Have you ever seen those videos where someone is singing, and then the screen slides up or down and a second person is added? Kind of like that danged Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell rendition of Grace Kelly?
… yeah sorry for the earworm!
Anywhooo… being someone who enjoys playing different instruments, I’ve always wanted to duet with myself. When I was younger I would grab awesome duets and use my cassette recorder to record one part, then play it back with another.
When I started learning other instruments, I would record something on my electric keyboard to playback with my other instrument.
And I have always wanted to try to make a video duet layering different parts onto each other. So, why not use this week to try something different?
But how?
TikTok to YouTube to CapCut:
I started by exploring on TikTok, but I couldn’t seem to find anything where I could duet with myself… so I moved on to a quick search for a YouTube tutorial:
This tutorial was about using CapCut, which I have heard of, so I figured I’d start there. First thoughts… this video does share how to do a made-for-TikTok split screen, but it’s clearly a video made by some AI bot… it’s not very human which I didn’t love.
The next issue was with CapCut itself… I took my initial recordings but apparently, they were too large to upload into the program without paying for an account:
BOOOOO
CapCut to YouTube to VEED:
This video suggested using something called VEED, which I had not heard of before this weekend. All I know is that when I went on here to upload my videos… Success!
Although I didn’t edit on CapCut, after watching the above tutorial, it looked like the editing process would be the same.
Next step was to get my video!
I decided to use some sheet music that I purchased from Sheet Music Direct… I’ve used this website for years and I know that they have a good stock of instrumental music.
I decided to record the song 1000 Years (The Piano Guys Version) because the individual parts looked simple for me to sightread:
It took me a few tries to get the piano part down, and it’s not perfect, but I finally got a recording I was somewhat happy with…
Now for the cello.
One thing that was cool about this was that in the cello part of the song, I got to read the Tenor Clef, which is something I haven’t done before. Playing piano my whole life, I’m very fluent in the Treble Clef and Bass Clef, and it turns out the Tenor Clef was easy enough to learn:
Tenor Clef has a different location for Middle C
To make sure the two parts fit together as well as possible, I put in my earbuds to listen to my piano recording while recording the cello piece. There are a few spots where I sound shaky, but I’m happy with getting it done on my third take!
Putting it Together on VEED:
YAY!
And that takes us to the final product which is this short video! Overall, I’m pretty happy with how this first attempt turned out. I could have done better on each instrument because I’m a perfectionist, but I also didn’t want to spend 3 days working for the perfect recording. There are a few spots where the sound could be smoothed out more, and that’s something I’ll work on next time!
How could this be used in the Classroom?
First of all, I’m curious what your thoughts are about using this in the classroom. I have done projects before where students act as Foley Artists and add sound effects to a short video that I’ve provided for them, and this would be a great tool to use!
I also think that students could use this to create their own duets, either with themselves or with a classmate or with a famous artist to add their own spin to a piece of music or video!
Thanks for following my journey!
Hi Jenni,
Great work on your duet! I used a similar editing tool this week and I ran into the issue of the files being too large to upload as well. I was able to find the setting that can change the file size and resolution so it was easier to upload. Does Veed have that setting?
In your screencastify video, I appreciated seeing how the parts fit together. I think students would really enjoy doing the editing of their videos using this program. Thanks for this review!
Wow, Jenni, a duet with yourself! It sounds so beautiful – great job! Veed looks like a great platform – very much like Wevideo (which is what I use). Quite the process you went through to find just the right digital tool, but seems like it really worked out. It makes sense for a music class, now my brain is churning on how I could use it in an ELA classroom (maybe with students debating themselves).
What if they read a play or something with some back and forth, playing both characters and having it jump back and forth?
Even better… a rap battle! Last year I taught my students create rap battles on Magic School AI and they would use it to practice their reading fluency. It was a blast!! They could even add music to it!
Jenni, this was such a fun read! I love how you took us along on your creative adventure—from the nostalgia of cassette recordings (such a throwback!) to learning new tech like VEED. Honestly, your determination to make it work despite the hiccups with CapCut was super inspiring.
Your duet idea turned out beautifully, and I can totally relate to the perfectionist struggle, but you nailed it by prioritizing progress over perfection. The way you layered piano and cello was such a cool use of your talents!
Also, I love your classroom ideas—Foley Artist projects and student duets? That sounds like such a fun and engaging way to bring creativity into learning. Keep sharing your work—it’s seriously motivating! 😊🎶