Orchestra/orchestration help

Ok. Kind of a big question here.

Basically I can't expect any fully comprehensive answers from people, but just tips and stuff would be good.

I recently listened through some of my older orchestral works, and realized that some of my sounds are very thin.

Im not making much of the orchestra and Im not using a big orchestra.

So..... kinda of a personal music-philosophy crisis...

I basically now realise i need to write with a bigger orchestra, and learn to make a bigger sound.

Also, with the piano, I'm very accustomed to writing in a classical manner, with overuse of the alberti bass.

So, I'm also trying to learn to compose for piano in a more rounded manner, incorporating much more of the romantic style of piano writing.

I realise that I'll accomplish a lot of this by listening to and examining scores of pieces that are written in this style, but if anyone could offer advice on these topics, or advice in general for helping me to develop my musical style, and pianistic style, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

I think the best advice I can give you is to relax. And be open to anything. I MEAN ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, hope that helps.

bump, ffs, lol.

spillin my heart out here :laugh:

Well, I can't give very specific tips if I don't know what kind of orchestrations you've been using. But, basically, if you're writing loud passages it's not very hard to create a huge sound, even with a small orchestration. But if you're writing softer passages just try to use more instruments, use different instruments or tweak the dynamics. Actually, if I'm writing something for orchestra I'm often spending more time tweaking the orchestration than creating melodies/accompanyments etc. It could just take some time.

Thanks you two. i'll keep what you've said in mind.

Any other suggestions from anyone??????

i would say re-voice what you hear... if you hear something you think might sound nice on violin, like upper voicings switch them and try voicings that you rarely use.. that would expand your choices of instrumentation... and instead of writing for a specific instrument write thinking in sections, like THE STRING section is going to play this "chord", and the polyphonic aspect of your piece is going to be easier... I don´t know exactly how you work with dinamics, but that could be a big problem...

yes, i undertand what you are saying, a had the same problem too. i made ny orchestarizations better, im still working on upgrading. And here is what i noticed:

1. I relizaed i have used really BIG chords, so the strings pull the same chord through 3 octaves or so, leaving them totally unused for some better "effects". I realized harmony only needs 3 or 4 tones on different instruments for an avarage listener to hear a chord clearly in this mind. Others i used for counterpoint, and some effects sutff.

2. my moods sounded pretty much the same, i needed different instrumentation as eldenisaid - shitf melody from an instrument to an instrunet, or more playing togethr to make a nice sound.

3. I saw some of my pieces as "static". like on lively parts on a solo instrument(s), others just stand around making static harmony. im not sure if i'll be able to explain how i got past this... I played the song that i had so far, and i started to hum another one that fit in nicely! so i just put that one on paper. from then i always try to hum out a counterpoint whenever i feel like my piece is static.

I hope this helps even though it's no REAL advice... I too onice thought i need bigger orchestras, but from recently i just need a romantic-era-like one.

heya! you should definitly pick up some orchestration books, perhaphs Rimsky Nikolay Korsakovs. Even though orchestration is an artform and cannot be learned by reading books there are some general principles that will make it alot easier.

The best way in my opinion to broaden your orchestration style and make you a better orchestrator is to study the orchestration of the composers you like. Try to find the scores to their music and listen and analyse it. What about the orchestration attracts you? then you try to create that effect yourself. I've been doing that recently, but the homepage where I found my orchestra scores(Brahms, Wagner etc etc) is gone :'( now I'm desperately searching for other places on the net! :(

Another cool thing is to listen to the sounds of nature and try to emulate it, like wind, thunder, fire etc etc! It's amazing how cool effects one can create. You can also create music stories where instruments repressent characters(Like Prokofievs Peter and the Wolf).

And finally, analyse your own music, try to find the reason to why you orchestrate the way you do.

/Bojan

Thanks for the suggestions - helpful.

Its just gonna be a long process of changing the way i write..

gonna start examining some more scores.