Pair a Chord and Melody Instrument to Create a Duo
You need at least one chord instrument and one melody instrument to create a duo. Guitar with piano is always a good choice, as both chords and melodies can be played on each instrument.
A reader recently asked me what instrument they should take up if they want to play with someone else as a duo, rather than in a larger group or band setting.
Duos come in many shapes and sizes. A keyboard is always a contender because it is perhaps the most versatile of the instruments. This is particularly true of an electric keyboard, which has keyboard sounds plus string sounds plus horn sounds, etc. So a keyboard with anything including a singer is a good choice.
If you think about the limits of an instrument, the choices become simpler. For example, only the guitar and the keyboard play chords, so they are ideal for an accompaniment role. Sax, flute, trumpet, and so on can only play one note at a time, so they have more limited applications.
You need at least one chord instrument and one melody instrument to create a duo. Guitar and piano can work together because they each have the capacity to play melody and/or play chords. If a bass is involved, it is a support instrument, but not a chord instrument or a melody instrument. The bass is at its best supporting a guitar or a keyboard.
I think Tuck and Patti is one of the best performing duos in the world. Tuck plays guitar – Patti sings!
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2 comments
Posted 05/07/10 at 3:45 pm
Don’t forget the Chapman Stick®! It’s often played in duo with drums. “Heartstrings” is a two Stick® duo.
Posted 05/09/10 at 9:37 pm
I must take issue with the statement that a bass is at it’s best supporting a guitar or a keyboard. While supporting a guitar or keyboard is an important role for the electric bass, it is certainly not it’s only valid role in the wide world of music. Please take into consideration bassists Tal Wilkenfeld, Victor Wooten, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke and the many other amazing bassists out there. Listen once to Victor Wooten’s solo version of Norwegian Wood or his work in Bela Fleck and the Flecktone’s song Sinister Minister. The electric bass is not just a support instrument though it often fills that role in an ensemble setting. In the right hands, it is perfectly capable of producing chords and primary melodies even in a solo or duo setting.
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