Why strings in pop
Strings add emotion, breadth, and “production value.” They can be a discreet pad, a rhythmic ostinato that carries the piece, or a leading hook. The style changes a great deal with the genre: the ballad, Philadelphia soul, disco, orchestral rock, trip hop, modern R&B.
Main functions
- Pad: long notes (whole notes, half notes) in open voicing, dynamics p–mp. Used in verses or choruses to fill the mid-high range without disturbing the voice.
- Countermelodies: lines that answer the voice in its pauses (violins or cello).
- Rhythmic ostinato: spiccato or staccato in eighth/sixteenth notes, the rhythmic base (Coldplay — Viva la Vida, 2008, with the arrangement by Davide Rossi).
- Hook: the main riff given to the strings (The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony, 1997: the string loop comes from a sample of the Andrew Oldham Orchestra's arrangement of The Last Time by the Rolling Stones).
- Swoops and glissandi: quick rises toward beat 1 of the chorus (disco and Philly soul).
- Orchestral stabs: short, loud chords (hip hop, 1980s pop).
Where to place them relative to the voice
The lead voice occupies roughly 150 Hz – 5 kHz, with the center of the melody often between C4 and C5. Strings work best:
- above the voice: violins between C5 and C7 (high pad, bright ostinatos);
- below the voice: cellos between C2 and C4;
- inside the voice's register only when the voice is silent or holding long notes.
Voicing for a pad in C major (C–Am–F–G)
- Vc: C3 – A2 – F2 – G2 (bass, or thirds so as not to clash with the electric bass)
- Vla: G3 – A3 – A3 – G3
- Vl II: E4 – E4 – F4 – D4
- Vl I: G5 – A5 – A5 – B5 (above the voice)
If there is already an electric bass or sub, the cello can play an octave higher (tenor register) or take the third of the chord.
Ensemble and recording
- Quartet: intimate and defined (The Beatles — Yesterday, 1965; Eleanor Rigby, 1966, with a double quartet arranged by George Martin and very close microphones for a biting sound).
- Small overdubbed section: 8–12 players recorded 2–4 times to simulate 30–40 strings.
- Full orchestra: for big songs (Elton John with Paul Buckmaster, e.g., Tiny Dancer, 1971; Massive Attack — Unfinished Sympathy, 1991).
- Virtual strings: libraries with legato, spiccato, pizzicato; needed for production and for demos (see Orchestration with Virtual Libraries in the DAW).
Reference styles
- Philly soul / disco: rhythmic and melodic strings, glissandi, violins in octaves (MFSB, Gamble & Huff, Thom Bell; Chic).
- Pop ballad: pads and countermelodies that grow to the final chorus.
- Orchestral rock: powerful ostinatos and unisons (Muse, Coldplay).
- R&B and hip hop: sampled loops, pizzicato strings, stabs.
Arranging by song section
- Verse 1: no strings or just a cello.
- Pre-chorus: violins enter in long notes, crescendo.
- Chorus: full pad, violins an octave higher.
- Verse 2: countermelody.
- Bridge: ostinato or a strings-only section.
- Final chorus: violins in the high octave, swoops.
Mix
- HP at 80–120 Hz on the high strings; keep the cellos only if the bass allows it.
- Attenuate 2–4 kHz if the bowing is harsh; a bit of air at 10–12 kHz.
- Hall or plate reverb with 20–40 ms pre-delay, 1.8–2.8 s decay.
- Width: violins I on the left, violins II on the right (or all on the left with violas center-right, cellos on the right, the American seating layout).
Practical exercise
Take one of your songs with a vocal. Write for strings in 5 parts: nothing in verse 1, a pad in the pre-chorus, a pad an octave above the voice in the chorus, a cello countermelody in verse 2, a spiccato ostinato in the bridge. Check in solo that the violins are never in the same octave as the voice while it sings.
Related topics
Strings: Ranges, String Techniques, Countermelody, Density and Space in Arranging, Orchestration with Virtual Libraries in the DAW.