The 1812-Bar Blues: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$50.00 USD

The 1812-Bar Blues: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: The 1812-Bar Blues: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-47457
Price: 50.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Themes by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

By Richard Meyer

Grade: 2

Item: 00-47457

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version

$50.00

Shipped

One moment…

You've heard all of these melodies before, but never like this! Four themes from Tchaikovsky's most famous overture have been turned into a cool 12-bar blues. Complete with swinging eighth notes and a ride-cymbal accompaniment, this piece is a great way to teach blues structure, jazz performance practices, and classical music history while keeping your audience's toes tappin' and fingers snappin'. (Correlates with Sound Innovations for String Orchestra, Book 2, level 2).

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, The 1812-Bar Blues: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.

Series: Sound Innovations for String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 90

UPC: 038081544748

SKU: 00-47457

More about this title

About the Composer: Richard Meyer

Richard Meyer spent 35 years teaching strings in public schools, where he built Oak Avenue Intermediate School's orchestra program from 29 to 200 students over 22 years. His "Giving Bach" initiative, launched in 2009, brought interactive concerts to special needs and underserved students across Southern California and earned national recognition for its innovative approach to music access.

Beyond the classroom, Meyer has guest-conducted All-State orchestras in multiple states and led the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra for 16 years on international tours to Vienna, Australia, and Canada. As a composer and arranger with nearly 200 published works, he also served 16 years as string editor for Alfred Publishing Company and co-authored foundational string method resources, including the String Explorer Series and Sight-read It for Strings.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Meyer transforms a classical icon into a vehicle for teaching jazz fundamentals without sacrificing the fun. Students recognize Tchaikovsky immediately, then discover how blues structure and swing feel open entirely new ears to both traditions, making the educational payoff feel like a bonus rather than the point.

What to expect

Nostalgic and bouncy at once. The familiar Tchaikovsky melodies arrive in a new groove, with swinging rhythms and a rhythm section that makes you feel the backbeat. It's playful without being silly, and energetic enough to command an audience while staying well within a young orchestra's technical grasp.

Who it's for

Grade 2 string orchestras ready to expand beyond traditional classical repertoire. This works for players approaching fluency with mixed position work and comfortable with stylistic flexibility. It's also ideal for programs integrating jazz history and American music standards into a broader curriculum.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the ride cymbal so it swings clearly without overwhelming the strings; this pattern drives the groove and helps students internalize the jazz feel.
Work the bow rhythms in sectionals first, isolating the swing eighth-note patterns before layering them in tutti passages.
Conduct with clarity on the backbeat to anchor the blues pulse; students will lock the groove faster when the down motion hits the "and" of beat 2.
Record a run-through early in rehearsal and play it back; hearing themselves in context accelerates understanding of form and style.

How to use it

Perfect for a concert that bridges classical and contemporary styles, or as an anchor for a unit on classical composers and their influence on jazz and American music. The 12-bar blues format also translates well to an educational concert with spoken introduction, letting students explain the structure while the audience listens.

Skills your students will build

12-bar blues form recognition and execution
Swing eighth-note articulation and feel
Jazz performance practices (groove orientation, rhythmic displacement, ensemble listening)
Reading and executing syncopated rhythmic figures across the section
Classical-to-contemporary style translation