Writing for the String Section

String parts need voicing, bowing and dynamics, not a single sustained chord.

Related

String QuartetVoice CrossingViolinCello

The problem

Writing for strings is not turning a chord into five sustained lines. It means deciding how many parts there are, who carries the melody, who changes bow, and who holds the bass. The page describes actions; the ear hears the result.

Instrument combination

First and second violins, viola, cello and double bass make the standard five parts. Divisi thickens the harmony but thins each line; unison has more weight but less inner motion. The viola is often undervalued, yet it fills the layer where the harmony is most crowded.

Register and masking

The viola easily overlaps cello and second violin, and too much density low down turns muddy. Simplifying an inner part is more effective than adding notes. Bowing and dynamics must be written out, or the section will guess at the first rehearsal.

What to listen for

In the first movement of Beethoven's Eighth Quartet, hear the four parts exchange roles. In the first movement of the Fifteenth, hear the inner parts support the melody. In the Fifth Symphony, hear a string tutti fuse into one body.

Common misconceptions

Strings cannot be divided indefinitely. The more parts, the weaker each one and the harder the intonation; often the clearer choice is to use fewer parts.

Sources

• 通行配器教材所述弦乐声部、弓法与分奏原则，用于事实核对，未引用原文
• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., entry "String instruments", used for fact-checking only, not quoted

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.