Chamber music is music for a small group, with one player on each part and no conductor. The name comes from “chamber,” an old word for a room. This music was first played in the rooms of homes and palaces, not in large halls. The best-known group is the string quartet: two violins, a viola, and a cello.
How it differs from orchestra music
| Chamber music | Orchestra music | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | Two to about nine | Dozens |
| Players on each part | One | Many on each string part |
| Leader | No conductor | A conductor |
| Place | A room or a small hall | A large hall |
Common groups
| Group | Players | Instruments |
|---|---|---|
| Duo | 2 | Often one instrument with piano |
| Piano trio | 3 | Piano, violin, and cello |
| String quartet | 4 | Two violins, viola, and cello |
| Piano quartet | 4 | Piano, violin, viola, and cello |
| Piano quintet | 5 | Piano and a string quartet |
| Wind quintet | 5 | Flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn |
| Brass quintet | 5 | Two trumpets, French horn, trombone, and tuba |
A group of eight is an octet. The same words name the pieces: a “string quartet” is both the four players and the music they play.
The string quartet
A string quartet sits in a half circle, close enough to see each other’s hands and faces.
- First violin: often has the tune and the highest notes.
- Second violin: plays harmony, answers the first violin, and takes the tune at times.
- Viola: fills the middle.
- Cello: plays the bass line, and sings a tune now and then.
Joseph Haydn wrote 68 string quartets and set the pattern that later composers followed. Quartets often have four movements. Read Haydn for kids and what is a movement?
How they play with no conductor
- One player leads the start. A breath and a small lift of the instrument show the speed.
- They watch each other. A look or a nod passes the tune along.
- They listen. Each player knows the other parts as well as their own.
- They talk it over. In rehearsal, all the players have a say in how the music goes.
Pieces to hear first
String Quartet, “The Joke,” last movement, by Haydn. Near the end, Haydn adds long pauses, and the piece seems to finish several times.
String Quartet, “Emperor,” second movement, by Haydn. A slow tune, followed by variations. Each player gets the tune in turn. Read musical form for kids.
“Trout” Quintet, fourth movement, by Schubert. Variations on Schubert’s own song about a fish. The group is piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Read Schubert for kids.
String Quartet No. 12, “American,” by Dvořák. He wrote it in Iowa in the summer of 1893. The viola opens with the first tune. Read Dvořák for kids.
String Quartet in F major, second movement, by Ravel. All four players pluck their strings at the start.
Octet for strings, by Mendelssohn. Eight players, and a composer who was 16 years old. Read Mendelssohn for kids.
Eine kleine Nachtmusik, by Mozart. Often played by an orchestra, and it works with one player on each part too. See the guide.
Going to a chamber concert
A chamber concert can be a good first concert. The group is small, the players sit close, and a child can see who is playing what.
- Sit near the front.
- Pick a concert with short pieces, or leave at the break.
- Before you go, show your child a picture of a quartet and name the four instruments.
Read first orchestra concert with kids and when to clap at a classical concert.
Playing chamber music
A child does not have to wait years. A duet with the teacher is chamber music. So is a trio of friends at school.
- Ask the teacher for duets.
- Ask a youth orchestra whether it runs small groups. Read youth orchestras.
- Look for a chamber music camp. Read summer music camps for kids.
Playing in a small group gives a child practice at counting, listening, and leading.
Things to do together
Who has the tune? Watch a quartet video. Point to the player with the tune. It moves.
Count the players. Play three short clips. Ask whether each is one player, a small group, or an orchestra.
Start with a breath. Stand in a circle. One person breathes in, and everyone starts to sing on the breath out, with no counting.
Draw the quartet. Draw four chairs in a half circle, and label each instrument.
Print and play
Use a listening journal page for each piece. For the four instruments, read string instruments for kids and violin vs viola. For larger works, read symphony, concerto, and sonata explained.
More from this guide
This article is part of Music theory for parents: what your child is learning and how to help.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.