First Finger Rock: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$50.00 USD

First Finger Rock: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: First Finger Rock: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-ST6435
Price: 50.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Level:.5

Item: 98-ST6435

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This driving and exciting rock-inspired tune will shock directors when they realize it only uses open strings and first finger in all instruments! Written with only quarter notes throughout, this is an ideal piece to either introduce students to the bow or to new strings. Complete with a bridge and short coda section, the piece includes an optional (and simple) drum set part. Real music using only open strings and first finger! (1:20)

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, First Finger Rock: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: FJH Beginning Strings

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444377826

SKU: 98-ST6435

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages composes across orchestral, band, and chamber repertoire with equal fluency, and his work appears regularly on stages from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center to the Sydney Opera House. He has earned the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest, and holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association. His music was performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service and he has been commissioned by universities including Miami for significant institutional events.

As a conductor, Balmages maintains active relationships with all-state ensembles, university orchestras, and professional groups worldwide. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic, and regularly guests at conferences including the Midwest Clinic, College Band Directors Conference, and state ASTA conferences across the country.

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Why we love this

The restraint here is what makes it brilliant. Rather than hide the limitation of open strings and first finger under busy figuration, Balmages writes driving quarter-note rhythms that feel propulsive and intentional, never apologetic. Students feel like they're playing real music from day one, and that confidence carries into their practice.

What to expect

Electric and forward-moving. The rock-inspired rhythm carries the kind of momentum that makes beginners sit up in their chairs, and the straightforward fingering means their focus stays on tone production and ensemble unity rather than frantic position shifts.

Who it's for

Teachers launching absolute beginners on the string instrument, or those looking for a high-engagement piece that proves students don't need advanced technique to make real music. It works equally well as an introduction to bowing or as confidence-building material for students new to their instruments.

How to get the most out of it

Lock the ensemble rhythmically before worrying about tone. With only quarter notes, the groove depends entirely on everybody striking together. Have the group count aloud through the first run-through.
Let the optional drum set part shape the energy if you use it. Even a basic kick drum pattern helps younger players feel the pulse and reminds them this is a rock tune, not a march.
Emphasize the bow weight change between the bridge and the opening section. The contrast between sections becomes clearer when dynamics shift slightly, even within the constraint of the same fingering.

How to use it

Open a concert with this piece to establish immediate energy and signal to your audience that beginning strings can deliver genuine musicmaking. It also works as a palate cleanser between two longer works, or as a celebratory closer to a beginner-level rehearsal.