What You Need to Know About the Strings

An introduction to the string instruments of the orchestra, how they work, and what they can do.

Learn about the violin, viola, cello, and contrabass (aka double bass). Also common techniques including bowing, legato, detache, pizzicato, staccato, spiccato, trills, and tremolos.

We conclude with the six reasons Adler thinks the string are the most used section of the orchestra.

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0:00 Intro
0:40 Violin
2:09 Viola
2:52 Cello
3:25 Contrabass
4:53 Techniques & Articulations
6:45 Staccato
7:26 Trills
8:07 Pizzicato
8:44 Multiple stops
9:14 Divisi
10:05 Why are the strings used so often?
11:22 What's next

[The_Musical_Cartograph]

Those videos breaking down info in books really makes them accessible and attractive to read and re-read
it's not only well-made content
What you do is important and i think it needs to be said

GG ^^

[ArielAr]

Excellent video ! Perfect combination of humor, speed, different perspectives, proper amount of examples. Great video !

[VallaMusic]

incredible instruction - you get right to the point and cover things quickly yet clearly

[juanchacon]

Such valuable content! Thank you for taking Adler into consideration!

[misi]

Great content. Thank You for sharing this with Us! Looking for the next chapters, too:)

[amiezwag]

Your channel is amazing, I'm learning so much! 😄 Thank you!

[jan_Masewin]

Just a note that détaché and legato are articulation terms, not bowing ones

[kappabravomusic]

Great video man. Thanks again! Ive learned plenty of things!

[riomaeda]

I love your videos!! Really appreciate it

[edmorris]

String players do need to think about using the bow as one would a breath, because you can run out of bow in the same way one might run out of air. So phrasing is just as important and in some ways similar to vocalists and wind instruments have to think about how they will use their air, but you’re right that a string player isn’t going to tire in the same way.

[bigodines]

Dude, your content is addicting and I don't even compose lol

[MichelBarbaro]

Great! Direct to the point! Thank you!

[nairsheasterling]

Another reason has to do with how the timbres of strings interact. If you have 3 or more violinists om a line, playing in concert, it no longer sounds like a solo or dueling duet, but a section that tempers out the differing harmonics between instruments. This is not easily replicated in woodwind, brass, or percussion.

[jacobbass]

Thing on the double bass’ range. In Europe, the you’ll usually see an extra 5th string that is a low C, while here in America, the low E string will have an extension that extends beyond the scroll with kapos to change the pitch of the lowest string to any chromatic note between a low B and the normal E. I like writing for the extension more so I could have the double bases open their first capo making their open low string a low E flat and have them do a double stop where they finger the E flat and octave above on the A String. I think it has more versatility.

[davidhopkinson]

Saw the "full symphony orchestra" strings. What a dream to play with 16/14 - we're lucky to hire 10 and 8 for violins and more frequently have 9 and 7. Mahler 3 loses a little something with only 10 and 8 :P

[vikramsubramaniam]

Loved this video. If you had to recommend one of these books to read, for a beginner in orchestration which one would you recommend?

[fredrikhelland]

Great video! However, that string sections don’t get exhausted is i big misconception. Slow quiet passages are pretty tough anaerobe workouts for an arm violist, and if they go on for too long, your string section is going to get pretty stiff and tired for the rest of the piece.

When that is said: hacking away at the strings in a regular tempo, that we can do all day. See e.g. Mendelssohn’s Hebrides overture for an example of easygoing writing for strings.

[BangersNBiz]

Thanks for another great video Ryan. I'm excited to get started on my first arrangement for string quartet! I like your lamp in the background, what score is that from? 🤓

[scruffles]

6:00 Brahms did this a lot for strings, we just break it in a way that keeps the whole phrase as one.

[vespertinist]

Thank you for this. Excellent video! Q: what is the piece of music at 8:37. With trills in Assez Lent? It’s beautiful. And thank you for introducing me to Brahms 4 in another video.