Contemporary Orchestration: A Practical Guide to Instruments, Ensembles, and Musicians

485 Pages·2014·38.991 MB·English

by  R.J. Miller

CONTEMPORARY ORCHESTRATION
Contemporary Orchestration: A Practical Guide to Instruments, Ensembles, and Musicians teaches students
how to orchestrate for a wide variety of instruments, ensembles, and genres, while preparing
them for various real-world professional settings ranging from the concert hall to the recording
studio. It integrates instrument characteristics, technique, and performativity with professional
and practical considerations.
Beginning with practical problem solving, the book outlines issues that need to be addressed
before beginning the orchestration process. A section on score preparation offers a guide to
preparing concert scores, transposed scores, condensed scores, recording-studio scores, and
hybrid scores. Addressing both contemporary and traditional instruments and ensembles,
it demonstrates how to prepare scores and parts for both acoustic and recording-studio
environments, how to incorporate and notate world music instruments in a western European
orchestral setting, how to incorporate and notate jazz and pop elements, and how to score for
musical theater.
Features
(cid:129) Practical Considerations: Practical suggestions for choosing a work to orchestrate, and what
to avoid when writing for each instrument.
(cid:129) In the Profession: A guide to the courtesies, considerations, and expectations in the
professional environment.
(cid:129) Building the Score: Step-by-step procedures for orchestrating a variety of ensembles and
genres.
(cid:129) Scoring Examples: Multiple scoring examples for each instrument and ensemble.
(cid:129) Suggested Exercises:Orchestration exercises that use problem- solving techniques to review
and reinforce chapter material.
(cid:129) Companion Website: Video resources and discussion of additional instruments and
ensembles.
RJ Miller has composed, orchestrated, arranged, conducted and/or produced recordings with
the London Philharmonic and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and for such films as the digital
re-release of the original The Last of the Mohicans and The Lost World. His credits appear on over
300 CDs, videos, film, and television productions. His courses at the Metropolitan State
University of Denver includeArranging and Orchestration, Arranging for Music Educators, and
Scoring for Film and Television.
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C O N T E M P O R A RY
O R C H E S T R AT I O N
A Practical Guide to Instruments,
Ensembles, and Musicians
RJ Miller
First published 2015
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
The right of RJ Miller to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Miller, R. J. (Robert Joseph), 1953– author.
Contemporary orchestration: a practical guide to instruments,
ensembles, and musicians/RJ Miller.
pages cm
1. Instrumentation and orchestration. I. Title.
MT70.M57 2015
781.3′74—dc23
2014019576
ISBN: 978-0-415-74190-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-74191-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315–81500-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Baskerville 2
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
CONTENTS
List of Musical Examples xvi
Preface xix
1 Preliminary Considerations 1
The Physics of Sound 1
The Overtone Series 2
Implied Fundamental 6
Instrumental Balances 9
Instrumental Combinations 10
2 Scores, Parts and Notation 13
Score Preparation 13
Score Order 19
Concert, Transposed and Condensed Scores 21
Preparation of Instrumental Parts 23
Preparation of Recording-studio Scores 27
Preparation of Hybrid Studio Scores 28
Recording-studio Parts 29
Instrument Transposition Guide 32
Instruments and Abbreviations 34
General Notation Considerations 35
Traditional Terminology 36
Rhythmic Subdivisions within the Measure 44
Notes 46
3 Practical Problem Solving 47
Measures One and Two 50
Measures Three, Four and Five 51
Measures Six, Seven, Eight and Nine 53
Completed Revoicing 54
vi CONTENTS
4 The Violin Family 57
THE ESSENTIALS 57
The Bridge 57
The Bow 57
Rosin 58
Basic Bowing Terms and Descriptions 58
THE INSTRUMENTS 66
Violin 66
Viola 70
Violoncello 75
Double Bass 79
THE ENSEMBLES 82
String Quartet 82
Chamber Strings 82
Orchestral Strings 82
Symphony Orchestra Strings 83
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS 83
IN THE PROFESSION 83
BUILDING THE SCORE 84
SCORING EXAMPLES 90
Scoring Examples for String Quartet 90
Scoring Examples for Orchestral Strings 94
SUGGESTED EXERCISES 102
Scoring Exercise for String Quartet 102
Scoring Exercise for Orchestral Strings 104
5 The Brass Family 107
THE ESSENTIALS 107
Cylindrical and Conical Classifications 107
Whole-tube Brass Instruments 107
Half-tube Brass Instruments 108
Single-tonguing 108
Double-tonguing 108
Triple-tonguing 108
Slurs 108
Flutter-tonguing 108
Trills 108
Shakes 109
CONTENTS vii
Brass Glissandi 109
1/2-valve Glissando 109
Trombone Glissando 109
Valve Tremolo 109
Mutes 110
Brass Embouchure Considerations 111
THE INSTRUMENTS 111
Trumpet 111
Cornet 113
Flugelhorn 114
Trumpet in D 115
Piccolo Trumpet 115
E≤Soprano Cornet 117
Bass Trumpet 117
Horn 118
Tenor Trombone 121
Bass Trombone 122
Valve Trombone 123
Alto Trombone 123
Cimbasso 124
E≤Alto Horn (Tenor Horn) 125
Euphonium 126
Baritone 126
Tuba 127
Sousaphone 128
THE ENSEMBLES 129
Brass Quintet 129
Chamber Ensembles 129
Orchestral Brass 130
Wind Ensemble and Concert Band Brass 130
British-style Brass Band 131
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS 140
IN THE PROFESSION 140
BUILDING THE SCORE 141
SCORING EXAMPLES 147
Scoring Examples for Brass Quintet 147
Scoring Examples for Orchestral Brass 150
Scoring Examples for Wind Ensemble/Concert Band Brass 154
Scoring Examples for British-style Brass Band 158
viii CONTENTS
SUGGESTED EXERCISES 162
Scoring Exercise for Brass Quintet 162
Scoring Exercise for Orchestral or Wind Ensemble Brass 163
6 The Woodwind Family 165
THE ESSENTIALS 165
Cylindrical and Conical Classifications 165
Edge-blown Aerophones 166
Single Reed Instruments 166
Double Reed Instruments 166
Saxophone Mouthpieces 166
Single-tonguing 166
Double-tonguing 167
Triple-tonguing 167
Flutter-tonguing 167
Slurs 167
Trills 167
Tremolos 168
Glissandi (Portamenti) 168
Saxophone Subtone 169
THE INSTRUMENTS 169
THE FLUTE FAMILY 169
Flute 169
Piccolo 170
Alto Flute 171
Bass Flute 172
Contra-Alto Flute 173
Contrabass Flute 173
Subcontrabass Flutes 174
D≤Piccolo 175
THE SINGLE REED FAMILY 176
Clarinets 176
E≤ Clarinet 176
B≤Clarinet 177
Clarinet in A 178
E≤Alto Clarinet 178
B≤Bass Clarinet 179
E≤Contralto Clarinet 180
B≤Contrabass Clarinet 180
CONTENTS ix
THE SAXOPHONE FAMILY 181
B≤Soprano Saxophone 181
E≤Alto Saxophone 182
B≤Tenor Saxophone 183
E≤Baritone Saxophone 184
E≤Sopranino Saxophone 184
B≤Bass Saxophone 185
E≤Contrabass Saxophone 186
THE DOUBLE REED FAMILY 186
Oboe 186
English Horn 187
Oboe d’amore 188
Baritone (Bass) Oboe 188
Bassoons 189
Contrabassoons 190
THE ENSEMBLES 191
Flute Choir 191
Flute Orchestra 191
Clarinet Choir 192
Wind Quintet 193
Chamber Woodwinds 194
Orchestral Woodwinds 195
Wind Ensemble and Concert Band Woodwinds 195
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS 196
IN THE PROFESSION 196
BUILDING THE SCORE 196
SCORING EXAMPLES 207
Scoring Example for Flute Choir 207
Scoring Example for Flute Orchestra 208
Scoring Examples for Clarinet Choir 213
Scoring Examples for Wind Quintet 215
Scoring Examples for Orchestral Woodwinds 220
Scoring Examples for Wind Ensemble/Concert Band Woodwinds 227
SUGGESTED EXERCISES 232
Scoring Exercise for Wind Quintet 232
Scoring Exercise for Orchestral Woodwinds or Wind Ensemble Woodwinds 234