Strings Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A solo performance on a string instrument such as violin, viola or cello, chosen freely by the player and marked out of 100, run in one Welsh schools festival for pupils in Years 3 to 6 and in an English eisteddfod by the grade the player is performing at.

Strings is the free-choice entry for a single player on a stringed instrument. The templates name no instrument, so the class is open to anything the organiser accepts under that heading: violin and viola are the usual bowed entries, cello and double bass the larger ones, and a plucked instrument such as a harp or guitar may be welcomed where the event notice says so. The player chooses one piece, prepares it alone and performs it for the adjudicator.

What sets a strings entry apart is that the player makes the pitch with the left hand and the tone with the right. On a violin or cello there are no frets, so every note has to be placed by ear and by feel, and an adjudicator hears intonation first: whether the notes sit in tune with each other, whether shifts land cleanly, and whether the sound stays even as the bow changes direction. Bow control comes next, then rhythm and the shape of the phrase.

A round is short and quiet. The player is called, tunes against a reference or an accompanist, and plays. A slow, singing piece shows tone and bow distribution; a lively one shows finger agility and rhythm. Neither template prints a time limit for this class, so organisers should say in the event notice how long a performance may run, whether a piano accompanist is allowed, and whether a player may use the music on a stand.

Two eTalenter templates carry it, and they organise the class differently. A Welsh schools eisteddfod runs it as one of four free-choice instrument classes in its Key Stage 2 programme, open to pupils in school Years 3 to 6 together, one pupil per school. An English eisteddfod runs it by grade: Prep to Grade 2, Grades 3 to 5, and Grade 6 and above, where the grade is the standard the player is currently working at and the exam need not have been passed. Both mark it out of 100 as an individual entry.

Where Strings is run

On eTalenter this item appears in two templates: a Welsh schools eisteddfod, where it is a Key Stage 2 class for Years 3 to 6 (ages roughly 7 to 10), and an English eisteddfod whose instrumental classes are set by grade and not by age. A solo strings class is a regular part of school music days and festivals of this kind in the United Kingdom, but this page records only those two templates.

• Wales (United Kingdom)
• England (United Kingdom)

Key facts

• Individual item: one player, one performance, one mark out of 100
• Welsh schools template: one class for Years 3 to 6 together (the age band is a placeholder of 7 to 10), both genders, one pupil per school in each music class
• English template: three graded classes, Prep to Grade 2, Grades 3 to 5 and Grade 6 and above, set by the grade the player is performing at, not by age or by exam result
• Neither template prints a time limit or marked criteria for this class, so an organiser should state a limit in the event notice
• Points in the Welsh template go to the school: 10 for first, 8 for second, 6 for third and 2 for merit; the English one announces the top three marks
• Listed apart from the group class Strings Ensemble, and from the Woodwind, Brass and Piano classes, which are each marked on their own technique

On eTalenter, Strings is filed under Music and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 2 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Strings is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.

What judges look at in Strings

What a Strings panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Intonation: notes that sit in tune with each other and with any accompaniment, with shifts and open strings landing cleanly; this is the first thing an adjudicator hears on an unfretted instrument
• Tone: a clear, even sound without scratching or whistling, produced by a steady bow speed and weight rather than by pressing harder
• Bow control: smooth changes of direction, a controlled start and end to each note, and bowing that follows the shape of the phrase
• Rhythm and tempo: a steady pulse through the piece, with quick passages kept even rather than rushed and slow ones not allowed to drag
• Musical expression: dynamics and phrasing that give the piece a character, so the performance sounds chosen and not merely learnt
• Suitability: neither template prints marked headings, so a single mark out of 100 is given; the piece should match the player’s level, especially in the graded English classes, where a piece far above the grade can cost marks if it is not played securely

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Strings under Scoring Setup, or start from the full instrumental music judging criteria guide.

How to prepare for Strings

How entrants and their teachers usually get Strings right on the day:

• Choose a piece comfortably within your level: a clean performance of an easier piece scores better than a struggle through a harder one
• Practise slowly with a tuner or drone, so your ear learns where each note sits before speed is added
• Work on bow distribution in the slow sections, using the full length of the bow on long notes and keeping the bow straight between bridge and fingerboard
• Tune before you walk in and again briefly in front of the adjudicator; a few seconds of tuning is expected, but a long one costs your composure
• Rehearse with your accompanist, if one is allowed, at least twice, and agree the starting tempo and the nod or breath that begins the piece
• Pack rosin, a spare string, a cloth, a stand if the venue does not provide one and a copy of your music, with page turns planned
• Record yourself and listen for scratchy notes, a drifting pitch and rushed fast passages; fix those before polishing the style
• Time the whole piece with a stopwatch, because neither template sets a limit and the organiser may announce one on the day
• Practise walking on, bowing and starting calmly, as the first bars are the ones that make the first impression on the adjudicator

Frequently asked questions

Is Strings judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

Which instruments can I play in Strings?

Neither template names one. Violin, viola, cello and double bass are the usual entries, and a plucked instrument such as a harp or guitar may be accepted where the event notice allows it. If you play something less common, check with the organiser before you enter.

Is Strings judged individually or as a group?

Individually. Both templates set it as an individual item, with one player and one mark out of 100. Group playing belongs to the separate Strings Ensemble class.

Do I need to have passed a grade exam to enter?

In the English template the class is set by the grade you are currently performing at, and the exam need not have been passed. The Welsh schools template has no grades; it is open to pupils in Years 3 to 6, with one entrant per school.

How long can my piece be?

Neither template prints a time limit for this class, so the organiser should state one in the event notice. Time your piece beforehand so that it fits whatever limit is announced.

Want the full judging picture? Read the full instrumental music judging criteria guide, or browse every music competition item.