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Folk Strings for Violin Ensemble: Violin Ensemble

$7.99 USD
$7.99 USD
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Folk Strings for Violin Ensemble Cover Image
Folk Strings for Violin Ensemble: Violin Ensemble

Folk Strings for Violin Ensemble: Violin Ensemble

Arr. and ed. Joanne Martin

Item: 00-15220
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Description
Folk Strings is a collection of folk melodies from around the world arranged for strings. Unlike classical music, which normally has an "authentic" version, folk music often exists in many versions, with differences in the melody or lyrics. Sometimes several countries lay claim to a melody because a group of people moved to a new country and took their music with them. Most folk songs were sung and played for many years before they were written down, and their original composer is usually unknown. This collection includes melodies in a variety of moods and with rhythmic patterns which are representative of their country of origin. The arrangements in Folk Strings can be effective with players at a variety of levels. In order to provide maximum flexibility, the collection is available in a number of instrumentations.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 36
ISBN10: 1-58951-152-2
ISBN13: 978-1-58951-152-1
UPC: 654979043003
SKU: 00-15220
Instrumentation: Violin Ensemble

More about this title

About the Arranger: Joanne Martin

Joanne Martin

Joanne Martin brings a lifetime of string experience to her work as a composer and arranger. A violist and multi-instrumentalist based between Canada and France, she has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and numerous chamber ensembles across North America and Europe. Her deep knowledge of Suzuki pedagogy (she is a recognized Teacher Trainer for both the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the European Suzuki Association) informs everything she writes.

Martin's publications span method books, ensemble works, and performance pieces designed for flexible scoring. Her I Can Read Music series is widely adopted in Suzuki programs internationally, while her ensemble collections including Festive Strings, Folk Strings, and Trio Tapestry have earned a reputation for making it genuinely easy to include players of mixed abilities and instruments in the same rehearsal. In 2007, she received the American Suzuki Institute Suzuki Chair Award for her contributions to talent education.

Why we love this

Martin's arrangements respect both the folk tradition and the reality of teaching mixed-level ensembles. Each piece maintains its cultural character while offering genuine flexibility in instrumentation and difficulty, so you're not choosing between authentic material and accessibility. The 36-page collection gives you repertoire that engages students with music from beyond the classical canon while still building core string technique.

What to expect

These arrangements capture the warmth and directness of folk music without the academic distance of classical arrangements. Melodies that have traveled continents and centuries feel alive in your hands, rooted in the rhythmic and melodic language of their origins.

Who it's for

String teachers building ensemble repertoire for mixed-ability groups, from intermediate through early advanced players. Directors seeking folk material that avoids oversimplification while remaining practical for rehearsal without extensive preparation.

How to get the most out of it

  • Honor the character and rhythmic identity of each country's tradition. Folk melodies carry cultural weight; rhythmic clarity and stylistic awareness matter as much as intonation.
  • Balance the ensemble by ear rather than by part. With flexible instrumentation, doubling patterns will shift, so listen for blend and adjust dynamics accordingly.
  • Record yourselves regularly. Folk arrangements often sit well in the ear but reveal tuning issues and rhythmic drift on playback that are hard to catch in real time.

How to use it

Slot these pieces into a concert celebrating world music, or use them as a change of pace within a standard string repertoire program. The collection's variety makes it ideal for sectional warm-up or for building an ensemble rehearsal that feels less formal than a concerto-heavy season.

Skills your students will build

  • Stylistic awareness across cultural musical traditions
  • Listening and tuning in flexible ensemble formations
  • Rhythmic patterns specific to folk idioms (modal rhythms, dotted figures, syncopation)
  • Balance and blend with variable instrumentation

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