5 Orchestration Shortcuts That Will Save You Time

5 tips for composer studying orchestration!

*OUTSTANDING* composition courses including “Orchestrating the Line” which completely changed my approach to writing music.

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[michaelsheard]

Alan Belkin described the oboe as "a bit of a prima donna" (I think I've got the quote right), which is both amusing and useful. "Naughty boy of the orchestra" makes the point even more emphatically.

[rkstudios]

These are all really great tips! I love that they aren't just the standard tired tips, but really things that seem applicable to you and your writing development! Thank you!

[timcox]

Another tip that a bunch of composers get hung up on (including me when I first started): Don't be afraid to have resting measures. Don't worry about a player being "bored" it's super common for someone to have 8/10/28/etc measures of rest, or even an entire piece (look up "Flight of the Bumblebee on Bass Trombone" to see a great example of this). Your writing and your orchestration will open up when you stop thinking everyone needs to be doing something

[HeavenestStCyr]

1 Voicing Chords in WWs: See Clarinets and Bassoons as strings for harmony and treat Flutes and Oboes to drive melody
2 Keep families together to support each other
3 Use Percussion more for support and color
4 Mark up your line before orchestrating

[winknotes]

I love tip #4 and reinforces something I've recently come to realize about my sketches. I can be pretty lazy about sketches but the more detailed I am the better the final result.

[mathiaslevyvalensi-compose]

Tip 4 is actually such a brilliant tip! So simple yet so refined!
I would love a video about the rhythmic elements found in the brass and woodwinds all over the star wars scores and so many others. When the composers seem to simply fill out the space but it has such an effect with all there chords in triplets, quintuplets and whatnot!
Thanks for the video!

[AndrewUdal]

Tip 2: It’s something I found very interesting but it’s very clearly used through lot’s of very well known music especially as a way of developing a thematic idea. Repeat the same idea in the 3 different sections (or go spicy and do a 4th with percussion and harp etc) and develop it in each new section as a way of stating an idea whilst keeping the piece moving.

[chc_portlock]

Tip 4 seems so obvious yet I can’t believe I’ve never approached it like that, awesome stuff!

[littlemarmoset]

Solo cello and oboe at the octave in one of the Schumann symphonies is a lovely pairing as well.

[alexander.hansson]

I totally agree that Alain Mayrands courses really are a game changer. They really do deserve the most attention and is really an investment. Would love an interview-video!

[goldenwater]

I love your videos, they're just the right length and easy to understand, thank you!

[Qermaq]

Pretty good tips. You are correct about #4 - it's like the difference between food and ingredients.Too often we look at melodies and harmonies as stuff to distribute, a bag of candy, and not, as we ought to, as ingredients that need a little prep before we start cooking. This process forces you to see the music in the line and later it will be obvious where to voice it.

[c.s.i.inamerica]

I just discovered your channel today and I love every video I've watched so far. You're easy to listen to and present everything a real easy-to-understand manner! Thank you!!!

[Botondar]

It's funny how the example at 2:53 demonstrates the John Powell quote "trumpets are a percussion instrument".

[jenssieckmann]

I love these short, concise and valuable shortcuts.

[ZachHeyde]

This is great stuff, Ryan! You've packed some real gems into a concise 5-minute video 👍🏻

[tahutoa]

I didn't know about that "marking the line" thing, but it makes a lot of sense. When the muse hits and I suddenly imagine a melody complete with chords hitting at certain spots, I can only sing the one line to myself _but_ I'll throw in things like an accent on what I know would be supported by other chord tones when I wrote it down.

[musical_lolu]

Clarinet's clarino range also tends to stick out melodically in like _mf_ or _f_ so it can potentially enjoy the diva status of flutes and oboes.

[gondiulaurentiu]

The first piece of advice about the woodwind quartet is so relevant that it deserves a subscription from the start.

[matthewgellar]

I feel lucky to have played quite a lot of the staple orchestral repertoire. Rehearsing and playing a bunch of different music got me really familiar with how various instrument combinations sound and i have a sort of sound bank of those with pieces as examples. I do want to say to composers and arrangers out there, the bass clarinet is an extremely flexible instrument, dont hold back!