Arranging for a string quartet

[katamaranos]

First of all thanks for kind words!
@ghoststrat
I think I'm satisfied with the harmonic structure, but I'd like to create some more movement, not necessarily harmonic, during those long notes. I think I should start studying counterpointing.
@jordanklemons
Yes, a little more rhythmic diversification would make things better. About diversity, that's why I made this abrupt on "christ-mas", wanted to introduce more variety to articulation. But you're right, I should have remembered about the lyrics.
And I've got a question, how to make a string quartet swing?
EDIT:
@ghoststrat
"Djagno"... I think It's a great idea!

[christianm77]

you work with both a violin and a cello player, too, Chris. That's a good insight about the cello bowing. A violin is really agile, but with the bow hold for a cello of a doublebass, its a lot different. And there's just plain more that has to move

TBH I think it depends on the cellist. This was advice given in a very general way - the guy who told me is a trained composer and an experienced composer of commercial music for ads etc (I did a session for him a while back.)

If you want a low maintenance and cheap session (as ghoststrat points out) you tend to write stuff that sounds good for the instrument and is easy to pull together.

If you are Dmitri Shostakovich and you have the finest string quartets in the world queuing up to perform your work (which is written from an intimate understanding of the instruments)... well... it's a bit different...

[christianm77]

First of all thanks for kind words!
@ghoststrat
I think I'm satisfied with the harmonic structure, but I'd like to create some more movement, not necessarily harmonic, during those long notes. I think I should start studying counterpointing.
@jordanklemons
Yes, a little more rhythmic diversification would make things better. About diversity, that's why I made this abrupt on "christ-mas", wanted to introduce more variety to articulation. But you're right, I should have remembered about the lyrics.
And I've got a question, how to make a string quartet swing?
EDIT:
@ghoststrat
"Djagno"... I think It's a great idea!

Well that's what I'm trying to do a little bit with my group Balagan.... There are a few jazz violinists about and a couple of jazz cellists (it's a tough dep)... I'm happy to be the viola haha... (not quite the same)

The idea of my group is to become an improvising chamber ensemble...

(And in fact, we play Django BTW - very easy to go into a baroque vibe with those changes and that melody. Definitely a good shout for quartet.)

Bill Frissell (of course) had the idea first:

BTW - it's a bit naughty but I want to post these tracks from an upcoming album release. These string parts are by the band leader - a violinist and a pianist, and he wrote them in an evening to the tunes he had already composed. Not bad, I think...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ris2qy7t3...eveve.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/isiwy0wv31...ssini.mp3?dl=0

I will have a listen to your arrangement when I get a chance with headphones...

[katamaranos]

@christianm77 WOW! Really tasteful playing! When is this album going to be released?

[christianm77]

@christianm77 WOW! Really tasteful playing! When is this album going to be released?

Thanks for the kind words! We are currently looking for a label. If it takes too long we'll probably just self-release it....

[christianm77]

Nothing fancy, but everyone has to start somewhere.
Don't ask me why I picked this tune, I have no idea .
Constructive criticism pls.

Yeah, nice job.

Find myself agreeing with Jordan. Think there's some nice inner voice leading there that could be showcased with some more active rhythms when the melody is static - if that makes any sense :-)

[bako]

Don't give the cello anything too rhythmically busy to do with the bow or they will drag.
String players hate playing long notes/pads. But the thing is it's what they are good at :-)

String players and cellists can do many things.
Evidence follows:

Not a big fan of looper in performance but I like Stefan Bruan's musical result.
Doesn't drag to badly for a cellist.

Opens with a classical quartet vibe and then serves in a horn section role when the other quartet enters.

Erik Friedlander

Ernst Reijseger

Violinists Christian Howes and Billy Contreras

Turtle Island Quartet

Ravel's only quartet.

As a cellist, I don't hold hatred for long tones/pads in the service of an arrangement but to create engaging music in a string quartet setting, it is likely that some more rhythmic activity will be needed from one or more players.

[ghoststrat]

First of all thanks for kind words!
@ghoststrat
I think I'm satisfied with the harmonic structure, but I'd like to create some more movement, not necessarily harmonic, during those long notes. I think I should start studying counterpointing.
@jordanklemons
Yes, a little more rhythmic diversification would make things better. About diversity, that's why I made this abrupt on "christ-mas", wanted to introduce more variety to articulation. But you're right, I should have remembered about the lyrics.
And I've got a question, how to make a string quartet swing?
EDIT:
@ghoststrat
"Djagno"... I think It's a great idea!

A trick I sometimes suggest to people is to copy the melody, double the note values, and get rid of anything that expands outside of the bar they originated in. Then experiment with moving it up, or down in half steps until you find something you like. I can give you an example if that doesn't make sense. At first, it may be easier to approach things in a methodical way like this until you get a flow happening, and the 'art' takes over. There are lots of other kick-starter ideas, but that's a pretty good starting point.

As far as rhythm is concerned, think of it like voice-leading, but..not. I always want to make the rhythm carry the piece, it should give it momentum. So, if you want sections to have/continue/gain momentum, one way to do that is to 'lead into' strong beats using smaller note values than what is prominent at the moment. e.g. if your main note value is 1/4 note, you may want to lead into beat 1 of some 'main bar' using an 8th note. So, if you're in 4/4, you may have an 8th note play on the & of 4, and land on the next down beat with something strong to your ear. Try it with a 16th, also. Take note of the effect, what it sets up in the next bar. In the described context, using an 8th note makes it comfortable to continue with 1/4 notes, but if you want to continue in 8th notes, a 16th can often set that up nicely. Triplets, and all of the other tuplets have various effects, check 'em out in context. Then there's doing things like having the underlying melodies using 1/4 triplets as the pulse, etc, etc. There are lots and lots of variables to be considered, but you'll figure things out through trial and error. Start simple and the rest will unfold.

And yeah, Django is a beautiful tune. I used it as an example because it has such a strong personality and implies some very strong things to me as far as arranging is concerned. Luckily, I don't really arrange other people's stuff, though, other than Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C# Minor, which I arranged for my improv/funk/orphan quartet many years ago. I say 'luckily' because there's so much great stuff out there that I'd never get around to my own stuff.

[christianm77]

@bako, as you know, I'm lucky to work with some excellent jazz string players...

The dragging thing I mentioned (I think) are more for generic sessions when you want the music to cause as few difficulties as possible - e.g, you have them in the studio for a morning and you need to record all the parts in one or two takes.

But if you have the option of working with a group over a period of time, they are many more possibilities....

[bako]

Christian,

The majority of string players train via some form of classical lineage, be it Conservatory or private teachers.
Historically, arrangers stayed away from assuming them able to swing like the horn sections.
They did not avoid writing active expressive lines. These days, there are significantly greater numbers of string players playing effectively in non Classical settings including jazz of every strain.

Bottom line for an arranger, best to study at least the basic physical details of any instrument you intend to write for.
Also to learn the nuances of the range for each instrument from a tonal perspective to anticipate what voicings will achieve a well balanced sound or how to avoid doing so for other kinds of effects.

Guitarists, as string players can easily understand the left hand details of physical proximity, once we are familiar with the fingerboard layout of the 5th tuning. Given their size, violinists cover 7 half steps (frets) per position, 2+1/3 octaves of the chromatic scale.Violists do the same but it is a wider span. Cello is similar to guitar in scale and covers 5 half steps per position but need to shift with greater frequency in that the basic hand shape is an incomplete chromatic scale.
Playing safe range wise for pro players would be 3 octaves plus a little.

For the studio, it helps to know the players involved, to take advantage of their unique skills and anticipate challenges that may emerge.

[christianm77]

Christian,

The majority of string players train via some form of classical lineage, be it Conservatory or private teachers.
Historically, arrangers stayed away from assuming them able to swing like the horn sections.
They did not avoid writing active expressive lines. These days, there are significantly greater numbers of string players playing effectively in non Classical settings including jazz of every strain.

Bottom line for an arranger, best to study at least the basic physical details of any instrument you intend to write for.
Also to learn the nuances of the range for each instrument from a tonal perspective to anticipate what voicings will achieve a well balanced sound or how to avoid doing so for other kinds of effects.

Guitarists, as string players can easily understand the left hand details of physical proximity, once we are familiar with the fingerboard layout of the 5th tuning. Given their size, violinists cover 7 half steps (frets) per position, 2+1/3 octaves of the chromatic scale.Violists do the same but it is a wider span. Cello is similar to guitar in scale and covers 5 half steps per position but need to shift with greater frequency in that the basic hand shape is an incomplete chromatic scale.
Playing safe range wise for pro players would be 3 octaves plus a little.

For the studio, it helps to know the players involved, to take advantage of their unique skills and anticipate challenges that may emerge.

Yes I agree with what you say. It depends entirely on what the situation is. And you have to know a bit about the instruments to write idiomatically for them. Most of the great composers were string players of course.

A thing to remember (as far I'm concerned) is a cello is not a higher pitched double bass. It is an entirely different animal even when played by a jazz musician. Working a lot with a cellist, I do get a feeling of what the instrument really shines.

But there is a sense of more string players playing non-classical music, which has to be a good thing.

[rintincop]

Music is simple... choir style 4 part arranging

a foolproof 4 part technique, very fast and easy...don't need an instrument to do it


Melody on top (soprano)
3rds or 7ths almost always in the middle (alto and tenor)
Root on the bottom (bass)

Bass may be tweaked for inversions...

[sgcim]

Music is simple... choir style 4 part arranging

a foolproof 4 part technique, very fast and easy...don't need an instrument to do it


Melody on top (soprano)
3rds or 7ths almost always in the middle (alto and tenor)
Root on the bottom (bass)

Bass may be tweaked for inversions...

If it were that easy, there would be a lot of unemployed college music theory teachers...

[Jonah]

String quatet is quintessence of classical functional harmony... from Haydn through Mozart, Bethoveen, Schubert and Shumann, and Bruckner... and up to Berg's Lyrical suite... quratets represent all possible realizations of this functional harmonic universe...

So practically it's nothing complex if you come from point of view of the same tradition, one voice - one instrument... it depends on what you're after... if you want to imitate some old style it's one thing.... if you want to develope it in tradition it's another...

But anyway it's more about knowledge of compositional style per se.. than instrumentation... becasue string quartet is one timbre group there's no tone orchestration...

And it would be good if you know at least basic techniques and articulation on strings... so you could use some effects, intervals and chords occasionally



I also keep promoting my friend's music whom I absolutely sincerely consider to be greatest living composer now...

He keeps composing a short quartet piece every morning since 1994... calls it The Quartet Book... he does it like a diary note or something... sometimes he mails to me a new one - I play it through and it's like you get the message...


What I think is tat his qurtets also refklect this long time tradition of European music

His name is Boris Yoffe Friends of Boris Yoffe's Music | Boris Yoffe

[ghoststrat]

Music is simple... choir style 4 part arranging


a foolproof 4 part technique, very fast and easy...don't need an instrument to do it




Melody on top (soprano)
3rds or 7ths almost always in the middle (alto and tenor)
Root on the bottom (bass)


Bass may be tweaked for inversions...

If it were that easy, there would be a lot of unemployed college music theory teachers...

The irony is that if a person were to start with that, they'd likely evolve beyond it after doing it for so long that they get bored of it. Eventually they'd say something like, "instead of putting the 7th here, I'm going to put another note instead". Then they'd be like, "geh... I'm tired of this boring rhythm, I'm going to change it to...". Boredom is the muthuh' of invention, sometimes.

[ghoststrat]

String quatet is quintessence of classical functional harmony... from Haydn through Mozart, Bethoveen, Schubert and Shumann, and Bruckner... and up to Berg's Lyrical suite... quratets represent all possible realizations of this functional harmonic universe...

So practically it's nothing complex if you come from point of view of the same tradition, one voice - one instrument... it depends on what you're after... if you want to imitate some old style it's one thing.... if you want to develope it in tradition it's another...

But anyway it's more about knowledge of compositional style per se.. than instrumentation... becasue string quartet is one timbre group there's no tone orchestration...

And it would be good if you know at least basic techniques and articulation on strings... so you could use some effects, intervals and chords occasionally



I also keep promoting my friend's music whom I absolutely sincerely consider to be greatest living composer now...

He keeps composing a short quartet piece every morning since 1994... calls it The Quartet Book... he does it like a diary note or something... sometimes he mails to me a new one - I play it through and it's like you get the message...


What I think is tat his qurtets also refklect this long time tradition of European music

His name is Boris Yoffe Friends of Boris Yoffe's Music | Boris Yoffe

This is great! I'm checking out your friends website and music. Thanks for hipping me to him!

[rintincop]

There should be a lot of unemployed college theory professors... but , most of their students and peers are too slow,,, thus they stay employed.