orchestration

Hey guys/gals, I have recently started to delve into Orchestration after having a long appreciation for it. I have a musical background which has assisted me so far but some external viewpoints would be great! Whilst it has been incredibly enjoyable and eye-opening (also great to be studious...

Hello everyone! I’m a full-time professional multi-instrumentalist with my specialties being saxophone (alto, tenor, baritone, soprano), clarinet (Bb, bass clarinet, A, and Eb), and flute. I’m primarily a jazz musician and have done my fair share of touring, live performances, and studio...

Does anyone know what book this is from ?

Hey, I recently thought about something interesting, wouldnt it be more realistic you use an solo patch for a triard for example, because then every note is just played by ONE instrument, like in the real world. But if you play a triard with an a3 patch then you have 9 voices actually playing...

Hi folks! I covered Ludwig Göransson's American Prometheus from Oppenheimer. If anyone interested in the audio libraries creating this track, I used Spitfire Sacconi String Quartet and Spitfire Solo Strings for the violins and added Albion V Tundra for the final part and textures. For the...

This falls under the Suggestions category, only pertaining to two sub-forums: Composition, Orchestration & Technique and Notation Speak: Sibelius, Finale & Dorico It's a small matter only, on the fringes, no big deal either way, but may clarify and consolidate some inextricably linked...

Hello everyone! I'm brand new to this forum and thought I would post a work of mine to introduce myself: Adagio for Orchestra. I wrote this during a period where I was experiencing some pretty bad writer's block, so I toned things back quite a bit and instead focused on simple themes and...

Hey guys, Im searching for the best star wars main title mockup, i saw many, nearly every mockup of that piece in this forum and on youtube. Maybe you can help me by finding good mockups? The best ive heard was from UnofficialButTrue, that guy is a true midi wizard! Im wondering how he got the...

Hello all- I hope you are well. I am excited to be a recent addition to this community and I look forward to receiving feedback on my implementation of virtual instruments within my compositions. The pieces I am presenting are scored (hopefully) 'properly' for orchestral arrangements if you...

Hey friends, I'm so excited to share that I had the incredible opportunity to put together a video with 8-Bit Music Theory (a channel specializing in deconstructing video game music theory). We chatted about 'The Sky' theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, nerding out over the...

Hey friends! I wanted to share with you a quick video going over my personal string writing process. I've been fortunate to do string arrangements for my clients (including Tina Guo, RoomieOfficial, and others), so hopefully it's of some use to you. Please enjoy!

It's a pleasure to have Robin Hoffmann - a composer, arranger and orchestrator with vast experience - as the guest of this episode of our podcast! Searching for unique sound, a way to put one's “stamp” on the score in time when sample libraries are dominant - hear what Robin and George have...

Is has been already some years after DM release and its reputation as game changer in orchestration, principally with the ambitious idea of orq. live performance. I am curious to know what has been done with it so far. Maybe you want to show to us music where DM played a CENTRAL role ?! And how...

In this episode Nathan & Craig interview Zach Heyde who is a CA based music composer and content creator. We cover piano skills, orchestration tips, youtube education, and much more. WATCH NOW Subscribe to the Soundiron Podcast: https://anchor.fm/soundiron-podcast For more info, visit our...

Hey friends! I've always loved the music of Super Mario, across multiple titles and franchises. With the upcoming release of the Super Mario movie, I wanted to dive into some of what makes Mario music as a whole sound so happy and nostalgic. I hope you enjoy this journey with me!

I love the horns! So big and jazzy. But which instruments are being used? I'm not sure but I'd like to know especially the first few seconds of when the music starts. Is there a sax in there?

Hi! I'm currently trying to make a new music and I wanted to have space and a new planet as an inspiration and I remembered the score for the Star Wars Eclipse trailer, so I watched it again and as I was listening to it, it blew my mind once more. I think this is probably my favorite part of...

How do you orchestrate an arpeggio with sustained notes so that the cut sound is not heard, what common notes to leave between the sections, I have heard a technique called duck tail so that the sound is heard linked? I want the arpeggio to start from the bottom and go up to achieve a pyramid...

Hi guys, I'm thrilled to share with you "The Composer's AIssistant"! 😎 It's a collection of the best prompts for composers, musicians, and producers I've come across so far. Use AI (ChatGPT) to ... Access world-class information on music theory, composition techniques, orchestration, and...

How did he do? Did he use Logic, Cubase? Did someone here studied any score of him?

I recently got me the printed score to "Batman" and studied some of the tracks. Then I wanted to know how my current orchestral template holds up when I fill it with the notes. Here's the result that I put on YT earlier today. Here's also a screenshot of my instrument tracks and separate...

Today (20hrs Vienna) is my radio insolitus broadcast at RadioFabrik.com , program Phonoskopius, the show where everything can happen... I thought a lot about this, but still not a clear idea for the guidelines and organizaiton of another contest. This takes some time. For now, I invite you...

I find myself studying a lot of modern film music's orchestration and have a hard time listening and hearing the different sections and how instruments are voiced together so I would rather see exactly what each section is playing what notes. I am trying to see if there's a resource where...

Well, i started following the piano sketch track advice from the young sucessful youtubers.... But does anyone suffer from the tendency of hearing the piano sketch as an integrated piano part of the piece? In the example below the piano is a sketch, but I started to wonder the piano should...

Time for confessions.

short: full :

This is a common figure for strings in the romantic era, principally by Strauss, and later influenced the early hollywood film music. How good can virtual performances come close to this "defined but undefined chorus sound" ? Do you have any examples ? Look at the strings right at the start...

Good day everyone. I'm working on a harp piece that incorporates a lot of glissandos. In some cases, it sounds great if they either decelerate or accelerate in tempo. I'm guessing these are called Ritardando and Accelerando Glissando, or something along those lines (please advise). In Cubase...

I quote realistic in relation to a real live orchestra. I have been writing orchestral music for some time now and I have been using both Staffpad and Sibelius with Noteperformer playback. I write the same thing twice side by side with the hope in getting a more realistic understanding. I have...

I reached out to VI-C about AROOF and you guys made TONS of help. That thread can be found here. So, I finally decided to get AROOF with 50% off in the Edu-week. Really liking the library so far! Here is my attempt to make it sit in my template. So far, I find brass and all percussion to be the...

I just had a thought and after listening to multiple modern film scores, specifically by James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, and a few others, I can't tell if string sections are being used in divisi at times. My ears still aren't good enough to be able to hear different instruments and what they...

This is a vintage, pastural, symphonic piece, conceptualized with a 19th century feel. The arrangement was built up in Sibelius/Noteperformer, and just the string sections' MIDI data were interpreted using Audio Modeling and Samplemodeling to enhance the expressivity a bit. Other sections were...

Hi everyone, It's a well-known technique to layer a synth underneath strings, particularly in the bass or even sub-bass frequency range to 'thicken' out the strings or orchestra as a whole. I was just curious to hear what techniques, synths, presets/settings others use when doing this. I...

Hey friends! So excited to share a brand new song with you, in collaboration with Mattia Chiappa. Songwriting and vocals by myself, and orchestration/mixing by Mattia. Please enjoy, and thank you in advance for listening. :)

This is a walkthrough and deep-dive into John Williams use of variation in this film music themes. It's based upon a paper written by Mark Richards, and various tutorials found on the internet. It's main focus is the various techniques and approches John Williams uses to create and vary his...

Had a ton of fun with this one - orchestrating 1 idea 3 different ways! I hope this is helpful, and shares some of my personal arranging insights along the way. Enjoy!

I'm about halfway through this battle/boss theme I'm composing for a friend. Not too sure about the progression towards the end of this. I plan to add a break halfway through, but I'm worried that this is a little rushed. Would love another set of ears. Thanks :)

For all those who wonder, "What the heck do you do other than post on this forum?" I've finally launched a website. Symbols of Sound is our new site. For roughly 20 years we have provided music preparation and consulting services to composers and producers for projects large and small --...

I'm not able to write a heroic or happy melodie + chord progression. Is it harder to write something that sounds more "mainstream" or could it be that I'm just more attached to the dark haunting side of things? How could I practice and is it normal that a Composer has a specific palette of...

Hi friends! It's been almost a year since I last released any original music, but I'm so excited to share this newest piece with you, Love's Rapture. Inspired by classic Disney and pop ballads, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did putting it together. Thanks in advance! :)

Hi friends, I'm so excited to be hosting a free live workshop on Wednesday, May 18th, all about how to write and orchestrate classic love themes! It's going to be jam packed, and we'll cover topics such as: - How to write memorable melodies that stay with your listener - How to write beautiful...

Hey friends! I'm so happy to share this Disney medley with you, containing many of my favourites. Please enjoy, and thanks in advance for watching! :)

Last year a fellow composer friend asked me to help out with a project, because it was fitting well to my writing skills. It was a short animated advertisement for an "asthma awareness campaign". They had quite a good budget, so I decided to book a 30 min orchestral recording session slot to...

Hi everyone, I'm very excited to share MIDI Mockup Secrets with you! This course is designed to take your orchestral mockups up a big notch, uncovering the core techniques used by professional MIDI orchestrators every day to achieve full, realistic, and rich mockups. By the end of MIDI...

This is the first of 3 short movies about how to write adventurous music for videogames. The music is made for a client, but he was ok with me sharing the process here. In this video, I showcase the pianosketch and share the themes and motifs for the full piece. Part 2 will feature a...

Hi everyone! It feels good to be back at the forum :2thumbs:. I'm a composer that mainly focuses on epic music, and because of that I tend to use the brass this way: * Trumpets: Melodies or stacatto kind of rhythmic / harmonic accompaniment. * Horns: BIG melodies or very soft harmonies, mainly...

EQUIPMENT FL Studio Metropolis Ark One Jaeger Nucleus Hello all, Ok, so I am new to all things DAW, reading music and orchestra - six months in on all, and I have already learned a lot. One of the things I thought would help me learn arrangement was to actually do a complete cover of...

What's your favourite harp library? Usually I'm dancing between CineHarps and Berlin Symphonic Harps, but if you held me at gunpoint, I'd blurt out CineHarps. Why? Allow me to disclose in this video. Enjoy :)

Hi Everyone, I've founded a new VST company focused exclusively around extended techniques. We are in the early stages of prototyping and development, and would like to better understand what techniques you all would be excited about. If you'd like to know more and be involved, please email me...

Hey friends! In today's video, let's cover and compare a few string libraries that have beautiful soaring legato, so you can choose for yourself if you're on the market for a new library. Enjoy! Quick note: I recorded this before Spitfire Appassionata came out, so I may do a follow-up including...

Loving the active discussions about sound libraries in notation programs! Some definite tranches emerge and it's really interesting hearing the pros/cons of different setups and ways of working. For me, NP still holds huge value during my creative workflow / score preparation — mainly due to its...

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Hey friends! In today's livestream, we'll cover a simple way think about orchestration, and 3 practical tips we can use to arrange music with confidence. Please enjoy! :)

Hey fellow VI'ers, Happy New Year!! :shocked: So, I don't often post here, but as I came across this little gem - quick tips guide today, I thought that this was worth a mention. Anne-Kathrin Dern, an upcoming composer, with some great projects under her belt, has a stream of really useful and...

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Here is the full orchestrated version of my last sketch, written initially for piano, with choir and woodwinds in mind. Link to high-quality audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mzZn... Piano-reduction: https://youtu.be/6XsPl4cr4MI https://cinematicstudioseries.com Recorded using...

Hello again to all! We are having a 20% sale on all film music and orchestration books, including the collections: (11 book collection only $192 or $17 per book!) Please check it out: https://www.musicnewapproach.com/ ~Norman

Hey friends! In today's interview, I'm very excited to chat with Cody Fry, a wonderfully talented singer/songwriter, composer, and artist. I discovered him from his viral song 'I Hear a Symphony', and wanted to learn more about his origins, where he draws his influences from, and any advice he...

Hi friends! Fewer things excite us more than the strength and beauty of a full sweeping orchestra. But how do we approach arranging for a full and lush texture? What instruments tend to go first? In this video, I'll share my personal approach on how you can get moving Broadway orchestrations...

After experimenting a lot with Brass orchestration in hybrid arrangements, I have the feeling that the brass section fits more with the rest of the other instruments if I let the Bones and the Horns play every 2nd note. If you have a simple A Minor Triade The Horns get the E and A and the Bones...

Is anyone able to direct me to an example of brass being played 'into stand'? I'm considering using it in my orchestration but I want to make sure that it's the sound I want.

In a composition of mine, I'd like the French horns to play a descending glissando spanning a major 2nd. I know some glissandi on horn are achieved by adjusting the position of the hand in the bell, but the passage is to be hand-stopped the whole way through, so that method wouldn't be possible...

I was always unhappy with my mixes. For the last week I tried to only play bass parts under C3 (C5 for FL Users) and everything else above C5. My mixes sound much cleaner. I'm also analysing the music played on the radio and I would say that they aren't doing anything below C3 aswell. Could this...

Hey all, Seriously looking in to getting a iPad Pro 12.9 , with a view to start using Staffpad, or any other hand writing apps that work well. I have read a lot of posts on here about people using Staffpad, and most seem to rave about it , while a few others struggle to get to grips with it...

Hey friends! In today's video, let's take a look at Josh Groban's rendition of 'She', a beautiful song from his newest album 'Harmony'. Please enjoy!

Hey everyone, I just wrapped up a livestream on Disney style orchestration on my YouTube channel! So much fun!! Feel free to check it out here, all timestamps included! Thanks.

Hey friends! In today's video, let's discuss the importance of the first impression, and how to take your listener on a journey right from the onset of your piece. Enjoy!

Hey friends, I'm so proud to share with you that my newest online course Songwriting for Animation is now available! This course will take you into the world of the classic Disney hits, such as Beauty and the Beast, A Whole New World, Part of Your World, etc, and help you to elevate your...

I don't have hundreds of songs and tracks licensed for TV, movies, or games. Heck, I don't even have a single major placement. However, I'm blessed to be able to write the music I truly enjoy writing, and help others with their musical endeavours in any capacity. I grew up listening to Disney...

Hey friends! In today's video, I'm pleased to bring on fellow composer and YouTuber Joshua Sohn! As many of you have asked questions about percussion writing, arranging, and orchestration, I thought it only appropriate that we do a dedicated video on percussion by someone who specializes in...

Hi, I hope everyone is doing well :) I've got another video here for you. I've had a few requests lately to create a video that focuses on string writing/ arranging, without presuming any knowledge of music theory from the viewer. It was tough, but I think I've got something together that may...

Hey, Maybe I am in the minority here, but I find the more Keyswitches an orchestral patch has, the more it takes me out of the moment - requires more editting. I wish I was able to whizz over the Keyswitches as I play in parts, but at best I can usually learn 2 or 3 and end up doing the...

Hi friends! In today's video, let's take a look at 5 unique ways that you can use the orchestra to create the feel of Christmas. This is one of my favourite Christmas arrangements, so I hope these devices give you an insight into how this particular arrangement was put together. Enjoy!

Hey everyone ! I thought about bumping the entry discussions topic, but starting a new thread in this section seems cleaner. I wanted to give a try to making a score video, something I rather enjoy and might keep doing on a regular basis with past and future work ! I decided to start off with...

Hey, I see a lot of praise for the VSL Synchron Strings Pro on here, but not much talk - about the Polyphonic legato feature in the tutti patch - Which would be of great interest to me, as there are few Ensemble String Libraries that do this, even less convincing. So those with VSL , can you...

Greetings everyone, I am new to this forum and posted in the wrong discussion channel. I thank you for taking the time to read this post and appreciate any input you may have. I like Ludwig Göransson music in Mandalorian and new movie Tenet; I also like scores like Bear McCreary in the show...

Greetings, I am new to orchestration and this forum. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I like the sound of modern/hybrid orchestration similar to style of Ludwig Gorannson in Mandalorian and Tenet movie which to my understanding is orchestral composition combined with synthesizers...

Greetings everyone, I thank you for taking the time to read this post and appreciate any input you may have. I like Ludwig Göransson music in Mandalorian () and new movie Tenet; I also like scores like Bear McCreary in the show "See" on Apple TV . If I am going for these hybrid/experiemental...

Launch sale: 40% off Get your recipes at orchestrationrecipes.com 2 hours of fully narrated videos Walkthroughs, illustrations and loads of fresh musical examples to explore, in a new, brisk, fully narrated format. Packed with orchestrated examples & ideas to try Start with the videos...

Hi everyone, My musical education, like most people I imagine, has taught me to put accidentals symbols beside trills to indicate whether the player has to play a whole step or a half-step. But I've always sort of struggled with this as key signatures, transpositions and transposing instruments...

So I'm in an orchestration class, and so far, no women composers have appeared in our repertoire study. Surely in this collection of knowledgeable folk some of you have some suggestions? Although it's an orchestration class, we also listen to works for small ensembles as a way to learn about...

Hi, Firstly , I realise that a lot of extremely talented composers only use 16GB or less Ram on a modest system and produce incredible results. Those lucky enough to have a much more powerful setup , what would be the core libraries you would have to use for production music if you only had a...

Hi , I know there is a lot of post about best WW library overall etc , but I wanted some input from people that have used VST Woodwind libraries for smaller, chamber sized Quartets or Quintets (ignoring the French horn for now). Most libraries do come with Soloists , which will obviously make...

Hi friends! I’m so excited today to begin a new iteration of my breakdown series, broken down into 3 parts (music theory and composition, orchestration, and mixing). We’ll be taking a look into my newest Disney-style piece Tranquility. Today’s video is the 1st part, where we’ll explore the...

At the loudest part in your compositions, do you Programm the complete orchestra playing fff or do you keep the lower stuff softer and the higher instruments louder ? And is it true that orchestral instruments should be played softer in order to sound better/fuller ? If you play brass softer...

Hi all! I'm a professional orchestrator working from London UK and though it would be cool to share a video breaking down the process of going from mockup to score to studio session in Budapest: There are also some extra long in-depth videos where I do a fly-on-the-wall video of the entire...

Hey everyone! In today’s video, let’s dive into the soundtrack of Super Mario Galaxy 2, and sees what it offers over its predecessor. Please enjoy!

Hey All, i am not sure if this forum is the best place to ask, but i am looking for some one 2 one Orchestration / Composing lessons, looking at creating realistic mock ups in various styles, for media (especially shorter pieces >5 mins ) . Is there anyone on here that offers such a service...

Hey everyone! In today's video, I'm so excited to share a deep dive into one of my favourite soundtracks. We'll explore the music theory & orchestration behind 7 of these pieces, and I really hope you enjoy. Please let me know your thoughts! :)

The responsiveness of SWAM AUDIO is just phenomenal. I wanted to do a demo that showcased that exactly. The moment I heard the SWAM Flute, I couldn't help but think about this piece. "Hagrid's friendly bird" from Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban, Composed by "John Williams". However, I...

I'm talking about Cinematic and Trailer Music. Synthetic Basses work well in combination with Basses and Cello in Octaves. Low Brass Patches always mud up my mix. Do you have any tipps on how to orchestrate the low end of a track ? And how do you handle the following chords. I'm talking about...

Hi everyone, I wanted to experiment with the various 'colours' within an orchestra, from growling bassoons to sugarcoated French horns. Wouldn't dare to call this an actual composition, but it taught me a great deal about orchestration and how to work with VSTs. (That said, I think the...

Hi friends! Today, let's take a slightly different path and examine how to write in a chorale style for woodwinds and brass. With so many colours at our disposal, what's a good way to approach this? Let's dive in.

Hi everyone! I hope you're well. I wanted to share with you a concept that not enough people talk about, and it really can make or break an orchestral arrangement: the harmonic series. I think many people have a natural ear for what sounds muddy or clear in an arrangement, but hopefully this...

Sorry if a similar question has been posed recently . I am just studying various types of modulation , and it got me thinking about how songs or pieces of music use them and how powerful it can be. So on that basis , what are your favourite modulations and from what songs / pieces of music ...

Hi everyone! Just sharing something that i've been working on during this quarantine/lockdown period. I've been completely in love with music of Henri Dutilleux for a couple of years now and I've been wanting to do an orchestration of one of his Piano Preludes for ages, as an exercise to...