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THE CREATIVE STRING PLAYER

 

The Creative String Player:

Composition, Improvisation, and Reflection for Young Musicians

In this program, you will explore music not only as a performer, but also as a creator. Along with your string lessons and ensemble rehearsals, these activities will help you develop all parts of your musicianship including:

  • listening
  • imagining
  • composing
  • improvising
  • reflecting
  • performing

Each workbook activity gives you a starting point with a composition or playing prompt. You can scan QR codes to play along with orchestra or piano tracks. You’ll also get to compose, improvise, and perform with fellow violinist Adam, and play with Terry accompanying you on piano. Along the way, you’ll explore listening examples from the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra’s K–12 Music Keyword Equity Database that connect to the ideas in each unit.

On this Creative String Player webpage you can create your own music using Compose-It. Each compositional activitiy listed below reinforces the concepts in your workbook. 

The Creative String Player Workbook

Using Compose-it, create a four-note repeating pattern on the graph using the blue quarter-note (one beat) shapes. Repeat the same four-pitch sequence exactly the same in each measure. Try creating one ostinato for the pitches on your A string. Then try creating ostinatos on other strings too!

Compose your own open string accompaniment on Compose-it. You can even perform along on your violin to the playback of the accompaniment you create on Compose-it. 

Compose your own retrograde melody patterns on Compose-it. First compose a short melody in the first measure, then enter the same melody in reverse in the second measure. Repeat the pattern in the following measures. You can also make a longer melody in the first two measures, and then create a retrograde melody in the third and fourth measures.

Compose a stepping melody on Compose-it. Be careful to only move to the pitch right above or below a note, and no skips or jumps. See if you can use some interesting rhythmic ideas while still only moving by steps.

Compose melodies that cross between strings on your violin. You can create interesting rhythms for your melody too!

Compose your own rhythmic variations on a previous ostinato using Compose-it. You can also create a new four-note ostinato and vary the rhythm for each repetition.

Compose your own melodic sequences on Compose-it. First, create a short musical idea in the first measure. Then bump it up one step (or down) each time you repeat it in the following measures.

Compose your own Call and Response melodies on Compose-it. Start with a melody that moves up, and then create an answer phrase with a melody that moves back down to the starting note. You can create a whole conversation in your music with question and answer melodies.

Compose your own fanfare on Compose-it using the favorite rhythmic ideas you circled on page 32. You can download the audio file of your fanfare and present it to your honoree listed on page 32.

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