ARRORCH
ARRANGING
FOR
ORCHESTRA
ARRORCH
STRING WRITING II
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OVERVIEW
4-Part writing
5-Part writing
Doubling and Divisi Writing
Presenting Melody
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass
Octave Doubling
Voicing Chords
Incorporating Solo Strings
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4-PART WRITING Voice Section
Soprano Violin I
As mentioned in the previous lectures, the string
section is usually written in 5 subsections: Violin I, Vioin Alto Violin II
II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass. When writing strings as a
four-voice quartet, the voice assignments are as Tenor Viola
follows:
Cello
Bass
Double Bass
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4-PART WRITING Voice Section
Soprano Violin I
If you have noticed, the Cello and Double Bass share
the same Bass part, but since the double bass is an Alto Violin II
octave transposing instrument, the bass part will be
played in octaves, creating a strong bass line. Tenor Viola
Cello
Bass
Double Bass
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4-PART WRITING
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
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MOZART: EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK
The following observations can be made:
The Soprano voice is placed in Violin I
The alto voice is placed in Violin II
The tenor voice is placed in Viola
The bass voice is given to Cello and Double Bass, sharing the same staff,
but the bass plays an octave lower, thickening the bass line
Melody is placed at a different pitch range and rhythm separate from the
accompaniment, making the melody stand out more
Other observations:
Double stops were used throughout the excerpt
Violin I and Violin II on m.1
Violin II on m.5-9
Trills are used, which is characteristic of the time period of the piece
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5-PART WRITING
While in 4-part writing, the Cello and Double Bass share the same notes
but in octaves, in 5-part writing, the Cellos and Double Basses are given
their own distinct parts to create a 5-voice structure.
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5-PART WRITING
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings
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TCHAIKOVSKY: SERENADE FOR STRINGS
The following observations can be made:
At rehearsal mark C. the melody is played by the cellos while the rest serve
as accompaniment
The Double Basses still take the bass part, which is now different from the
Cellos
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DOUBLING AND DIVISI WRITING
Divisi is a type of string writing wherein the composer divides a section in two. (For
example, a divisi in the Violin 1 section will play 2 different parts. Take note here that the
Violins are already divided in two sections , Violin 1 and Violin 2, so a divisi in the V1 will create
a total of 3 distinct parts in the Violin section
Players sharing a stand would have one player taking the upper part and the other player
taking the lower part
Divisi is marked using the term “div.” To cancel this out (have your players play the same
parts again, use “tutti” or “unis/unison”
It is also possible to divide a section into 3 or 4, using indicators “div. a3” or “div. a4“
although this is seldom used
It is important to note that when writing divisi, while you may create a harmonically denser
passage, in terms of sound, it becomes thinner since fewer players are playing per note.
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DOUBLING AND DIVISI WRITING
Opposite to divisi, doubling increases the number of players per part. (Example: Violin I
and Violin II sharing the same line)
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DOUBLING AND DIVISI WRITING
Given these considerations, remember:
If you want a bigger sound, double the players, do not divide
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DOUBLING AND DIVISI WRITING
Debussy: Nocturnes (start 00:25)
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DEBUSSY: NOCTURNES
The following observations can be made:
All string sections are playing divisi
Violin I and Violin II are divided into 4 (sometimes 6) voices each, making a
total of 8-12 voices for Violins alone
Viola is divided into 4 voices
Cello is divided into 2 voices
Double Bass is divided into 2 voices
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DOUBLING AND DIVISI WRITING
Abregana: Ang 4 Out of 5 Sa Atin (start 00:17)
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ABREGANA: ANG 4 OUT OF 5 SA ATIN
The following observations can be made:
Violin I and Violin II double the melody for majority of the excerpt
The Cellos and Double Basses also double the bass part in some areas
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ABREGANA: ANG 4 OUT OF 5 SA ATIN
The following observations can be made:
Violin I and Violin II double on the main melody
The Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses serve as accompaniment
Pizzicato was used to separate the melody from the accompaniment
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PRESENTING MELODY
Since the string section is very homogenous-sounding, for a melody to
stand out, we should place the melody in the instrument’s ideal range
and be sure to separate it from the other musical ideas.
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PRESENTING MELODY
Separating musical ideas in an orchestra can be achieved using P.A.R.T.D.
Pitch range - placing the melody at a different pitch range than the
background elements will make the melody stand out more
Articulation - giving the melody a different articulation from the
background element (Example: legato melody and staccato background
elements)
Rhythm - giving the melody a different rhythm from the background
Timbre/Tone Color - have the melody be played by an instrument of a
different timbre from the background element
Dynamics- give the melody louder dynamics so that they stand out from
the quieter background elements
These principles can also be used to present melodies for other instruments
within the orchestra, so this is important to keep in mind
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PRESENTING MELODY
Barber: Adagio for strings
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BARBER: ADAGIO FOR STRINGS
The following observations can be made:
The violin’s range can all be used to present melodies, but it is important to
note that as the range gets higher, the intensity also increases
In the beginning passage, the melody sits in the middle of the violin’s range,
which is not as intense as its higher registers
The melody is separated using:
Pitch - the violin is the only instrument playing at that pitch range
Rhythm - the background is mostly long held-out notes
The human ear naturally hears the highest pitch as the melody so the
climax of the violins in their highest register easily stands out
The melody tends to switch between the other instruments, but proper
separation can still be observed
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BARBER: ADAGIO FOR STRINGS
The Viola’s melody, pitch-wise, sits in between the violin and the cello.
Knowing that the ear naturally gravitates toward the higher pitches as
the melody, we have to use other means to make the Viola melody
stand out
In this case, rhythm and dynamics was used
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PRESENTING MELODY
Saint Saens: The Swan (start 21:21)
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SAINT SAENS: THE SWAN
The Cello’s intense upper range is particularly effective in present very emotional
melodies
The Cello melody is separated from the piano using rhythm (piano has more rhythmic
movement)
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PRESENTING MELODY
The double bass, although rarely given the melody, can also be used to create a deep
and rich melodic statement
Holst: The Planets (Jupiter) (start 21:27)
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HOLST: THE PLANETS (JUPITER)
The double bass, although rarely given the melody, can also be used to create a deep
and rich melodic statement
Usually, the double bass is doubled by other bass instruments
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OCTAVE DOUBLING
During high-intensity moments or big statements, it is common to present
the melody in multiple instruments doubled in octaves, broadening the range
of the melody (as opposed to unison, which gives a more focused effect)
In the next example, all the strings are playing the same melody, but the Viola
and Cello plays the melody an octave lower.
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OCTAVE DOUBLING
Abregana: Rivermaya Medley (start 02:35)
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VOICING CHORDS
As a general rule, fewer notes are necessary when voicing chords for a
string section, as compared to voicing chords for a keyboard
instrument
The basic quartet writing structure for strings will have cellos and
basses doubled in octaves while the rest of the strings fill in the rest of
the chord
See two possible chord voicings in the next slide
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VOICING CHORDS
The first voicing uses
closed voicing and the
second uses open
voicing
These voicings result in
a fuller sound for the
string ensemble, so
having additional notes
is unnecessary
Week 4 - Voicing Chords | ARRORCH
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INCORPORATING SOLO STRINGS
Adding solo string parts to your arrangement can significantly add to
the timbre of the piece. The tone color of a solo string player is very
different from that of the string section
It is worth noting that despite being a solo instrument, the soloist is still
able to project over the string section. The only difference between solo
strings and the section is their tone color
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INCORPORATING SOLO STRINGS
Abelardo: Cavatina arr. Dela Cruz
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WEEK 4 ASSIGNMENT
Orchestrate the given melody and progression for the string section. Make sure to
include harmonic material to support the melody (countermelodies are allowed)
Remember to separate your melody from the rest of your harmonic material
Feel free to use articulations to interpret the melody
You may also move the melody in different octaves as you see fit
Notate your assignments using your preferred notation software. Observe
proper score arrangement and layout and make sure the score is readable
Provide both score and parts in 1 PDF file only
Also, kindly provide an audio file of your assignment. You may do it in a DAW or
simply export the audio from your notation software
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WEEK 4 ASSIGNMENT
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