Woodwind Orchestration
Techniques
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Role of the Woodwinds in
the Orchestra
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How are Woodwinds Used in the Orchestra
The role of the strings:
• Homogenous, works as a constant backdrop
The role of the winds:
• Heterogenous, does not work in the same way
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Recap of the 3 Orchestral Layers
1. Melody/foreground - most attention-grabbing –
‘lead’
2. Countermelody/middle ground – moderately
attention-grabbing – ‘counter’
3. Harmony/background – least attention-grabbing –
‘support’
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Recap of the 3 Orchestral Layers
We use textures to help distinguish between the
3 layers
A more unique/distinctive texture stands out
more
Where do you think the woodwinds fit in?
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How are Woodwinds Used in the Orchestra
4 Ways the Winds can be used:
1. Solo/Melody (passages, fragments etc.)
2. Background (when strings are in foreground)
3. Counter/contrast (can be used to play against
the strings or other families)
4. Doubling other instruments/families
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The most important thing to keep in
mind when scoring for woodwinds…
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BALANCE!
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Very easy for beginning orchestrators to
get the balance wrong.
In fact, it’s a delicate art.
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What does ‘balance’ mean?
Orchestration is all about blending and balance,
but for woodwinds, it’s much harder to achieve a
balanced blend.
What does that mean?
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What does ‘balance’ mean?
Balancing:
• Tone and timbre
• Natural dynamic curve
• Registral characteristics
• Articulations within each register itself…
You can see how complex this can get
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What does ‘balance’ mean?
So orchestration becomes even more challenging
once we add woodwinds to the strings.
More options = more fun, but also more ways to
get it ‘wrong’ (i.e. sounds bad)
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How to get good at orchestration then?
Of course it’s just down to practice and
developing a keen ear for what sounds good (i.e.
what works) and what doesn’t.
Tip: Listen to as many orchestral scores as you
can. Identify the sounds you find interesting. Find
out how those sounds are being made and then
replicate them in your pieces.
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How to get good at orchestration then?
To do this, this course is just a starter.
On top of the theory, develop your own ear to
find the blends and balance that work best for
your work/s. It could differ from piece to piece.
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How to achieve balance when working with
the winds
• When blending, don’t let one instrument or
instrument group dominate unless it’s supposed
to.
• Same principle as we learnt in strings course:
• Foreground – strongest/most characteristic register
• Middleground – less strong register, perhaps in the
mid range part of the dynamic curve
• Background – weakest register
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Woodwind as Melody
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Rearranging a Melody for
Any Woodwind
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Steps to Arrange a Melody
1. Notes must fit in the instrument’s range
2. Depending on the melody’s function (usually
foreground), use the appropriate register. NB:
take into account if using doubling/layers, volume dynamic
and technical ability
3. Adjust notes for breathing!
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Challenge Task:
Using the melody attached, rearrange it for any
woodwind instrument of your choice.
Some choices:
• Tenor saxophone
• Piccolo
• English horn
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Changing Woodwinds in a
Melody
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Using multiple woodwinds taking turns
playing a single melodic line
We’ll get into layering and sound
combos later
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Multiple Woodwinds, One at a time
1. Range = range of all woodwinds involved
2. Register = important for striking a good
balance for a flowing, single continuous line
3. Breathing → can be ‘hidden’ using
dovetailing method
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Examples:
1. Piccolo + Flute
2. Bassoon + Contrabassoon
3. Flute family
4. Clarinet family
5. Woodwind family
6. Woodwind + String families
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Example 1: Flute & Piccolo
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Example 2:
Bassoon & Contrabassoon
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Example 3:
Flute family (piccolo, flute, alto
flute, bass flute)
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Example 4:
Clarinet family (high clarinet,
clarinet, bass clarinet)
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Example 5:
Woodwind family (flute, oboe,
clarinet, bassoon)
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Example 6:
Woodwind & String families
(oboe, clarinet, bassoon, viola,
cello, double bass)
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Woodwinds as
Accompaniment
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As you listen…
1. Identify the melody
2. Identify accompaniment
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Pedal Accompaniment
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Woodwinds as
Countermelody
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