Skip to main content

How to Create a Template From an Orchestration

Orchestration is a complex subject that many young composers seek to master. To learn about orchestration, it is sometimes useful to copy an orchestration from a master composer. There are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when using a pre-existing orchestration as a template. The orchestration you are using must be similar in style to your own orchestration and should have the same basic musical range. If your piece is too high, then using an orchestration with low pitches will not help you. Analyze your music and several orchestrations to find one that fits your style of orchestration.

Step 1:  Find the total range of pitches in your composition. Look for the following elements: melody, countermelody, harmony and rhythmic elements. When looking through possible orchestrations for a template, look to see if each of these elements fits the range for each of these components.

Step 2:  Search through orchestrations that fit your style of music. If your music is clear with a solid melody and chord structure, look toward Mozart’s symphonies. Music that has a slightly darker texture with more counterpoint should rely on Beethoven's orchestrations. Music with several easily definable countermelodies, riffs and gestures should look to the Mahler Symphonies. Finally, music that is contrapuntal and complex should look toward Bach as a template.

Step 3:  Copy each component into the same range as your orchestration to create the same balance and texture. The melody should use the same range and instruments as the orchestration you are using as a template. The harmony should be in the same range and use the same instruments as the template as well. Each component should match up to get a balanced orchestration.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

List of Musical Techniques and Their Meanings

Musical techniques are the building blocks of any basic music training. These techniques allow performers to improve their coordination and develop accuracy through repetitive daily exercises. Musical techniques progressively build upon previously learned techniques. Scales Scales form the basis for other musical techniques. Student may study major and minor scales as well as modern scales, such as the whole-tone and octatonic scales. A scale consists of patterns of half steps and whole steps. These whole steps and half-step arrangements will be different for each scale. Scales are musical techniques that can help a performer to play faster and more accurately, and make learning new pieces easier. Chords Chords require knowledge of major and minor scales. Chords come in several different forms that affect the sound. Triads consist of three notes spaced a third apart and classified as major, minor, augmented and diminished chords. Seventh chords build on triads and have an additional no
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Claude Debussy Never Cared About Music Theory

  Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862. So, I felt writing a blog post to celebrate would be appropriate. Debussy was a revolutionary composer who challenged the conventions of Western music. He was influenced by the impressionist painters, the exotic sounds of gamelan music, and the symbolist poets. He created a musical language that was expressive, colorful, and atmospheric. One of the most remarkable aspects of Debussy's music is his use of harmony. He did not follow the rules of tonality and functional harmony that dominated the music of his time. Instead, he used modes, scales, chords, and parallel movements that created a sense of ambiguity and fluidity. He also experimented with timbre, texture, rhythm, and form to create musical images that evoked moods and emotions. Debussy's music can inspire us to think outside the box and explore new possibilities in our own compositions. We can learn from his innovative techniques and his artistic vision. We can also apprecia
Post a Comment
Read more

Musical Instruments That Make Animal Sounds

Common orchestra instruments are capable of animal sounds. Instruments throughout history have replicated and imitated animals. From Beethoven to Bernstein, composers have sought new and interesting uses for traditional orchestra instruments. The temptation to recreate nature through musical sounds comes in both literal and abstract ways. Learn about instruments and animal sounds they make so that next time you hear one, you will be able to identify what instrument is making the sound. Lion's Roar As its name suggests the lion's roar makes a sound very similar to a lion roaring. Taking a bass drum and puncturing a hole in the head of the drum accomplishes this. A rope extends and pulls through the drum creating a sound that is very similar to a lion roaring. This instrument is so accurate it is often used in film scores and to indicate the roar of a lion in orchestral scores. Trombone The trombone is capable of imitating the sound of many animals. The glissando technique involv
Post a Comment
Read more