First String Quartet - Score Feedback Needed.....

Just finished my first String Quartet. I'd love your thoughts on it (constructive, though, please....), but most of all I need feedback on the score. I'm new to scoring (and have no musical training) and so am not confident at all with it. I'm especially worried about the notation around articulations/accents.

I'd really like to know how much of it needs to change in order to make it playable by a real-life String Quartet.

Track 26 - String Quartet no.1 - Score.pdf

You can also listen and read the score at Track 26 - String Quartet no.1 (Jan-March 2026) -

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by guy500
Amend link

Hi @guy500 !

From a cursory look at the score and a short session listening to the beginning of it, it looks like you're not using the right enharmonic spellings. In the beginning you're in G minor so all your D#'s and A#'s should be Eb's and Bb's, respectively. Then at C you switch to F minor, so you all your G#'s and C#'s should also be Ab's and Db's, respectively (in addition to the Eb's and Bb's). That's just in accordance with standard notation regarding key signature and proper spelling of scales in alphabetical order (like you wouldn't spell G minor scale as G, A, A#, C, D, D#, F#, G because you're missing some kind of B and E in the alphabet). Thanks for sharing!

1 hour ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Hi @guy500 !

From a cursory look at the score and a short session listening to the beginning of it, it looks like you're not using the right enharmonic spellings. In the beginning you're in G minor so all your D#'s and A#'s should be Eb's and Bb's, respectively. Then at C you switch to F minor, so you all your G#'s and C#'s should also be Ab's and Db's, respectively (in addition to the Eb's and Bb's). That's just in accordance with standard notation regarding key signature and proper spelling of scales in alphabetical order (like you wouldn't spell G minor scale as G, A, A#, C, D, D#, F#, G because you're missing some kind of B and E in the alphabet). Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Peter. Yes, unfortunately that's the aspect I don't have the capability to get right (tonality and enharmonics) so I always write atonally. I'm told I often veer quite far from the key I'm in anyway, so it seems usually to be more appropriate.