Composing String Quartet

hi guys

i want to compose my first string quartet

to this date i only compose for piano which is my own instrument

i need some advice or anything that could help

thanks

The question is way, way, way too formal. It's impossible to answer in a couple of sentences. First learn how to write for violin, viola, cello. Ranges, arc playing, fingering. And listen a lot of literature for string quartet with scores.

Hi, I'm sort of in the same boat as the OP. I'm wondering how string pieces are different than piano pieces. I know that there are limitations of the violin.. such as -only 2 notes can be sounded at a time- but the tonality of the instrument lends itself to certain types of pieces being written because they sound better.

I imagine the best thing to do would be to listen to string quartet pieces to get a feel.

basically.

my recommended listening order:

some haydn early quartets if desired

a quartet or two from haydn's op. 20

haydn op. 33 (complete)

mozart's six quartets dedicated to haydn

beethoven's op. 59 (complete)

any one string quartet from the romantic era

bartók's 4th

beethoven's op. 131, 132, 133

carter's 1st, 2nd and 3rd

cage's string quartet in four parts

ligeti's 2nd

lachenmann's three quartets

radulescu's 5th (with score)

cassidy's 2nd (with score)

then go out and write something that sounds nothing like the 245980269920 arditti quartet premieres. peace.

my actual listening order:

beethoven opp. 59 no. 3 and 74, age 6

beethoven op. 18, age 8-9

beethoven op. 59 nos. 1 and 2, age 10

bartók's six quartets, age 12

brahms's three quartets, age 14

about 30 of the haydn & mozart quartets, age 16-17

ligeti, carter, etc, age 18

beethoven's late quartets age 19

lachenmann, cassidy, scelsi, haas, etc age 20

tchaikovsky age 20 1/2

I would definitely look into information about each of the individual instruments, such a range, timbre, bowing techniques, etc. All of the instruments in a quartet are actually capable of playing four notes at one time (called a chord), but only capable of sustaining two at one time (called a double stop). As mentioned above, the best way to learn how to write a string quartet is probably to listen to a lot of them. Personally, I would add a few of Mendelssohn's quartets to the list above, directly after Beethoven. 

String quartets differ from piano music in that most string quartets (excluding newer pieces) rely on heavy use of counterpoint. Even "accompaniment" lines must be melodic in some way. Remember that as opposed to a piano, where all of the notes "mix" because you are playing on one instrument, and a symphony, where the notes mix from the number of instruments used, in a string quartet, you are only given four instruments and must simultaneously present good melodic material and fill harmonic requirements.