How Long: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
As recorded by the Eagles on the album Long Road Out of Eden
By J. D. Souther
Grade: 2.5
Item: 00-PK-0001629
$50.00
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Description
Rock out your strings! Featured on the Eagles' new album, Long Road Out of Eden, here's the pop single "How Long." With a driving rock beat, the arrangement is solidly scored in the Hot Pop Strings series at the intermediate level, making it easily accessible to every high school orchestra and a special treat for your middle school groups. The Eagles' popularity never wanes and this tune will have them rockin' in the aisles!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, How Long: 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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Additional Details
Series:
Hot Pop Strings
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
68
SKU:
00-PK-0001629
More about this title
About the Composer: J. D. Souther
J. D. Souther is a singer-songwriter and composer who has shaped American popular music across multiple decades. Best known for his work with The Eagles and as a solo artist, Souther brings sophisticated harmonic sensibilities and memorable melodic writing to everything he touches. His songs have become standards in contemporary music, performed by artists across genres and generations.
Why we love this
This arrangement taps into genuine student enthusiasm by featuring music students already know and love. The intermediate scoring respects the integrity of the original while giving young string players manageable technical challenges, making it equally viable for motivated middle schoolers and developing high school orchestras. It's the kind of piece that reminds students why they picked up their instruments in the first place.
What to expect
Propulsive and immediately engaging, this arrangement channels the restless energy of rock without losing the warmth of live strings. From the first measure, it pushes forward with a pulse that makes standing still impossible for anyone in the audience.
Who it's for
High school orchestras seeking repertoire that energizes students and audiences alike, and strong middle school programs ready for Grade 2.5 rock arrangements. This works equally well as a concert opener, a pops program feature, or a student engagement piece that proves orchestral music can be contemporary and fun.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythmic foundation with your bass section first. The driving rock beat depends on the cellos and basses committing fully to the groove rather than treating it as a classical accompaniment figure.
- Shape phrases through dynamic contrast rather than rubato. Rock arrangements thrive on consistent pulse and punch, so let your crescendos and subitos carry the musical story.
- Balance the melody across your violin sections. Since this is arranged for orchestra, you'll likely have the theme distributed among players rather than isolated, so rehearse carefully to ensure the tune cuts through.
How to use it
Pair this with another Hot Pop Strings selection to build a full pop segment that showcases your orchestra's range, or use it as a concert closer that sends the audience out energized. The Eagles' catalog recognition means programming this practically guarantees strong family attendance.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining steady eighth-note pulse in rock contexts
- Playing with rhythmic precision in syncopated patterns
- Balancing ensemble articulation (staccato versus sustained notes)
- Reading notation in contemporary pop arrangements
- Responding to rock genre conventions (drive, energy, groove)