String ensemble teaching involves score preparation tasks undertaken by music teachers to prepare for class rehearsals and student performances (Silvey et al., 2020). However, important task perceptional differences may exist between string and non-string specialists when preparing scores for classroom string ensemble instruction. The existing literature has yet to investigate music teachers’ string score preparation tasks based on their stringed-instrument background. Therefore, further investigation into music teachers’ string score preparation is necessary, especially utilizing classroom music teachers’ input, to examine any existing differences between string specialists and non-specialists’ score preparation tasks to enhance music teachers’ string score preparation practices in the classroom setting.The purpose of this study was to examine music teachers’ score preparation task importance ratings and compare rating differences between string and non-string specialists. The following research questions were proposed:1. What are the three string score preparation tasks rated as the most important by string-specialist music teachers?2. What are the three string score preparation tasks rated as the most important by non-string specialist music teachers?3. In which string score preparation tasks that showed differences between string and non-string specialist music teachers when they prepared their scores for classroom string ensemble instruction?Participants (N = 150) were members of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) who had string-ensemble instructional experience in the classroom. I computed the mean ratings and standard deviations of participants’ importance ratings of the nine-string score preparation tasks using a 7-point Liker-type scale (1 = not very important, 7 = very important) and then ranked them in order of importance. String specialists rated the following as the three most important score preparation tasks: playing through all-instrument parts using the keyboard; familiarizing oneself with musical terms and meaning; and determining fingerings, shifting, and position work. Non-string specialists rated the following three most important score preparation tasks: familiarizing oneself with musical terms and meaning, playing all instrument parts using a keyboard, and determining bowings. Significant differences existed between string and non-string specialist music teachers in determining fingerings, shifting and positioning work, bowings, tuning string instruments, and planning warm-up procedures.The findings of this study can be beneficial to preservice music teachers, especially those who are non-string specialists, in their score preparation for string ensemble teaching in classrooms. Although rating differences exist between string and non-string specialists, learning from and comparing fellow music teachers’ perspectives facilitates the exchange of instructional approaches and priorities.