String Quartet for Beginners

My friend Anita is working with some young students, and has organized them into a string quartet. They're about 4th and 5th graders, and they have a lot of potential, but she couldn't find any fitting quartet music for them.

So she asked me to write her a baby string quartet.

PDF:

http://www.jeffballmusic.com/scores/jeffball-nightwindseasyquartet.pdf

MIDI:

http://www.jeffballmusic.com/scores/jeffball-nightwindseasyquartet.mid

What do you think? I think there should be more easier quartet music for younger kids to play.

Just a thought, but in my experience, kids get confused by semiquavers.

Might you consider writing out these as quavers with one tremolo line?

Otherwise, it's a very pleasant piece. They will enjoy it.

gotta watch those chromaticisms in the viola part. they're half-positions. I don't know just HOW "beginner" they are, but the fingering for the first measure requires a semi-tone shift on the 1st finger to play the A - G# (on the G string).

by the way, right now, for the opening measures, your 2nd violin part is much harder than the 1st violin part.

beginner-wise, I'd say that at measure 5, the 2nd violin part would be much wiser to start on an open string than a 3rd finger.

measure 5 is also a bit touchy for the viola, since the C# is a half position, on the 3rd finger (in other words, a "reach"), particularly after an open string.

this is, of course, speaking from a VERY beginner's point of view.

Isn't that piece a little too difficult for 4th and 5th graders? I assume I am correct this means 9 and 10 year olds? (I am in the UK).

Also the pizzicato chords in each instrument at the end won't be able to be played as 1 chord, not unless this 'quartet' has 2 instruments per part!

I think this piece is accessible by 9 and 10 year olds... They've been playing for a few years at this point. To my friend Anita's credit though, I should say that she is an excellent teacher and I think she could guide them through the piece.

rautavaara: That's a good suggestion. I'm kind of on the fence about it though, on one hand it would be good for the kids to see something easier, but then I don't want them to be getting dependent on seeing something that doesn't always show up in music.

QcCowboy: I definitely agree. The violist in the quartet, from what I heard, is the most proficient of the bunch. I think the viola part having some chromaticism would be good for them, but yeah, she might have to practice intonation a bit.

anthonyzerillocomposer: Sorry for the misunderstanding, but it doesn't require two players at all! When pizzing the last note, the player would roll their finger over all 4 strings to pluck them all, much like strumming a guitar. Though in the viola part that would only be 3 strings, and 2 in the cello.

anthonyzerillocomposer: Sorry for the misunderstanding, but it doesn't require two players at all! When pizzing the last note, the player would roll their finger over all 4 strings to pluck them all, much like strumming a guitar. Though in the viola part that would only be 3 strings, and 2 in the cello.

Ah but you are not going to get that whole chord in one go. It will sound like an accaciatura.

It'll be close enough. I mean, if you write a four-note chord, it's expected it'll be rolled, which is often a desired efect.

Also the pizzicato chords in each instrument at the end won't be able to be played as 1 chord, not unless this 'quartet' has 2 instruments per part!

These are what are called "triple stops" and "quadruple stops", and are a perfectly standard part of string technique.

Even after one single viola lesson, I was able to pull off a quite convincing C major chord on my viola.

It will sound the way it was intended to sound, and the way it is notated.

Yes, I don't see anything wrong with the double stops. It's a nice short piece, I think the youngins will enjoy it.

thanks Morgri.

right on 1:27 is an example of the pizz in question.

thanks Morgri.

right on 1:27 is an example of the pizz in question.

Hey Jeff do you have any decent sound sample library to make this quartet sound better than the midi?

These are what are called "triple stops" and "quadruple stops", and are a perfectly standard part of string technique.

Even after one single viola lesson, I was able to pull off a quite convincing C major chord on my viola.

It will sound the way it was intended to sound, and the way it is notated.

I know about double-stopping or indeed any version of stopping. I was merely playing Devil's Advocate.

It'll be close enough. I mean, if you write a four-note chord, it's expected it'll be rolled, which is often a desired efect.

Exactly my point! Software like Sibelius or Finale won't see that, it will see a block chord. But in real life, that chord will never be played as a block.

I think the OP knows that, and I don't think it's intended to be played as a block chord.

(BTW, I'll actually get to listening to the piece soon, when I'm less busy.)

Exactly my point! Software like Sibelius or Finale won't see that, it will see a block chord. But in real life, that chord will never be played as a block.

sibelius has the option to make a 'rolled' chord easily. Just right click near it and click "line" then choose the rolled squiggly line and it will roll your chord. There, problem solved.

sibelius has the option to make a 'rolled' chord easily. Just right click near it and click "line" then choose the rolled squiggly line and it will roll your chord. There, problem solved.

Yeah, but hide it as you just want the effect to happen and not have it printed on the score.

playing in time would not be easy for beginners,as they need to know their part well before they play.

playing in time would not be easy for beginners,as they need to know their part well before they play.

Well, of course that would have to practice it. I mean, I think it's a nice and challenging peice that a young string quartet would have a lot of fun playing.