Melodic Ideas in the Same Register

Melodic Ideas in the Same Register This is one of the first rules one learns when learning to orchestrate and still I very often see it being done wrong: make space for important melodic lines. You don’t want to have several lines and textures in the same range walk...

String Divisi Part 2

String Divisi Part 2 As a follow-up on my post about string divisi from two weeks ago, here a few more things to consider: 6.) Four-part triadic homophone harmony in violins, especially in the higher register is best divided in the way that the first violins play the...

Writing “For Samples”

Writing “For Samples” Even with all the advancement in sampling technology, you unfortunately still need to write “for samples” nowadays. This means that you need to keep the strengths and weaknesses of your samples in the back of your mind and...

Woodwind and String Runs

Woodwind and String Runs Runs on strings and woodwinds are a very common effect in orchestral writing and can create very lively textures. However when writing them, put some thought into it. First of all they should always have a motivation and not just be there for...

String Divisi

String Divisi Dividing string sections into several parts is a common technique called “divisi” and for section strings is usually the preferred way over making the players play awkward double stops. However samples make many composers believe that a divisi will...