Strings

As Printed on a Score

Names the string section as a whole — in instrument lists, short scores (Str.) and directions that apply to all the strings. In a full score each section keeps its own staff (Violins I and II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses), top to bottom.

Abbreviations: Str.

How Composers Use It

Use it for instructions shared by every string section — mutes, a bowing style, a collective dynamic — instead of repeating them five times, and name any exceptions. In a reduction or lead sheet, “Strings” tells the arranger only the colour, so add range or voicing notes if you want a specific spacing; the section can sustain indefinitely in a way winds cannot.

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