String quartets are very popular for a wide range of performances, from public recitals to black-tie dinners, corporate events and weddings. They are also regularly hired to augment the line up of both rock and pop acts. They are typically made up of two violin players, a viola and a cellist and, because of their versatility, lots of string groups are being set up all around the country. If you're looking to differentiate your group, and make them stand out from the crowd, then you'll definitely need the right string quartet sheet music.

This is where www.scoreexchange.com comes in! Score Exchange offers you the ability to find easy string quartet sheet music, as well as intermediate and advance, all available as a string quartet sheet music download. Browse through the hundreds of arrangements on offer, including popular pieces like The Nutcracker, The Swan for String Quartet, Vivaldi "summer" 3rd Movement, Cannon in D Major by Pachelbel and Clair De Lune by Claude Debussy. You'll then be able to begin working on your arrangement straight away, from your string quartet sheet music PDF. Simply print and distribute, or load onto a tablet with the many sheet music apps available.

The string quartet as we know it is generally recognized to be the creation of the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn. Though there had been other examples of it's use, his compositions from the 1750's are generally understood to have popularised the line up of the string quartet that is still in use today. With only 4 parts available, composers were forced to create interesting rhythmic, harmonic and melodic lines, but without the extended and complex multi-instrument line up that is available to those composing for orchestra. It is generally accepted that it is these limitations that force composers to be more creative, restricting themselves to working with the instruments they have available. Use of the string quartet flourished in the Classical era, with famous composers like Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart all composing quartet music.

There are several variations to the traditional string quartet line up. This includes the string trio (one violin, one viola and a cello) and string quintet (the traditional line up of a string quartet, plus another instrument like a second viola or possibly even a double bass). Other line ups include the Piano Quartet (with one of the violins being replaced with a piano player) and the Piano Quintet (the string quartet line up, with the addition of a piano player). Nowadays, modern string quartets can be found performing not just a classical repertoire, but also arrangements of pop and chart music that might feature prominent string lines, on acoustic or electric instruments. Some great examples of these pieces include Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne's hit song "Rather Be" as well as "Hoppipolla" by Sigur Ros and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida".