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

Similarities of Classical and Baroque Music

Music has evolved through the centuries and undergone drastic changes. One of the most significant transitions was from the Baroque to the Classical period of music. In this paragraph, I will compare and contrast some of the main features of these two styles, such as ensembles, instrumentation, and counterpoint study. The Baroque and Classical periods of music have many similarities. While the style of music changed drastically, certain key elements remained the same between the two styles. Composers in the Classical period sought to simplify music and create clearly audible musical lines. In contrast, composers from the Baroque period were interested in creating complex and highly ornamented musical lines. The Baroque period occurs from approximately 1600 to 1750, and the Classical period extends from 1750 to 1820. Ensembles Ensembles are groups of musicians that perform together. Both the Baroque and the Classical period had similar types of ensembles, such as operas, orchestras, str
Post a Comment
Read more