arrangements for strings

Solo Anthologies for Strings

This is a project to provide a free anthology of material for use along with or instead of the Suzuki books. I'm splitting the material up into different books by level of difficulty (beginner, easy, intermediate, and advanced), each of which is available for violin, viola, and cello. All of them can be downloaded for free from this web site in Adobe Reader format, and the ones that are more complete are also available in print on a noncommercial basis. The intermediate level is the one I've been concentrating on so far.

Contents of the easy level

Contents of the intermediate level

PDF files: intermediate violin, intermediate viola, intermediate cello

Buy printed copies: intermediate violin, intermediate viola

Lilypond source code

Except where otherwise noted, all compositions and editorial work in this book are in the public domain. Many of these pieces were originally entered into computer format by contributors to mutopiaproject.org or icking-music-archive.org.

The violin, viola, and cello versions are all generated from the same input files, and are identical except for transposition, clef, and fingerings. The viola and cello version are always in the same key, the violin in the key a fifth above that. The violin and viola versions use the same fingerings. I'm not a cellist, so the cello versions currently have almost no fingerings. If you're a cellist, and have fingerings to suggest, I'd be grateful if you could snail-mail me a marked-up hardcopy.

Anthologies of Duets for Strings

Contents of the easy level (not all pieces are arranged for all combinations of instruments):

PDF files:

Except where otherwise noted, all compositions and editorial work in this book are in the public domain. Many of these pieces were originally entered into computer format by contributors to mutopiaproject.org or icking-music-archive.org. The Lilypond source files for the duet anthologies are included along with those for the solo anthologies.

Sonata in G minor by Henri Eccles

This is based on a 1914 arrangement by J. Salmon for violin and piano. (The piece was originally written for cello and keyboard.) Starting from Salmon's version, I've (1) changed clefs and transposed to create the viola and sax arrangements; (2) corrected an error and made a few other minor changes, as noted in the comments at the tops of the Lilypond files; (3) added octave transpositions as necessary to accomodate some of the instruments; (4) added bowings and fingerings to the grave of the viola version; (5) added, removed, and changed some dynamics and phrasings. The violin version is the closest to Salmon's original edition. I'm grateful for help from Bruce Babad, Luis Rosa LeBron, and Anna Ko --- any errors or bad artistic judgment are my fault, not theirs.

violin transcription, score with piano and violin, viola transcription, score with piano and viola, alto saxophone transcription, score with piano and alto saxophone, Lilypond source code

Bethena by Scott Joplin

This is an arrangement of a ragtime waltz for string quartet. There is an optional third violin part, which mostly just doubles the viola. A free edition of the original piano piece is available at Mutopia. This arrangement is (c) 2008 by Benjamin Crowell, and is available for free copying and modification under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.

score and parts in Adobe Acrobat and Lilypond formats

Sinfonia from 'O Frate 'nnamurato, by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

This was originally done as a lilypond score by Stefano Zanobini, and posted at Icking Music Archive. I've corrected a couple of mistakes, added more dynamics, and added an optional third violin part. In the original score, Pergolesi apparently wanted the second violins to drop out during the slow middle movement, for a lighter texture; in this arrangement I've doubled the part, so it's up to your group's judgment whether or not to have the second violins play unisons with the firsts. In the final movement, Pergolesi wrote unisons for the violins. Because the second and third movements are three-part textures, both will work fine as trios.

1st violin part, 2nd violin part, optional 3rd violin part, viola part, cello part, score, Lilypond source code

Sinfonia 8 in F Major by J.S. Bach, arranged for string trio

This arrangement is public domain.

violin part, viola part, cello part, score, Lilypond source code

Cello Suite I by J.S. Bach, arranged for viola

This was originally based on a viola edition by L. Svecenski (1862-1926), which Andreas Scherer put in Lilypond format and posted on mutopiaproject.org. I did some further work. This arrangement is public domain.

score: Adobe Acrobat file, Lilypond source code

Cello Suite II by J.S. Bach, arranged for viola

This is currently incomplete, and I'm in the process of learning and arranging the rest of the suite. Many of the bowings and fingerings in the prelude are simplified versions of those used by violist Lucille Taylor, passed on to me by Joseph Zhang. Any errors are my fault, not theirs.

score: Adobe Acrobat file, Lilypond source code

Double Concerto, J.S. Bach, arranged for violin and viola by B. Crowell

This is based on a violin score posted on mutopia by David Chan. Public domain. The fingerings and bowings were prepared with the help of Joseph Zhang (viola) and Wojciech Kardewicz (violin), but any tasteless mangling required in order to adapt the second violin part to viola is solely the fault of Ben Crowell.

score: Adobe Acrobat file, Lilypond source code

Ave Maria, Gounod arranged for violin or viola

This arrangement, by B. Crowell, is public domain. This was originally typeset by Shamim Mohamed as a trumpet arrangement. I transposed it, added bowings and fingerings, and made some relatively minor stylistic changes, based on consulting some online scores, as well as feedback from some knowledgeable string players who were familiar with the piece.

score: for viola, for violin, Lilypond source code

Duets nos. 2 and 10 from 12 duets by Mozart, KV 487

These are arrangements of easy horn duets for violin and viola. I based them on a Lilypond score prepared by Han-Wen Nienhuys, which he has dedicated to the public domain. To make the viola part in no. 2 playable, I transposed a few bars up an octave. The fingerings and bowings on the violin part are meant to make it as easy to play as possible, e.g., avoiding string crossings with legato bowing. The violin part should be playable by someone who has gotten most of the way through the first Suzuki violin book. More advanced players will probably want to change some of the fingerings and bowings. My arrangement is public domain.

duet 2, score, in Adobe Acrobat format score and parts, in Adobe Acrobat and Lilypond formats. (The latter a Unix tar archive. On Windows, this can be unpacked using WinZip. On MacOS X, you can use the Unix command-line utilities, or perhaps a recent version of Stuffit Expander.)

duet 10, score, in Adobe Acrobat format score and parts, in Adobe Acrobat and Lilypond formats. (The latter a Unix tar archive. On Windows, this can be unpacked using WinZip. On MacOS X, you can use the Unix command-line utilities, or perhaps a recent version of Stuffit Expander.)

The Swan, Saint-Saens, arranged for violin and viola

This arrangement, by B. Crowell, is public domain.

viola: Adobe Acrobat file, Lilypond source code

violin: Adobe Acrobat file, Lilypond source code

Happy Birthday

This is an arrangement of the Happy Birthday song for string quartet. The cello part is also playable on viola. The four-bar intro is meant to get people's attention at a birthday party, and start them off on the right note if they want to sing along. The melody to Happy Birthday is public domain, but the words may actually be copyrighted; see this web page for more information. This particular arrangement is (c) 2004 by Benjamin Crowell, and is available for free copying and modification under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.

score: Adobe Acrobat file, Lilypond source code

Left-Hand Strengthening Exercise for Viola

This is an exercise by Kreutzer, modified by Ara Cho to make it into two separate parts, one focusing on the fingers 1 and 3, and the other on 2 and 4. The original exercise by Kreutzer is public domain, and the modified version is used here by permission of Ms. Cho. It can be played either with one bow stroke to the bar, or with one bow stroke for two bars.

score: Adobe Acrobat file, Lilypond source code

scales and arpeggios for viola

These are some exercises I've been writing. The idea is to practice the left-hand fingering patterns across the neck and in a variety of positions, playing everything in all twelve keys. This is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.

score: viola, Adobe Acrobat file, score: violin, Adobe Acrobat file, Lilypond source code

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(c) 2004 Benjamin Crowell