Soldier's Joy
Duet

"Soldier's Joy" is one of the oldest and best known fiddle tunes we have. It almost certainly came to the United States in colonial times from somewhere in the British Isles. Your new arrangement is a duet suitable for two Level 1 pianists. The Secondo, or lower part, is best played by someone with a nice steady beat. It consists of easy C and G7 chords played between the hands in an "um chuck" pattern. The Primo part has the melody. It begins with a broken C chord in the left hand and finger 3 on C(!) in the right hand—a bit unusual at this level. Pianists generally have little experience coordinating their rhythm and tempo with others, and this piece provides a great opportunity to practice this important skill.