Orchestration Principles
- Simplicity of design and refinement of detail: multiple musical elements each contribute in their own way to the same sound layer.
- e.g.: woodwinds play an ascending scale run in septuplets, violins play an ascending arpeggio in sixteenth notes, brass sustain a chord in crescendo, percussion plays a crescendo roll.
- Continuity versus novelty: creating and renewing the listener’s expectations.
- e.g: the main melody of two consecutive sections is played by different instruments.
Functions of Orchestration
- Clarifying character and/or intention
- e.g.: low-register strings and brass to suggest a somber character
- e.g.: pizzicato strings to suggest a light and humorous character
- Defining dynamics
- e.g.: the full orchestra plays forte
- e.g.: a small group of instruments plays piano
- Shaping a gesture
- e.g.: gradually adding instruments during a buildup of tension
- e.g.: abruptly changing the instrumentation to create contrast
- Clarifying phrasing and form
- e.g.: adding a timpani and brass punctuation to mark the end of a musical phrase
- e.g.: changing the instruments playing the accompanying texture to signal a new section
Orchestration in Planes of Sound
In orchestration, planes of sound refers to treating the orchestra as several distinct layers of musical activity, each with its own role, register, timbre, or dynamic level.
For example:
- Foreground: the main melody or musical idea
- Middle ground: harmonic or rhythmic support
- Background: sustained tones, textures, or atmospheric material
The key idea is that instead of thinking only in terms of which instruments play, you think about how different groups of instruments function together as layers within the overall sound.
To deepen your knowledge of orchestration, consult the Orchestration Resources page, in particular the ressources from Alan Belkin.