String quartets!

Hi, I am a junior in highschool and I am going to major in composition. I play 'cello, violin, and viola, and piano. My favorite ensemble to write for is the string quartet. Some of these quartets are missing bowings and other markings, but they will be added later. I use Finale...I hope you like them.:toothygrin: Please tell me what you think and give me advice!

String Quartet C# minor.MUS

String Quartet C# minor.MID

String quartet Bb minor.MUS

String quartet Bb minor.MID

String Quartet.MUS

String Quartet.MID

String Quartet C# minor:

Well-written for the instruments, good! One thing I'm missing is some dynamic and variation. When I'm listening to it the first time it becomes very long with none changes dynamic. Maybe it could be nice with some tempo changes too? All this is definitely up to you, that's only my opinion. I like the harmony in this piece!

String Quartet Bb minor:

This is also well-written for the instruments. It's easy to see that you're playing all those instruments. The presto part was real quick, can you play it in that tempo :O? The ending of the whole thing is really cool! One thing, around measure 23, I just think the chords changes can be better. It's just so nice, and then it come a chord which destroy some of the good feeling. I made a suggestion for how I would have done it, like it or not.

String Quartet:

Really cool and nice all the way! Generally I miss dynamic variation in all of your pieces. The allegro parts is just like "wow" all the way. If you ever gonna perform this, you have to record it and send it to me! :thumbsup: I sure not everybody can play this piece.

String quartet Bb minor.MUS

Interesting harmonies throughout, but I did find them to be repetitive. You would repeat the same motif several times unchanged, and this would happen many times within a single piece.

I also wasn't fond of the slow movements, they didn't have much interest in them. Your fast movements were a lot better though, you seemed more comfortable with that kind of writing. I think with some variation these pieces could become a lot better.

You write a lot with finale, and you can tell.

It seems like a lot of ideas where placed at the convince of finale. I know myself, when writing with a notation program like finale one has the tendency to copy measures, and transpose them at finale's convince. I think if you would write on paper your music would be more meaningful, at least to you.

If you take the time to write something on paper its going to be worth it. Plus theres just more of a human connection. You have to use your mind more with paper.

But yea, I can defiantly tell you play those instruments. Maybe a little too much if you know where I'm gong..? The music just seems like it was written by a sole string player. It really comes off to me that way.

The slow movements where very monstrous at times. Very slow, and barely creeping through, without any vivid suspense. It was rather boring at times.

Like someone said before, you defiantly seem more comfortable at fast tempos. You seemed to repeat more in your slow tempos (maybe because it takes longer to write music generally at a slow tempo and a little laziness is showing through perhaps..? :D) , and repeating at slow tempos only works if theres a good purpose. You seem to be more along the lines of, this was good, let's hear it again. (Which isn't always a bad thing, but in this case I think it is.)

You seem to have a voice for what you want, but you just aren't speaking clear enough if you catch my drift. I think a lot the repeating bliss can be settled by adding some dynamic and expression. I think all of those pieces would speak so much better with more expression. You defiantly have a good idea of what you want, and I think you could express it better that way. Just IMO.

Well I hope this helped, and didn't come off negatively. I really think you have something going for you, you just need to dig a little deeper to what you truly want to do. I can hear all of the madness waiting to be released. :D