Quartets for Guitar: Three Intermediate Works: Guitar Book

Crittenden understands what intermediate Suzuki guitarists are ready for: pieces that demand genuine musicianship without requiring advanced technique. These quartets treat ensemble playing as a serious craft, asking students to listen, balance tone, and shape phrases together rather than simply execute notes in unison.

These quartets breathe with the craftsmanship of chamber music rather than the feel of pedagogical exercises. Each voice contributes to a coherent whole, and the writing shows respect for the ensemble's developing ear and growing independence.

Intermediate Suzuki guitar students at Volume 5 or beyond who are ready to move beyond solo repertoire into collaborative ensemble work. These pieces also suit small guitar ensembles in school programs or community settings looking for literature that balances accessibility with musical substance.

• Establish a steady pulse before each rehearsal by having all four players tap their guitar bodies together for one full measure; this grounds the ensemble in shared time.
• Record a rough run-through and play it back for the group so students can hear blend issues and balance problems that rehearsal doesn't always make obvious.
• Assign one player as the melodic leader for each section; knowing who drives the phrase helps the other three support rather than compete.
• Work dynamics as a unit: mark crescendos and diminuendos in all four parts at the same spots, then rehearse them together multiple times before performance.

Feature one quartet at a winter or spring recital to showcase your intermediate ensemble students' progress in listening and collaboration. They also work well in a mixed-level guitar concert where you want to show serious advancement beyond early repertoire without requiring advanced technique.

• Listening and blending tone with three other guitarists
• Balancing independent parts while maintaining ensemble unity
• Shaping longer phrases across four-part texture
• Reading in ensemble format with distinct voice assignments
• Responding to a musical leader within a group setting