Plucky Strings and Peppy Percussion Strings and Percussion    

Lesson 13: String Quartet - String Quartet in E minor

by Emilie Mayer

Performer: Steve's Bedroom Band

Directions

Study the musical selection for one week.

Over the week:

• Listen to the music daily.
• Recite the composer and composition names.
• Read the synopsis.
• Review the vocabulary terms.
• Read about the instrument category.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

This lesson introduces the string quartet, a grouping of four string instruments consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello. The musical composition for this lesson, 'String Quartet in E minor,' by Emilie Mayer, features the music of a string quartet. As you enjoy the music, try to break out the sounds of the violins, the viola, and the cello. The painting included in the lesson, 'Joseph Haydn Playing Quartets,' by an anonymous artist, shows four seated men playing together as a string quartet. Another man stands next to them, perhaps acting as the conductor for the group. Servants peek in from behind a cracked door to listen. A group of three ladies lean in to hear better.

Vocabulary

String Quartet: A chamber music ensemble consisting of first and second violins, viola, and cello.
Conductor: A person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir.
Anonymous: A person of unknown name.
Servant: A person who performs duties for others, especially a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant.

Category

Music lessons over the next two years group musical instruments into five major categories: strings, keyboards, percussion, brass, and woodwinds.

String instruments produce sound through the vibration of strings. Strings may be plucked or strummed with fingers, hit with hammers, or rubbed with a bow.

See a picture of strings below. Note that some strings are thicker and some are thinner.

The sound produced by a string depends in part on its thickness, its length, its tightness, and its material.

Instruments have multiple strings of varying thickness. Musicians playing instruments turn pegs to tighten or loosen the strings and change their sounds. Musicians also press their fingers against the strings to control the length of strings that vibrate and produce sound. Strings are made from materials such as nylon or steel.

String instruments include violins, violas, cellos, double basses, guitars, ukuleles, sitars, mandolins, banjos, and depending on who you ask, pianos.

Study the images of strings.

1. Viola Strings

2. Cello Strings

3. Guitar Strings

Enrichment

Activity 1: Study a String Quartet

Examine the picture of a string quartet.

• Which instrument has a scroll?
• Which instrument has a neck?
• Which instrument has a body?
• Which instrument has knobs?
• Which instrument has pegs?
• Which instrument has a chin rest?
• Which instrument has a bridge?
• Which instrument has f-holes?
• Which instrument has a tailpiece?
• Which instrument has an endpin?
• Which instrument is the smallest, and what is its name? Identify it on the picture.
• Which instrument is the largest, and what is its name? Identify it on the picture.
• Which instrument is sized between the smallest and largest? Identify it on the picture.

Activity 2: Can You Find It?

Study the lesson image, 'Joseph Haydn Playing Quartets,' by Anonymous, and find the following:

• String Quartet
• Quartet Conductor
• Two violins
• One viola
• One cello
• Bows
• Listening Servants
• Listening Ladies
• Violin Case
• Chandelier

Review

Question 1

What are the five major groups of instruments listed in the lesson?

1 / 5

Answer 1

The five major groups of instruments are strings, keyboards, percussion, brass, and woodwinds.

1 / 5

Question 2

Which instrument group does this lesson feature?

2 / 5

Answer 2

This lesson features the string group.

2 / 5

Question 3

Which group of four instruments does this lesson feature?

3 / 5

Answer 3

This lesson features the string quartet.

3 / 5

Question 4

Which instruments make up a string quartet?

4 / 5

Answer 4

A string quartet is made up of two violins, one viola, and one cello.

4 / 5

Question 5

What is a conductor?

5 / 5

Answer 5

A conductor is a person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir.

5 / 5

❮ ❯

1. What are the five major groups of instruments listed in the lesson? The five major groups of instruments are strings, keyboards, percussion, brass, and woodwinds.
2. Which instrument group does this lesson feature? This lesson features the string group.
3. Which group of four instruments does this lesson feature? This lesson features the string quartet.
4. Which instruments make up a string quartet? A string quartet is made up of two violins, one viola, and one cello.
5. What is a conductor? A conductor is a person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir.

References

'String instrument.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'String quartet.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'String Quartet in E minor performed by Steve's Bedroom Band (CC BY 3.0).' Musopen. Musopen.org. n.p.