Context
Strum by Jessie Montgomery
Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981) is an acclaimed American composer, violinist, and educator whose work blends classical chamber music with American folk traditions, jazz, and dance rhythms. Growing up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side surrounded by vibrant local artists, her music often centres on community, culture, and movement.
Originally composed in 2006 and revised in 2012, Strum is one of her most celebrated works for string quartet (and string orchestra).
The piece gets its name from its defining technique: using pizzicato (plucking) to make string instruments sound and behave like rhythm guitars. Montgomery constructs the piece by layering rhythmic ostinati (short, repeating patterns) to build a rich bed of sound.
Listen for:
- Guitar-style pizzicato: notice how the players hold their bows while using their fingers to pluck fast, strumming chord patterns like acoustic guitars.
- Syncopated ostinati: listen out for the short, repeating rhythmic patterns (ostinati) in the lower strings that drive the momentum forward with an off-beat, folk-inspired groove.
- Layered texture: pay attention to how the piece begins softly and mysteriously before gradually layering instruments and increasing dynamics to build peak intensity.
- Contrast between plucked and bowed: watch for the transition where smooth, bowed (arco) melodies float above the crisp, percussive plucking underneath.
Things to consider:
Think about how you could start composing for an instrument, or family of instruments, with a focus on using them in a non-conventional way. You could turn around your thinking – how would you normally start composing for that instrument? Now do the opposite!
Could you build an ostinato rhythm, then write a soaring melody over the top?