Fifths intervals on strings

Hi, I'm wondering if I can get some pointers on string capabilities. Writing a piece for, say string quartet, is it difficult for them to play a melody which is comprised entirely of fifths? Let's say quarter=76 and the melody is mostly eighth notes with some half notes and rests in there. Basically I'm wondering if the strings can freely move around by fifths (and down by fourths). Even when doubled in unison?

well your in luck, the Violin is tuned in 5ths, so just switching between the strings will help a great deal. Though an actual melody would be more helpful.

Well I think its possbile but hard. On guitar, you can play fifts pretty easily like an accompaniement, but actually melody is a bit harder and if its a bit more uptempo nearly imposible to nail two strings move around the board and strum. Violin uses a bow, and the neck is slightly curled to make bowing two strings at a time possible, but I don't think that every note combination in fifts is possible this way. Also I imagine that the tempo is going to make a big impact on the performance. I think it would be easier if you had another person follow the melody in fifts.

I'd say this is by all means playable. Note that for a melody in fourths, like your example, you use a different finger for each note. If the melody consisted of fifths, the performer would need to use the same finger, on different strings, for consecutive notes. That, or go crazy with position changes.

Well, now that you mention it! How about this upwards fifths section? I guess I'm also trying to imagine how the bowing would work.

All of this is easily playable. parallel fifths on violin and viola are very easy to play, even in 5th, 6th, 7th positions. Descending and ascending fourths are also easy, until you get to the point where everything is on the E-string at a faster speed. The bowing isn't too problematic, but I would tend to group eight notes by 2s when the strings played on change that often.

Fear not! what you have written is no where near to impossible. From the quick glances I took a violinist/violist might need to spend a little time on intonation but not enough to make you sweat. You are good to go. In general it takes a lot to go outside of the violins comfort range when it comes to single notes....if you need proof of this look at the score to some Paganini Caprices.

Well here is an idea which one of my classmates did for our string quartet class and it was one of the most wonderful timbres I had heard in a long time.

Double stops on 5ths using the lower note as an open string. Sustain the open string while you have a stepwise melody or ostinato going over it. For long durations it isn't that easy but not too difficult. It gets a little more difficult when you have two stopped strings. Make sure the upper or lower movements when both strings are stopped are mostly stepwise or thirds - large leaps become extremely difficult or impossible as the player is holding down the other string with one of their fingers. If one of the strings is an open string then you have greater freedom with skips.

Ex 1 G - D played on open strings, G sustained while the melody on top D - Bflat - A - Bflat- B natural - D #- G#-F#-F natural is played.

EX 2 Accompaniment double stop on two stopped strings - B flat (on G string) - F (on D string)- have rock back and forth between f and a on upper string on D string OR Bflat go to a flat on lower string.

EX 3 Have overlapping fifths among the players with one of them doing example 2 - the fifths drop out until we hear the Ex 2 accompaniment - have a melody over it with another string instrument.

BEWARE - Have an orchestration/instrumentation book in front of you with diagrams of the strings and the various positions. Try to stick mostly with using one of the open string for greater freedom.