Hawkeye's Shuffle

This is a fun blues shuffle tune for string orchestra, blues guitar, and rhythm section. The tune derives its energy from the Kansas City bluesy shuffles of the 1940s. The ensemble is interspersed with lead blues guitar to feature 'that student' that's been begging to play guitar with the orchestra. The 'solo' section with backgrounds can be extended to allow others a chance to show their stuff. The solo section gives way to a half-time shout chorus which leads to the final playing of the melody. Hawkeye's Shuffle is a great introduction to a jazz style tune for easy/medium level groups. The piece is in D Major and no parts go beyond 1st position. This will allow you to concentrate on teaching swing style, jazz language, and accidentals, without getting caught up in shifting. This is a great introductory piece to traditional swing/shuffle style for string orchestras.