The family
Violin, viola, cello, double bass. In the orchestra they form five sections: violins I, violins II, violas, cellos, basses. They are the foundation of the Classical and Romantic orchestra and the instrument group most used to give warmth and breadth to pop. Study references: Samuel Adler, “The Study of Orchestration”; Rimsky-Korsakov, “Principles of Orchestration”; Walter Piston, “Orchestration.”
Ranges (sounding pitches)
| Instrument | Open strings | Practical range | Clefs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violin | G3 D4 A4 E5 | G3 – E7 (in the orchestra, up to C7 is safe) | treble |
| Viola | C3 G3 D4 A4 | C3 – E6 (in the orchestra, up to A5 is safe) | alto, treble in the high register |
| Cello | C2 G2 D3 A3 | C2 – A5 (soloists go beyond) | bass, tenor, treble |
| Double bass | E1 A1 D2 G2 | E1 – G4 approx. | bass and tenor, sounds an octave lower than written |
Many orchestral double basses have a mechanical extension down to C1, or a fifth string at B0 or C1. Frequencies: G3 = 196 Hz, C2 = 65.4 Hz, E1 = 41.2 Hz.
Character of the registers
- Violin: dark, intense G string (on the G), singing D and A strings, brilliant E; above C6 the sound becomes thin and high, powerful only in a section.
- Viola: dull, nasal C string, warm middle register, ideal for inner parts and melancholic melodies.
- Cello: deep C string, the A-string register (A3–A4) as expressive as a tenor voice; it often carries the melodies.
- Double bass: the harmonic foundation, almost always doubling the cellos an octave below; on its own in the low register it is poorly defined.
Typical section sizes
| Ensemble | Vl I | Vl II | Vla | Vc | Cb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large symphony orchestra | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Medium orchestra | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Chamber orchestra / pop sessions | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| String quartet | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
In pop, a reduced ensemble is often recorded several times (overdubbing) to simulate a large section.
Standard distribution of parts
- Violins I: melody or the highest line.
- Violins II: inner harmony or doubling of the melody an octave below.
- Violas: inner harmony, countermelodies.
- Cellos: bass or tenor-range melody.
- Double basses: bass an octave below the cellos.
Voicing and spacing
- Keep intervals wider in the low register (octaves and fifths between basses and cellos) and closer in the high register (thirds and sixths between violins).
- Avoid close thirds below C3: they turn to mud.
- A classic distribution for C major: Cb C2, Vc C3, Vla G3, Vl II E4, Vl I C5 (or G4–E5 for a more open sound).
Divisi and double stops
- Divisi (div.): the section splits into two or more parts (e.g., Vl I div. a 2). Each part has half the players, so less volume but more harmony. It ends with “unis.”
- Double stops: one player plays two notes on adjacent strings; easy ones include open strings, fifths, and sixths. In fast orchestral passages divisi is preferred.
Strings in the mix
The fundamentals run from 41 Hz (basses) to over 2 kHz (high violin); the harmonics and the “bow color” lie between 2 and 8 kHz. In pop, the lows below 100–150 Hz are often filtered out of the high strings, and the 2–4 kHz zone is attenuated if the bowing is harsh.
Practical exercise
Write an 8-bar chorale in C major for 5 string sections (C–Am–F–G–C–F–G7–C) respecting the ranges: basses and cellos an octave apart on the bass, violas and violins II on the inner notes, violins I on the melody. Then rewrite the same harmony for quartet (without double bass), moving the cello to the true bass.
Related topics
Orchestration: Families, Ranges, and Blends, String Techniques, Orchestral Doublings and Blends, String Arranging in Pop, Voicing: Close, Open, Drop 2, Shell.