LEVEL UP your orchestration skills with these 5 hacks!

This week Alex presents the 5 best orchestration hacks on the planet! First he talks about doubling instruments and fascinating combinations of instruments, then he dives into interlocking, enclosing and overlapping.
After some amazing tips on how to spice up your strings, Alex ends this video with a look at “dovetailing”. Wait… Where is hack number 5?

Virtual Orchestration is a collaboration between Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA) and Orchestral Tools (Berlin, Germany).

▬▬ Table of content ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

0:00 - Intro
0:35 - Hack#1 : Doubling instruments
6:29 - Hack#2 : Interlocking, Enclosing and Overlapping
10:47 - Hack#3 :Giving strings more texture
13:18 - Hack#4 : Dovetailing
15:19 - Hack#5 : ???

Assets used

SFX :
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) - Public Domain Dedication
Energy, vortexes, field, sci-fi, pulses - User: julianmateo_
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Atoms and Particles
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Air Whoosh
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Video creation credits:

Script / video concept 📜 : Alex Lamy, Eduard Flemmer
Music 🎶 : Alex Lamy
Camera 🎥 and Editing ✂️ : Fabián Barba Hallal
Motion graphics 🎨 : Michael Logar
Production Assistant 🎬 : Aleksi Oksanen

[Pooter-ityg]

Doubling bassoons and celli is also common. Upper strings are often combined with any woods or upper brass. But the key to doubling is only to do it when you have a reason to and don't overdo it - too many colours is beige. A related point is not to use everything all the time - save contrast for where it's most effective.
For interlocking, refer to Rimsky for a pretty definitive rundown.

[mrcet]

Good suggestions here! Thanks.

8:02 — Here, and in all of this, it’s critical to remember that your notation program (Sibelius, Dorico, Finale, etc., or even your DAW to some extent), is very good at lying to you!

For example, the low register of the flute is probably sampled at a volume appropriate for flute-solo repertoire, but within an orchestral setting, lower-register flutes are rather quiet! In Sibelius, it will sound gloriously rich and beautiful, but in a real orchestra, it will sound gloriously … “missing”!

[zoaltamam]

You are a gift to the online orchestration community my friend! Your content is very unique
Thank you so much

[kappabravomusic]

#4 is great. Dovetail is an underestimated technique in many non professional compositions. Thanks for the tips.

[dpixvid]

I watch them all! ...overload - but does encourage experimenting in a learning context - BUT this one is highly useful thanks!

[codydavis]

This is extremely helpful! Thank you! Currently working on an orchestral arrangement of Super Mario Sunshine and I’ve been looking for ways to make it my own.

[spuddyferret]

Great video Alex and the VO team! If I could leave a suggestion, maybe we could have a sequel to this video focusing on how to orchestrate percussion? I think orchestration tutorials like this are invaluable and focusing on how to support the orchestra with percussion would be a great topic to discuss. Thank you for your work!

[gilesmoss]

Cool to see there are proper terms for things I've tried by accident. My orchestration efforts so far have been with ensemble libraries which kind of do the overlapping for you I guess, but I certainly don't have the control needed for the interlocking or enclosing. And the other tips are super useful too. I've tried doubling but sometimes want a little more, the texture hack #3 feels like it'll come in very useful for this. Great, thanks!

[mikescofield]

Definitely some ideas that are new to me and potentially very useful. Thanks.

[rogernichols]

Very clear, very useful. I'm currently working on a symphony and I'm going to revise certain passages in the light of theses rips. Thank you.

[carsonzuck]

this is a PHENOMENAL beginning orchestration video. this puts all the overwhelming information about orchestration on the internet into a concise, digestible location for reference. i really really wish i would’ve seen this when i first starting out. thank you for what you do for our community!

[ephjaymusic]

What a refreshing video! I haven't seen any good practical videos on this even though I have learned about these voicing techniques. My favourite is definitely bassoon and horns! It's like magic! Thank you!

[Ranakade]

The best teachers know how to simplify things for their students. You sir are a best teacher. ❤💯

[gregkrouse]

Repeating some of the comments below. It is not only the content and of course, your organization but also your enthusiasm. from the other side of the pond, Spot on!

[peterhaerens]

Is this really all with a DAW and VST?
Oh boy...
This is so good.
And even more in the 'secret' video...

[PaulieDC]

Wow, the content quality of this and the secret video is right up there with the articulation vids with Clara. I'll be revisiting this one a few times, with my composing Moleskine notebook and a pencil in hand!

[yaroslav_kniazev]

Hi guys.

Great lesson.
Thank you so much !

Best of luck to everyone !

[iluvsyphonfilter]

The note colors in the piano roll made it easy to understand the concepts!

[andrerussouw]

The art of good communication. Many thanks. New to the game have my software and controller.Can't wait to get going. Regards Andre SA

[shubus]

Love the use of the Met Ark's and Time Micro.