Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: arranging strings (Read 3477 times) previous topic - next topic

arranging strings

hey, how can I arrange strings on a quartet staff, so that they are harmoniuos, and which one goes where?

Re: arranging strings

Reply #1 –
Notes are entered by selecting a duration with the numeric keys 1 to 6 and pressing Enter.  Rests are done the same way, but press Space instead.  Articulations, dynamics, bar lines, etc. are selected with various key combinations, most of which show in the drop down Insert and Notes menus.

Hope this helps.  It's hard to know from your question whether you're someone with little musical background, or if you're just new to the NWC program. If you don't know your music theory, you might use Google.com to search for online tutorials or find a teacher - private lessons, or perhaps night school courses?  NWC isn't the place to learn it.  You can experiment with finding note combinations that sound right to you, but music on a computer isn't going to sound the same as live instruments unless you've got a really good sound system and good sound fonts installed.

Your last question is, which instrument goes where?  Violin 1 goes on the top staff of the template, violin 2 on the second line, viola on the third, and cello on the fourth.  You can add a new staff for a string bass, and delete the cello, if that's the makeup of your quartet.  The program is very user-friendly in this regard.  Control A adds a staff, Control D removes it, F2 allows for you to change the staff properties.

Re: arranging strings

Reply #2 –
sorry, what I meant was which strings instrument goes where, clef-wise?  For example, violin goes on the G clef. cello, bass, and viola go on which clef?

Re: arranging strings

Reply #3 –
'Cello goes on bass clef, Bass also goes on bass clef but is sounded an octave lower than written. Viola uses alto clef (a C clef on the center line).
 

Re: arranging strings

Reply #4 –
Writing for string quartet is a challenge and a treat. One way to learn how different kinds of voicing and effects sound is to spend as much time as you can listening to string quartet recordings (and performances!) while reading along with the score. I've done this with all the Beethoven quartets, and a lot of Haydn, Mozart, and Bartok. It's a real education; those guys knew how to make the band cook.