full 8.5 x 11 pages in slim volumes that are easy to crease open to lie flat; Virtually no page-turns to interrupt your playing.
Themed Collections that Work as Set-Lists for Performing
- Christmas Carols
- Fourth of July Americana
- Pioneer Day Music
- Worship Music, Gospel Songs and Spirituals
- Veterans Day Tribute
- Irish, Scottish, and more coming in the near future
Arrangements that Sound Great as Solos or Duets, With or Without Accompaniment
Good Old Tunes intentionally features songs that have been popular on solo violin. Play them as solos or in unison, and you’ll hear why they became violin and fiddle standards. All harmony lines enhance this original “good old” sound.
F A Q
Most frequent questions and answers
Yes, and I’ll tell you a couple of reasons why:
- You’ll enjoy these songs even as solos. They are tunes that are among the easiest to produce a really good sound with on the violin. That’s a reason they have stayed popular among fiddlers and violinists for generations.
- You can play duets through technology. Make a video of yourself playing melody, and then play the harmony line as you play it back. If you play guitar, mandolin, piano or other instrument that plays chords, you can create even larger virtual groups.
- Okay, three reasons. Once you have these books, you’ll be on the lookout for people to play with, and I firmly believe we find what we seek. And won’t you love being the musician who always has a tune to suggest, in a key everyone is familiar with, that you can play in unison, in harmony or with chord accompaniment?
Yes! Your duet partner could play violin, mandolin, flute, tin-whistle, guitar, accordion, concertina – gosh, marimba, glockenspiel, piano, organ… they could even sing. Not only is it fun to experiment with musical combinations, they can be a springboard to some great sounds.
Not yet. You’ll want to start adding these books to your library sometime in the first year or two of your playing. You can show the sample duets to your teacher, who will suggest the best time to introduce the easiest duets.
Well, they’re my favorites.… Seriously, these songs were the “big hits” of their time. For example, the two volumes of “Frontier Favorites,” were songs sung by American pioneers, soldiers, miners, settlers, and ranchers. Similarly, “George M. Cohan Favorites” are not only the most popular of his songs but were among the top selling songs the early 20th Century, from the top Broadway shows of the time. And so on.
No. I realize music books need to lie flat on your music stand, so I’ve chosen to keep each volume slim enough to crease open. They do lie flat and cost you less than a spiral binding.
Yes. All book are in 8.5 x 11-inch paperback editions sold individually on Amazon. You’ll see them referred to as “collections” and “vignettes.” Collections contain a minimum of 24 duets, often with guitar chord diagrams for accompaniment, and sell for $11.99 US. Vignettes have 10 to 12 songs that can be played as duets or solos without accompaniment, and sell for around $7.75.