I recorded this guitar/cello piece last week, and I’m curious: Would you describe this piece of music as a duel or a duet?
Moving the thread to Cafe Society, where music lovers abide. And Dudes.
A duel is where you attempt to kill the other person at the same time they are trying to kill you. A duet is when two people sing together. I’d say since this is a musical piece, the second term describes it better. “Dueling Banjos” was just artistic license.
I think you posted the poll as a sneaky way of getting people to listen to your music. And I’m glad you did; that was good stuff. But I didn’t see or hear anything “duel”-istic about it. I don’t know whether “duet” or “duo” or something else is the more “proper” or “conventional” term for a performance like that.
I agree with Thudlow, I feel like this is obviously a duet and just way to plug your music.
A good rule of thumb - if you’re playing at the same time in a way that’s supposed to sound good together, it’s a duet. I think a musical piece can only really be a “duel” if the two sides take turns, and are obviously set up in a “my part sounds better” sort of confrontation. Such as The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Tenacious D’s Beelzeboss or Metalocalypse’s The Duel.
DrCube: how about this one?
“Duo” would refer to the performers. (Simon & Garfunkel were a duo.) A piece of music composed or arranged for two performers, or a performance of such a piece, is a duet.
I think you’re correct about common English usage, but I have seen references to, for example, Mozart’s String Duos.