Mixed ensembles

Hi everyone,

I always like to write more than one piece at a time. I find that one provides the other with ideas. 

As well as writing my Preludes and Fugues, I am starting an Octet. It is scored for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Violin, Viola, Violoncello and Double Bass.

Does anyone have any tips for combining strings and wind in a chamber composition? I am always looking to learn which is why I have taken on this challenge. 

Thanks.

A lot of it comes down to practice, but what a lot of beginner composers do is treat the winds as if they were another string or winds sections depending on the instrument they play/comfortable with (i.e. if a person likes writing for winds, they'll treat the violin as a flute, cello as a bassoon, etc.). This is an ideas trap, as it negates the reason to use those instruments. Writing idiomatically in a way that conveys your ideas better is a far more mature option.