All Questions
Tagged with orchestral-strings orchestration
12 questions
2
votes
1
answer
262
views
how can I study orchestration methods for electric guitar?
In this post, I was given some tips on arranging electric guitars. However, I would like to do further reading on the subject (spreads, range, register, coupling, doubling, unisons, etc), and I can't ...
- 1,406
17
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Voicing in the Finale of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"
In the opening bars of the last movement of Tchaikovsky's 6th, the strings have some four-part writing with a melody "F# E D C# B C#." However, the score reveals that the first and second ...
- 675
5
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Which instruments to physically familiarize with to become a better orchestrator?
Physically familiarizing with which two orchestral instruments would be a good compromise between having to buy all the instruments and gaining leverage in orchestral writing? My own opinion is ...
- 139
8
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Do first violins take precedence over second violins for the main melody or the higher pitched part?
I know that in general within an orchestra, if the violins hold the melody it's usually the first violins which play the main melody and the second violins act as a support to them, but if the main ...
- 81
4
votes
2
answers
876
views
Two Stringed Instruments in Unison?
I have been receiving conflicting information from orchestration bigwigs. Some say that composers should never orchestrate two stringed instruments together because they will be ever so slightly out ...
- 41
1
vote
2
answers
3k
views
Viola and Cello diamond notehead notation interpretation
I'm attempting to transcribe (for playback) Dukas' L'Apprenti Sorcier into Musescore.
I don't understand what the following notation means, how it should be played, or possibly be approximated, ...
- 606
1
vote
1
answer
50
views
What is the techniques used at the beginning of "Victory" by Two Steps From Hell?
Apart from the drums and piano at the beginning of this piece, there is some kind of string arrangement happening. I'm not sure what technique is being used, it is also used in several of their other ...
- 23
3
votes
1
answer
336
views
Difference between Martele & accent
I’m studying string articulations and I’m having trouble finding the difference between these off the bow articulations. Why should a composer choose to use martele in a situtuation instead of ...
- 83
17
votes
7
answers
7k
views
How to distinguish between different instruments in a classical orchestra?
I want to train myself into distinguishing the instruments being played simultaneously in orchestral music (primarily Wagner and Bruckner, maybe Mahler). Ideally I want to be able to say at each point ...
- 1,159
1
vote
3
answers
223
views
In strings bowed instruments, is it possible to play a chord in two not adjacent strings?
Or would it be only possible if arpeggiated?
For example in cello, to play G string in a chord with Bb in A string (being D string on the middle)
- 51
1
vote
1
answer
243
views
Orchestra notation and harmony
For instance I have 3 groups of violins and 3 instruments in each group. I want a clean C major chord from those 3 groups. What's my best choice? To have 1 group play a C, another one an E and the ...
- 3,900
1
vote
4
answers
1k
views
The term for voice effect in orchestral music
What do we call those voices (it feels like lot of people singing together) in an orchestral music or epic music which make it more epic?
- 1