TEACHING ONLINE

Online instruction by Vince Corozine

ORCHESTRATION Syllabus

This highly specified course is designed for the student who wants to gain basic knowledge and to increase skills in orchestrating music for instruments. You will learn the characteristic and idiomatic writing techniques for each orchestral instrument family and you will understand and apply traditional techniques of orchestration.

Prerequisite

The student should have completed Music Theory 1, 2, and 3.

Materials Needed

Keyboard and access to Sibelius music software program.

Textbook: Arranging Music for the Real World

The availability of music of the classical masters on CD. (CDs can be obtained free of charge from local libraries.)

Worksheets and assignments will be given with each chapter.

Lesson 1: A Brief Historical Survey of Orchestration

Harmonics and Overtones
Classification of Instruments
Order of Instruments
Score Layout
Baroque Period
Classical Era
Romantic Period
Impressionistic Period
Contemporary Period

Lesson 2: Instrument Ranges

Doubling of Notes
Tonal Qualities
Transposition

Lesson 3: Balance and Tone Color

Modulations
Achieving Balance
Tutti
Tone Color

Lesson 4: Clarity of Design and Motion

Textures: Monophonic, Homophonic, Polyphonic, Homorhythmic, Mixed or Composite Textur
Interchange of Musical Lines
Rhythmic and Harmonic Contrast
Smooth Connections
Consistency of Sound (Motion Types)
Chordal Outline of Melody
Pitch and Range
Dynamics and Motion

Lesson 5: Contemporary Techniques for Strings and Woodwinds

Lesson 6: Contemporary Techniques for Brass and Percussion

Lesson 7: Transcribing Piano Music for Full Orchestra

Lesson 8: Scoring for Orchestra

Other Instruments
Doubling and Combining Instruments
Transcription
Scoring Chords
Scoring Contrapuntal Music