The first brief work of the Op. 15 set was composed in 1904 originally as part of a string quartet that was later rejected. This was the lyrical "Hymn 'Largo Cantabile' for String Quartet and Double Bass" which is employs free counterpoint based around two hymn-tunes. Ives' rich advanced harmonic sense wanders beautifully around the open modality of the original tunes.

The second piece is the "Scherzo 'Holding your own' for string quartet" (1903-1914). The subtitle of the piece apparently originated in a private joke between the composer and violinist Gustave Bach. Lasting only slightly over one and one-half minutes, the snappy rhythm and a theme that includes the cliched Little Egypt-type "hootchy-kootchy" riff quicky disperses into angular rhythm variations (complex stretchings of the pattern) and packs in a bi-tonal middle section with sliding scales before returning to the opening theme, and more gradually stretched rhythms before a quick ending.

The last piece in the set is the "Adagio Cantabile 'The Innate' for string quartet, double bass and piano" (1908) lasting two minutes and fifteen seconds. After a brief polytonal introduction, the strings play a lovely lamenting unison melody, against rich piano harmonies, the whole effect building almost to a climax but then backing away into a harmonic "fog" and a tender ending reminescent of the first movement of "Three Places in New England" ("my father's song").

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