A two-player instrumental item in which a pair of musicians play traditional Irish dance tunes together, each carrying the melody, entered in one of four age bands and judged on unison, tuning, rhythm and the way the two players fit as one sound.
A duet in Irish traditional music is not a melody with an accompanist. It is two musicians who both play the tune, note for note, at the same time. The rules behind this template state the point plainly: a duet is made up of two melody instruments, and both members must play the melody of the tune at all times. That makes the item a test of agreement rather than of display. The pair have to share the same version of each tune, the same ornaments in the same places, the same breathing points and the same pulse, so that a listener hears one fuller, richer instrument instead of two people playing nearby.
On the eTalenter templates the item belongs to the Irish traditional music festival template, where it is the tenth class in the programme, after the solo instrument classes from fiddle to banjo. It runs in four age bands, A Under 12, B 12 to 15, C 15 to 18 and D Over 18, and every band is open to both genders with no spoken language attached. Because two players take part in each entry, the template records the item as a Team entry, not an Individual one, which is the clearest difference from the solo classes that come before it. The score is held as a rating out of 10 with a 100 maximum and a ten-minute ceiling; those are app defaults, since the source rules print no marking scheme and no time limit for the class.
What a pair plays is set by the age band. In the two younger bands the rules ask for one tune from each of two tune categories, in Band C one from each of three, and in the senior band one from each of four. The categories include reels, jigs of several kinds, hornpipes, polkas, marches, slides, set dances, mazurkas and airs, and each tune is played twice. Selections, where several tunes are run together, are not allowed in a duet. Neither electronic nor amplified instruments are accepted, and a player may not change instrument or tuning during the performance. A senior duet must use two different melody instruments, so two fiddles may enter the younger bands but not Band D.
The rules also shape how pairs are entered and judged. Both players are named on the entry with the instrument each one plays, and that pairing has to be kept through any later round in the same year, with no substitution of person or instrument once a duet has qualified. A competitor may enter the duet class only once in any age band, and may play up into an older band with a different instrument provided at least one member of the pair is genuinely in the older band. Two adjudicators normally listen to a duet, where a solo has one, and an individual mark is given for each tune played. Organisers keep duets as a separate class because it is the first step from playing alone to playing in company, and it prepares players for the trio, the group and the ceili band classes that follow.
Where Duets is run
On the eTalenter templates Duets is used in a single template, the Irish traditional music festival template in the Cultural and Folk Festival category, where it comes after the solo classes (Fiddle, Button Accordion, Flute, Whistle, Piano Accordion, Concertina, Uilleann Pipes, Harp and Banjo) and before Trios, Ceili Bands, Grupai Ceoil and the two sean-nos singing classes. The festival it follows is a national traditional music competition in Ireland, with qualifying rounds at county and regional level. Playing tunes in pairs is also common in sessions and lessons in many countries; this page describes only the item as the template carries it.
- Ireland
Key facts
- Two players perform together, so the template records every entry as a Team
- Four age bands: A Under 12, B 12 to 15, C 15 to 18 and D Over 18, all open to both genders, with no spoken language attached
- Both players must play the melody throughout; a senior duet (Band D) needs two different melody instruments
- Tunes required: one from each of two categories in Bands A and B, three in Band C and four in Band D, each tune played twice, with no selections
- No electronic or amplified instruments, and no change of instrument or tuning during the performance
- Rating out of 10 with a /100 maximum and a ten-minute ceiling are app defaults, as the source rules print neither a time limit nor a per-criterion marking scheme
On eTalenter, Duets is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Rating out of 10. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Duets is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 10 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Duets
What a Duets panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Unison and agreement: both players using the same version of each tune, with notes, ornaments and phrase endings landing together rather than a fraction apart
- Tuning between the two instruments: how well a pair match pitch, particularly when the instruments differ, such as a flute with an accordion, and how they hold it through a long tune
- Shared pulse and tempo: one speed, one set of accents for each tune type, and a clean start and finish rather than one player waiting for the other
- Balance and blend: neither instrument drowning the other, so that a quiet whistle or harp is still heard beside a louder box or pipes, and the two tones join well
- Tune choice across categories: tunes of different types chosen to meet the age band, played accurately by both members rather than a showy tune only one of them can manage
- Style and ornament: Irish dance-music decoration used in matching places by both players, with a lively, danceable rhythm rather than a mechanical or over-ornamented performance
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Duets under Scoring Setup, or start from the full instrumental music judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Duets
How entrants and their teachers usually get Duets right on the day:
- Settle one version of each tune early. Agree the notes, the ornaments, the repeats and where each part starts, and write the decisions down so the two of you do not drift apart in practice
- Practise slowly together before you practise fast, and play to a metronome until you can start and stop together without a nod or a count-in that the audience can see
- Choose tunes that suit both instruments. A tune that sits comfortably on a fiddle may be awkward on a concertina or harp, so pick keys and tunes that both players can finish cleanly
- Check your tuning against each other, not only against a tuner, in the room where you will play, and re-check after warming up, because the pitch of some instruments moves as they warm
- Plan the entry and exit: who steps forward, who gives the lead-in, how the first note is counted, and how the pair finish together on the last note
- Make sure the entry names both players and the instrument each plays correctly, and that a qualifying pair keeps the same two people and instruments through every later round
- Record a run-through and listen for the places where one player rushes or the quieter instrument is covered, then fix those few bars rather than replaying the whole set
Ready-made event templates that include Duets
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleadh Cheoil (Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann) | On Stage | Rating out of 10 | 4 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Duets judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between a duet and a solo with accompaniment?
In this class both players must play the melody of the tune at all times. Neither is an accompanist. Accompaniment is a different matter: the rules treat it as a separate class that is judged on the accompaniment alone.
Can two of the same instrument enter a duet?
In the younger bands the rules allow it, since they only require two melody instruments. In the senior band, Band D, the two instruments must be different, so two fiddles could not enter that band.
Is a duet judged as a pair or as two soloists?
As a pair. The template records the item as a Team entry, and the marks reward how well the two players fit together as well as how well each one plays. Two adjudicators normally hear a duet and a mark is awarded for each tune played.
Can we play several tunes joined into a set?
No. The rules do not allow selections in a duet. You play the required tunes from the stated categories, and each one is played twice.
Can I enter in more than one age band?
A competitor may enter the duet class once in any age band. A player may also take part in an older band with a different instrument, provided at least one member of that older pair belongs to the older band. Check the festival notice for the date on which ages are counted.
Can one of us change instrument or use an amplified instrument?
No. Players may not change instrument or tuning during the performance, and electronic or amplified instruments are not accepted. A qualifying pair also keeps the same two people and instruments through later rounds.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full instrumental music judging criteria guide, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try Duets in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Duets, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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