Bela Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances for Violin – Sheet Music

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Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

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Looking for the perfect piece of sheet music to add to your violin repertoire? Check out our top recommendation – Bela Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances.

About the Romanian Folk Dances

Bela Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances (Serbo-Croatian: Rumunske narodne pjesme/Румунске народне пјесме) Sz. 56, BB 68 is a suite of six short piano pieces based on Romanian folk themes collected by the composer.

Bartok later arranged the dances for orchestra (BB 76), and for piano duet (SZ. 110). He also transcribed them for solo violin (SZ. 97b). The music is light and simple, and bears little resemblance to Bartok’s more brutal works, such as Mikrokosmos or Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. Nevertheless, the six dances are organized into a strict framework which gives them an inner coherence.

The first and last movements are in fast tempi, while the intervening four are in slow tempi; all are in duple meter except for Nos. 3 and 6, which are in triple meter. There is also a unifying rhythm throughout: at first glance it appears to be that of a fast polka or faster mazurka (occurring sometimes as whole notes, sometimes as dotted quarter notes), but it is actually slightly faster than either of these dances; this “Bartok rhythm” occurs most clearly in the first and last movements.

About Bela Bartok

Bartók was born in the village of Nagyszentmiklós in the Kingdom of Hungary, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father, Béla Sr., was a trombonist who encouraged his son to study law rather than music, anticipating difficulties making a career as a professional musician. Bartók enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music in Budapest in 1900, where he studied piano with István Thomán and composition with János Koessler. In 1903, Bartók suspected that he had contracted syphilis from a prostitute and left Hungary to receive treatment; he believed for some time that he would lose his mental faculties as a result of the disease. After spending several months in Berlin and Zürich, Bartók made his way back to Hungary and settled temporarily with family friends in Pozsony (now Bratislava). While there he garnered attention from patrons who commissioned interesting works from him and also performed parts of his work himself.

The Romanian Folk Dances for Violin – Sheet Music

Bela Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances for Violin – Sheet Music is a set of six pieces based on Romanian folk melodies collected by the composer. It was originally published in 1915 as volume four of Bartok’s Mikrokosmos series and was later transcribed for solo violin.

The pieces are in a variety of different keys and meters, and range from simple dances to more complex works. The first two, “Staccato” and “Bell ringing”, are in 6/8 meter, while the third, “In one spot”, is in 3/4 meter. The fourth, “Dance from Maramures”, is in 9/8 meter, and the fifth, “Dance from Bucovina”, is in 2/4 meter. The final piece, “Ciuleandra”, is in 5/8 meter.

While the dances are based on folk melodies, they are not strict transcriptions; Bartok rearranged them to fit his own musical aesthetic. He also added embellishments to the melodies, such as trills and grace notes.

How to Play the Romanian Folk Dances for Violin

Bela Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances are some of the most popular pieces of music ever written. The six short dances are based on authentic Romanian folk tunes, and they’re perfect for beginner violinists. In this guide, we’ll show you how to play the Romanian Folk Dances for Violin.

Before you start, it’s important to know that the Romanian Folk Dances are written in standard notation, which means that you’ll need to be able to read music in order to play them. If you’re not sure how to read music, we recommend checking out our beginner’s guide to reading sheet music.

Once you’ve got the basics down, take a look at the first dance, “Jocul Cu Bata.” This one is in 6/8 time, which means that there are six beats in each measure and that each eighth note gets one beat. The first two measures are mostly whole notes, which means that you’ll hold each note for two beats. In the third measure, you’ll see a lot of eighth notes, which means that you’ll play each one for just one beat.

If you’re having trouble keeping up with the tempo, try Practice Mode on our website. This will allow you to slow down the playback speed so that you can better hear each note. You can also use our Virtual Piano to help you learn the melody. Just click on the keys as they light up and play along with the music.

Once you’ve mastered “Jocul Cu Bata,” move on to “Braul.” This one is in 4/4 time, which means that there are four beats in each measure and that each quarter note gets one beat. The first measure is all whole notes, but in the second measure, you’ll see a lot of quarter notes and eighth notes. Pay attention to the tempo and make sure that you’re keeping up with the beat.

If you’re having trouble with any of the other dances, try watching a video tutorial or listening to a recording of someone playing them. You can also find helpful fingering charts online that will show you exactly where to place your fingers on the violin neck. With a little practice, you’ll be playing all six of Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances in no time!

Tips for Playing the Romanian Folk Dances for Violin

Assuming you are already familiar with the basic idea behind Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, here are some tips to help you make the most of this sheet music:

-First and foremost, take your time. Don’t try to rush through the piece or play it too fast. The key is to relax and take your time with each note and phrase.

-Secondly, be sure to use a metronome. This will help you keep a steady tempo and also ensure that you don’t rush through the piece.

-Finally, make sure you practice regularly. This will help ingrain the notes and phrases into your memory so that you can play them more easily during performances.

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