# Recommendation of slow string pieces to study



## Andrajas (May 29, 2020)

Hey everyone, 
I want to improve my string writing, particularly when it comes to slow adagio pieces. Anyone here that can recommend pieces to study (would also be good if there is a score available)


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## angeruroth (May 29, 2020)

Air On The G String


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## Rob Burnley (May 29, 2020)

Depends what kind of style you are going for - the Beethoven early String Quartets (Opus 18 set) would be a good start if it's classical you are going for.





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String Quartets Nos. 1–6, Op. 18 (Beethoven) - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org





Here's a start if you fancy that route


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## gohrev (May 29, 2020)

Mahler's 5th: Adagietto.
Phenomenal orchestration for strings.


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## Fysik (May 29, 2020)

Besides the absolutely wonderful Adagietto in Mahler's 5th which I can't recommend strong enough, I can also say that I learned a lot from Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor.


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## mikeh-375 (May 29, 2020)

Vaughn Williams Tallis Fantasia.


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## Rex282 (May 29, 2020)

Barbers Adagio


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## OleJoergensen (May 29, 2020)




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## Sears Poncho (May 29, 2020)

Gershwin -Lullaby for Strings
Vaughn Williams- Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus
Warlock- Capriol Suite, Pieds-en-l'air
Respighi-Ancient Airs and Dances
Handel-Largo from Xerxes
Strauss-Metamorphosen for 23 strings
Grieg-Two Elegiac Melodies


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## Sears Poncho (May 29, 2020)

Fysik said:


> Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor.


Trivia: Written in the 1950s by Remo Giazotto. Always amuses me that the one piece Albinoni is famous for is a fake.


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## JohnG (May 29, 2020)

Rex282 said:


> Barbers Adagio



Depending on how much you already know and what kind of music you want to write, the Barber would be my choice too. It's a lovely piece and I think easier to learn a somewhat more up to date technique than Beethoven. Besides, you may be a genius but -- Beethoven! Pretty hard sometimes to learn from something that's perfect.

I like these suggestions too:


Sears Poncho said:


> Gershwin -Lullaby for Strings
> Vaughn Williams- Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus
> Warlock- Capriol Suite, Pieds-en-l'air
> Respighi-Ancient Airs and Dances
> ...


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## mikeh-375 (May 29, 2020)

...do we know what standard the OP is at?


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## Andrajas (May 29, 2020)

Hey all!
Some lovely recommendations here. Some not quite what I'm looking for but some definitely hit the mark 
I'm not a total "newbie" when it comes to string writing. Not orchestrally trained, but have over the years learnt some things which have worked so far in my career, but wanted now during quarantine to up my game 

Keep the examples coming, will come back to this thread over time and check the examples and continue studying !


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## patrick76 (May 29, 2020)

Lots of good music recommended. All worth studying.


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## SupremeFist (May 29, 2020)

If you want something really "neoclassical" and minimalist, then Max Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight" is very simple but also very clever and effective.


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## Yogevs (May 30, 2020)

One of my all time favourites


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## Andrajas (May 30, 2020)

Yogevs said:


> One of my all time favourites



I haven't heard this one before but I know of Grieg ofc. But yes, this was a beautiful track. Thanks for sharing. Will dig into this one !


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## gohrev (May 30, 2020)

Andrajas said:


> Hey all!
> Some lovely recommendations here. Some not quite what I'm looking for but some definitely hit the mark
> I'm not a total "newbie" when it comes to string writing. Not orchestrally trained, but have over the years learnt some things which have worked so far in my career, but wanted now during quarantine to up my game
> 
> Keep the examples coming, will come back to this thread over time and check the examples and continue studying !


OP, tell us which examples "hit the mark", and you'll have more coming your way


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## muk (May 30, 2020)

There's a lot of fantastic music for you to check out!

I am a little hesitant to post this, as the writing pales completely in comparison to the other suggestions. But if you are looking for something contemporary that is less intimitating, maybe you might enjoy these?

It's three short pieces for string orchestra that I wrote. They are intended to be a set of three, rather than just individual pieces:

No 1
https://app.box.com/s/vc529lsqsuuzemieurzs7we11mc74f6i

No 2
https://app.box.com/s/uhy420f9gwm907qei5r4cc397o7tz1zx

No 3
https://app.box.com/s/e5qx1nmrwlgmwju52a29fi6ecbi47dvm


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## mikeh-375 (May 30, 2020)

muk said:


> There's a lot of fantastic music for you to check out!
> 
> I am a little hesitant to post this, as the writing pales completely in comparison to the other suggestions. But if you are looking for something contemporary that is less intimitating, maybe you might enjoy these?
> 
> ...



lovely @muk.


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## batonruse (May 30, 2020)

muk said:


> There's a lot of fantastic music for you to check out!
> 
> I am a little hesitant to post this, as the writing pales completely in comparison to the other suggestions. But if you are looking for something contemporary that is less intimidating, maybe you might enjoy these?
> 
> These are really great pieces and I am certainly going to learn a lot by digging deeper in to them. Could you tell us a little more about these (or point me in the direction of a previous post as I have obviously missed it). Also, would you be prepared to share your score and/or midi file to help me/others on our journey? Thanks so much for posting.


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## Sears Poncho (May 30, 2020)

muk said:


> It's three short pieces for string orchestra that I wrote.


Excellent, sounds great.


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## Stringtree (May 30, 2020)

muk said:


> There's a lot of fantastic music for you to check out!
> 
> I am a little hesitant to post this, as the writing pales completely in comparison to the other suggestions. But if you are looking for something contemporary that is less intimitating, maybe you might enjoy these?
> 
> ...




Awww, jeez, thanks. Number 3 is my favorite. Sounds like I'm ordering from a dumbed-down menu because I'm too dumb to understand the language.

This was some gorgeous stuff. Very moving, and I don't just mean emotionally. Good arranging.

Were these created with a couple of the usual-suspects string libraries? I'm most curious. 

Greg


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## Terry93D (May 30, 2020)

Need I say more?

Anyway.

OP, I find that I do have something that may be suitable, though as I am not an expert, please feel free to discard: Guillaume Lekeu's Adagio for String Trio and String Orchestra.


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## Sears Poncho (May 30, 2020)

Terry93D said:


> as I am not an expert,


Well, you apparently picked a lovely piece that I've never heard, nor of the composer who died at 24. Very nice! Here it is for those too lazy to google...


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## Terry93D (May 30, 2020)

Sears Poncho said:


> Well, you apparently picked a lovely piece that I've never heard, nor of the composer who died at 24. Very nice! Here it is for those too lazy to google...



Ah! I should've put a link in my post. Thank you very much for your act of kindness.


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## muk (May 31, 2020)

Thank you Mike!



batonruse said:


> Could you tell us a little more about these (or point me in the direction of a previous post as I have obviously missed it). Also, would you be prepared to share your score and/or midi file to help me/others on our journey? Thanks so much for posting.



Thank you @batonrouse. I posted one of the pieces a while ago, here is the thread:





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Decidedly untrailerish track - Cinematic Studio Strings


Hello all To get to know Cinematic Studio Strings better I made another track with them, purely for string orchestra. Slowly but steadily I think I get to grips with it. The main issues that remain for me are the legato lag - makes it difficult to play and somewhat tedious to program - and the...




vi-control.net





I can not share the midi files, but I will check if I have the scores somewhere.

Thank you @Sears Poncho! Knowing that you are a professional strings player I am glad you like it.



Stringtree said:


> Were these created with a couple of the usual-suspects string libraries? I'm most curious.



Thanks Greg. These are all mocked up with Cinematic Studio Strings. In the second piece I layered CSS with Cinematic Studio Solo Strings, Nrs. 1 and 3 are CSS only.


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## batonruse (May 31, 2020)

Thank you @batonrouse. I posted one of the pieces a while ago, here is the thread:

Thanks @muk for the link to the thread and for offering to look for the scores.


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## Ivan M. (May 31, 2020)

Not a professor myself, but here's an adagio with a lot of strings, one I like very much:



It's easier to study if you like it.
(For example, although much recommended, I find Bach and Beethoven quite boring  They are fun to play, though  )


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## OleJoergensen (May 31, 2020)

muk said:


> There's a lot of fantastic music for you to check out!
> 
> I am a little hesitant to post this, as the writing pales completely in comparison to the other suggestions. But if you are looking for something contemporary that is less intimitating, maybe you might enjoy these?
> 
> ...


Wonderful music Muk!


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## OleJoergensen (May 31, 2020)

Ivan M. said:


> Not a professor myself, but here's an adagio with a lot of strings, one I like very much:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I think this piece of music is maybe the most romantic ever written.


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## SupremeFist (May 31, 2020)

Link I was too lazy to post earlier:


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## muk (May 31, 2020)

OleJoergensen said:


> Wonderful music Muk!



Thank you Ole!


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## Ivan M. (May 31, 2020)

Grainger, Irish tune from county Derry for orchestra


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## Sears Poncho (May 31, 2020)

MaxOctane said:


> All you guys arguing back and forth,


It was only_ one _guy. I've put Mr. Poop on ignore, problem solved on my end. But let's make that perfectly clear: it was _one_ guy, one pompous dolt. The rest of us were and still are continuing to discuss slow works involving strings, without some ninny saying "no, that one's not right because reasons". Moving on...

Bartok- Music for strings percussion and celesta movement 3. One of the most powerful works ever written. Most people know it from "The Shining", which is the coolest part. Bartok didn't intend for it to be "scary". It's one of his famous "Night Music" mvmts, it's supposed to emulate night time noises in Nature. It's the same fate as Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield.. "Oooooh, the Exorcist music!". No. Both are just music that was used in sacary films.


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## Sears Poncho (May 31, 2020)

Ivan M. said:


> Not a professor myself, but here's an adagio with a lot of strings, one I like very much:


Great music. For non-Americans or youngsters, this was also a pop "rock" hit in the 70s. Eric Carmen's aunt, Muriel, was a longtime violist in the Cleveland Orchestra. It's such a strong melody that it works in any form. Start 40 seconds in.


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## mikeh-375 (May 31, 2020)

well there is always Kernis too.....a to die for piece if ever there was one. The contemporary man's/woman's Barber Adagio.


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## JohnG (May 31, 2020)

thanks @mikeh-375 
very nice indeed


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## J-M (May 31, 2020)

I sure could improve my writing (especially on slower pieces). Great links, thanks folks!


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## JohnG (May 31, 2020)

@Andrajas IDK your level of experience so apologies if you know this tip -- it's certainly no secret.

*Number One "Most-Improved" Tip: * Sing the lines individually, improvising extra notes and passing tones.

I think if there were one thing missing from many / most beginner pieces in general, but particularly conspicuous in beginner string pieces, it's a lack of independent motion. Many of the pieces cited here feature a lot of movement -- everything is moving, not just block chords.

I'm not talking about avoiding parallel 5ths or octaves, or confining this suggestion solely to contrary motion (although paying attention to those can help). Most of the pieces people are offering as study examples (including the dazzling Lekeu piece, which I've never before heard) also incorporate sections in which there are independent, singable lines in each voice.

*"More Please..."*

So, imagine you improvise a nice 8 or 16 bar phrase (or 7 or 5...) and want to take it somewhere, or extend it, one approach is to sing along, part by part, adding passing tones -- little "journeys." Even if it's just a variation, if you're writing for a scene that's under dialogue and you need more material to finish it out (or simply want a little variety in your main material after, say, an intervening bridge or changing key), embellishing a few lines here and there when you repeat can help.

*Other tips in the "Ron Obvious Way to More Varied Writing":

Vary the Register* -- don't sit in the same range too long. One of the glories of strings is their tremendous range. And it's ok if cellos cross violas or V1 crosses V2 or cellos or what have you, but just remember that the cellos' sound gets more intense in high registers (for example), so that could impact a live performance. Try using the viola as the "bass" line for a few bars, then reintroduce the celli and basses.

*Vary Texture* -- Not everyone has to play long or slow notes at the same time. You can initiate a "tune and accompaniment" and then have each section dance a little more independently, then go to a homogeneous chordal section. If you look at Wagner's viola lines (as an example), you will find many examples where the violas are performing something completely different from the rest of the strings. Often wicked difficult, too.

*Voice Leading *-- this is more or less the same as "singing" the line. If you can sing it, probably the voice leading is ok. Even though strings are much more agile than the human voice and capable of some pretty dazzling leaps, if you're in doubt or the piece sounds weird (in a way you don't like) it often will sound more natural and musical if each part on its own is singable. Plus, less boring for the players, which also matters.

*Variety of Separation between Lines *-- if you have the strings all bunched together, try spreading them out, sometimes changing dramatically, then bringing them back. Consider putting V1 way up high and having everyone else accompany well below them, just for variety.

*Divisi* -- even with a relatively modest-sized string section, you can subdivide violins or violas so you have 8 or more lines going at the same time. Ravel and Debussy were masters at it, and it can add variety to your texture and register.

I'm sure I'm just not thinking of some more of Ron Obvious' tips but these are a few that people have suggested to me and that I think you can observe in many of these pieces. These ideas have helped my own writing to improve, especially when writing for media.

If you're in the avant-garde department, obviously there's a rather different bag of tricks. And plenty of those get incorporated into media music (if that's your thing). Check out Jerry Goldsmith's "Planet of the Apes" score, the first one. Quite something.

Kind regards,

John


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## ed buller (May 31, 2020)

One of my fav's:



Best

ed


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## gordinho (Jun 1, 2020)

I am lucky to have found this thread. Not to highjack this thread but is there another thread for those wanting to start from a more beginner level? I guess intuitively we know what sounds good, but I find pinning it down to specifics is often good.


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## JohnG (Jun 1, 2020)

gordinho said:


> I am lucky to have found this thread. Not to highjack this thread but is there another thread for those wanting to start from a more beginner level? I guess intuitively we know what sounds good, but I find pinning it down to specifics is often good.



hi Gordinho -- Do you read music (bass and treble clef)? That would help people to calibrate what to send to you, or where to steer you.


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## Mike Greene (Jun 1, 2020)

<ADMIN NOTE> I've moved the thread back. (It wasn't me who moved it to the Drama Zone.) I also deleted all the posts related to Gene Pool's drama.


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## gordinho (Jun 1, 2020)

JohnG said:


> hi Gordinho -- Do you read music (bass and treble clef)? That would help people to calibrate what to send to you, or where to steer you.


Yes, I do  I actually play several instruments but not good enough to sight-read non-beginner scores. If I sit down and look at them I can understand what is happening.


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## Dirtgrain (Jun 1, 2020)

Just one violin and a piano, "Die Kreutzer" has moved me so much emotionally, making my heart splinter and bloom at the same time:


(apologies if this doesn't fit here)


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## JohnG (Jun 1, 2020)

gordinho said:


> Yes, I do  I actually play several instruments but not good enough to sight-read non-beginner scores. If I sit down and look at them I can understand what is happening.



In that case, there are many pieces here for which scores are available. One of the best that already was mentioned is Schoenberg's "Verklarte Nacht" ("Transfigured Night"), a score I really like.

If you want a more modern / minimalist score to consider, maybe try one of John Adams' suites? There's an orchestral work he composed based on the "Dr. Atomic" opera, called the "Doctor Atomic Symphony." I love that piece -- three movements and so much to enjoy and learn from. Or his famous "Harmonielehre" which sounds a lot like the scores for "The Matrix." Or vice versa, actually.

If those aren't of interest, ping us here and people can suggest more.


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