One player performs a solo on a bowed or plucked string instrument, entered by standard or age band and marked out of 100 by an adjudicator.
String Solo is the general class for a single player on a string instrument. The entry is one performer, one instrument and one prepared piece or short programme, with or without an accompanist. On the eTalenter templates that carry it, the class title does not name the instrument, so a violinist, a cellist, a violist or a double bassist can all enter, which is why the class is judged on the playing rather than on one instrument's tradition.
How the class is divided depends on the event. One template from the United Kingdom splits it by exam standard, from a preparatory tier up to Grade 7 and above, with time limits that rise from three minutes to ten. Where a standard rather than an age is shown, a player enters the class for their current standard whatever their age, and the piece does not have to come from an exam list. Other templates split the same class by age ceiling, with tiers such as ten and under, twelve and under, fifteen and under and an open class.
A round is quiet and orderly. The entrant is called, tunes briefly if the running order allows, plays, and leaves while the adjudicator writes a comment and a mark. The time limit covers the performance, so a long piece with repeats can run over where a shorter, well-chosen piece finishes cleanly. It is an individual item, open to boys and girls together, with no language attached.
Organisers add the class because strings are among the most widely taught instruments and a single open class lets a coordinator put every string pupil on one scoring scale. It also pairs naturally with a concerto class for the older players, and with a repertoire class where one exists.
Where String Solo is run
String Solo appears on five eTalenter templates: a British children and young people's music, speech and drama eisteddfod, three eisteddfods in New South Wales, Australia, and one national talent test in the United States. The Australian templates run it across many age tiers, while the British one grades it by standard. The general idea of a string solo class is common in music festivals across the English-speaking world, but this page records only those five templates.
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- United States
Key facts
- Individual entry, open to boys and girls together; no language is set
- Any bowed or plucked string instrument can be offered; the class title does not name one
- Graded by standard in the British template (preparatory up to Grade 7 and above) and by age ceiling in the Australian ones
- Time limits in the British template run 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 minutes from the lowest tier to the highest; Australian templates run roughly 3 to 10 minutes
- Marked out of 100; the sources print no judging criteria for it, so none are assumed here
- Different from a concerto class (a separate 20-minute class on the British template)
On eTalenter, String Solo is filed under Music and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 5 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, String Solo is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to 3–10 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in String Solo
What a String Solo panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Intonation: playing in tune across the whole piece, including shifts and double stops, is usually the first thing a string adjudicator hears
- Tone production: a steady, controlled bow or plucking hand, with a sound that stays even at quiet and louder levels
- Rhythm and tempo: a steady pulse chosen to suit the player, with no rushing in the easier passages or dragging in the hard ones
- Musical shape: phrasing, dynamics and a clear idea of the piece, so it sounds chosen rather than merely learnt
- Technical security for the tier: music at the edge of the entrant's ability that is played cleanly beats something harder that falls apart
- Time discipline and stage manner: finishing inside the limit for the tier, with a calm entrance, a clean start and a tidy exit
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for String Solo under Scoring Setup, or start from the full instrumental music competition judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for String Solo
How entrants and their teachers usually get String Solo right on the day:
- Choose a piece that suits the tier's time limit and your current standard, and time the whole performance including tuning and the walk-on
- Practise with the piano accompanist, if one is used, at least two or three times before the day so entries and tempo are agreed
- Work on intonation slowly with a tuner or open strings as a reference, then repeat the hardest shifts until they are reliable
- Run the piece for a listener at least twice, standing, as it will be on the day, and fix the places where nerves bring out mistakes
- Bring a spare set of strings, rosin or a pick, a music stand if the venue does not supply one, and a copy of the music for the adjudicator if requested
- Tune quietly before you are called and keep the instrument warm; cold strings drift in tune during the first minute of a performance
Frequently asked questions
Is String Solo 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.
Can I enter a cello, viola or double bass?
The class title says only String Solo, so any bowed or plucked string instrument is generally accepted, but check your organiser's own rules for any exclusions such as harp or guitar, which some events place in separate classes.
How long is a String Solo?
It depends on the tier. On the British template it runs from 3 minutes in the lowest tier to 10 minutes at Grade 7 and above; Australian templates range from about 3 to 10 minutes.
Do I have to play an exam piece?
On the British template the pieces need not come from an exam list, and you enter the class for your current standard regardless of age.
Is it judged individually or as a team?
It is an individual item: one player per entry, open to boys and girls together, and marked out of 100.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full instrumental music competition judging criteria guide, or browse every music competition item.
Try String Solo in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs String Solo, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
