Paul Coles . The Mazurka is a traditional Polish country-dance. It spread through Germany to Paris and in the 19th Century came to Britain. It is in triple time with a certain accentuation on the second beat of each bar with dotted notes being a feature. Chopin wrote a great many Mazurkas for the piano, he often changed the tempos and rhythms from the traditional. The Waltz, a dance in 3/4 time became very popular in the ballroom in the last quarter of the 18th cent. The waltzes of the Viennese composer Johann Strauss were popular throughout Europe. These two contrasting pieces work very well on the guitar and are original compositions for the instrument.. Grade: 4