FROM THE PAGES OF STRINGS CHARTS
St. Louis Blues” is a blues classic that was first published in 1914. It was written by W.C. Handy, who was known as the father of the blues. It has three distinct sections and moods: blues, tango, and a boogie-woogie. The following excerpt, arranged for string quartet, is from the first 24 measures of the piece, which is a typical 12-bar blues in the key of G. The first violin presents the melody line, which contributes a great deal to the overall feel of the piece. Keep a distinct swing in your part and mind the dynamics and articulation markings—this will help you achieve the desired swing feel. The second violin, viola, and cello parts are emulating a jazz band, so expand your thought process to function more like a jazz ensemble here. Start with the quarter-note accompaniment. Notice that each quarter note is starting from a stopped bow. That means that each note starts with a tiny accent. To my ear, this means two things: the first is that we want the note to have a full tone and volume the instant that it begins. Practice starting notes like these by placing the bow on the string without any weight or pressure—just let it rest. Use your right-hand bow grip to gently grip the string. Now, give a tiny “pick” (or accent) as you start the note, moving the bow (not too much muscle here, be gentle) and immediately releasing the pressure so the bow glides along the surface of the string. Your instrument will still produce tone without using any bow pressure if you just let the weight of the bow sit against the string. This single motion should use about four or five inches of bow at most. OK, you have completed one quarter note—good work! Let’s discuss the second point. Every few bars, during the interesting inside parts, make sure that the moving lines are heard in the ensemble. These are the sections where the second violin or viola has something special to say. Make sure that your first violin player knows to leave sonic room for your parts to rise through the texture to be heard. After that, return to the rhythm-texture part indicated by the steady eighths. | 
