The Orchestration Method that ALWAYS Works

[@RyanLeach]

*OUTSTANDING* composition courses tinyurl.com/scoreclubryan

[@Crimzan4]

Joined scoreclub a few months ago because of your feedback to Alain's Orchestrating the Line. Indeed gorgeous courses!

[@DavidRupp27]

Another happy ScoreClub recommendee here. I've also gotten a lot from the counterpoint courses, and am looking forward to the courses on motivic and modal mastery.

[@aaronaragon7838]

Intetesting...what tools do I need?

[@MrPanetela]

hope you don't mind too much if i took liberties on your melody and transform it into what i title as Dracula Waltz. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6qbnopnmb6Kd5I wish you and yours a great wonderful future

[@SriLankanBrassBandMusic]

Is this free course

[@ad.ke.7224]

I am self-taught and started with four-part writing to learn harmony and voice leading. It's the basis for everything I write to this day, even if it gets jazzier. Greetings from Germany.

[@triPocoPi9576]

Also self taught, I just test chords to see if they sound right. Haven’t written much though.

[@enrajgro1723]

Welche Software benutzt du um so etwas umzusetzen? Ich habe schon eine DAW und eine Software aber vielleicht gibt es so etwas auch speziell für ein Orchester.

[@ad.ke.7224]

@@enrajgro1723 Ich nutze Sibelius. Ich bin eher traditionell. Ich habe auch cubase, aber eher für Mixing und Recording.

[@esjel9804]

Same here. I fell in love with Bach's coral pieces and his fugues, transcribing them for fun, studied Joseph Fux counterpoint, and that's given me enough chops to do whatever I want. Favorite orchestrators are: Ravel, Respighi, Wagner, Korsakov and John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith

[@Stoneeeeemo]

@@VictorToh3xvii it's good but far from getting anywhere near what they made in this video

[@DandGBears]

Dynamics are more of an attitude than volume control!!! That’s soooooo insightful thank you!

[@Ludab75]

Thank you so much for the tips! I’m trying to write a piece for my middle school orchestra, and this really helps out!

[@biganswershack]

Excellent principles of orchestration taught here. I'd just like to mention that when doubling the bass line at the lower octave (with double bass, tuba, etc.) it's often good to simplify it, omitting some notes and inserting rests, as constant low doubling can sound ponderous and tiring. And you can use the entrances of a simplified doubled bass line, after giving it rests, for great expressive effect.

[@mustuploadtoo7543]

This is probably my favourite orchestration channel on the internet. High quality content and regular uploads 😀

[@mtnjellyfish]

I graduated with a music composition degree and this channel has been more helpful than my composition lessons! Thank you!

[@ppheard1254]

First 1:53 Sounds cinematic just with this alone 3:13 Sounds cinematic-er just with THIS alone 3:58 All that was needed for this to sound cinematic was the French Horns only 4:22 Hard to tell the difference but it is playing and sounds cinematic-er-er 8:25 All that's needed is this 9:19 I walked into heaven 11:04 The moving lines made me think of Squid Games 12:16 I died

[@AndewMole]

if by cinematic you mean played by orchestra...

[@rodterrell304]

LOL, well said. I'm amazed how much these guys know about orchestration and how much sense it makes. I just wish I had found this out sooner in my life.

[@foljs5858]

@@AndewMole he means like an orchestral soundtrack

[@lodew]

Honestly Alain approach and course is one of the best I've seen on the internet, especially for beginners

[@mathiaslevyvalensi-compose5014]

This video works PERFECTLY as a complement to 'How to write epic cinematic music' video you made a while back. Brilliant way to present orchestration. Often, starting simple really brings out the best (and most complex in some cases) final product! Great video Ryan, thank you!

[@yoavshati]

Can you make more videos about orchestration that isn't this huge epic wall of sound? Here it's quite simple because you're using the whole orchestra, but in lighter passages you don't want a tutti, and making these choices about instrumentation and what lines to actually use isn't as simple

[@odiajulius2349]

Listen to and follow the score for Bela Bartok s concerto for orchestra....everything you need or will need is there ! Thank me later !

[@aafrophonee]

@@odiajulius2349 We played this in my orchestra a few months ago. Such an amazing piece of music

[@Musicrafter12]

I think in these cases it comes down to learning how to use your inner ear. Since there are fewer instruments, it's easier to tell which instruments are doing what and it's less immediately overwhelming to effectively score for a smaller group. Though you may not be doubling parts as much, enhancements will still be welcome - they'll just be a different kind of enhancement. You'll want to focus much more on the timbre of each individual line (rather than mechanically just trying to get the thing balanced), and getting away from the notion of "each family having the complete harmony individually" is a great way to expand your palette [sic] in that regard.

[@landersiqueiros6538]

Did you find any good explanation on this?

[@BaldPerspective]

I always said it in music school & I still say it when the topic presents itself: good voice leading is generally good music.

[@wardropper]

This is truly grand stuff. I generally work the opposite way round, arranging orchestral music for 2 pianos, but this glimpse into orchestration was really fascinating and inspiring! Thank you!

[@JamesSarantidis]

This is what I was looking for. Sadly my music studies ended up to the harmonizing part and never got a taste of orchestrating a track and this is a very good easy-to-follow practical example. As a math-oriented individual I love how each part just fits to create something so dramatic and beautiful from a very simple creative idea. Thank you for sharing generously your knowledge.

[@darb.musica]

A good explanation on how to get a simple orchestration from 4 part writing. BTW, the theme reminds of Rach concerto Nª3

[@lucifervalentine5406]

Yep

[@thedeafmusician]

Hey Ryan, I really love this video. I normally use this method, however I have never seen before someone creating a part of a song from zero with it, so it's incredibly helpful to reaffirm the method and add New ideas. Alain is a great teacher, at sometime I'm gona have to buy his classes

[@mr88cet]

I’m also a fan of what Wendy Carlos called “selective note doubling”: Doubling on certain specific notes of a melody or bass line to give it extra color or spice. It’s a little like using brass or woodwinds as percussion!

[@marcel_schweder-composer]

This video is a great reminder of why the skill of writing 4-part harmonies is so incredibly useful. 👍

[@musical_lolu4811]

Thank goodness for my church organ playing days! I could never have come to good SATB writing and a good SATB repertoire any better way. It's all literally under my fingers, and serves as a reference point for understanding more complex arranging. Then throw in jazz harmonic arranging in there, both vocal (e.g. Take 6, Jacob Collier) and big band, and you're ready for anything.

[@walkerdev1]

I'm 5 minutes in and have been following this as I write, it's so crazy how much it changed

[@jjm2k209]

This was amazing - thank you! For someone who already has music knowledge, I’ve never used or looked at a DAW and this has given me the confidence to start exploring my creative side! Appreciate your style 🙏

[@JoelEverettComposer]

Quick, short, and a wonderful clear explanation of the practical application of an often - at least the way it is taught - dry academic practice. Thank you!

[@HeavenestStCyr]

This has to be one of my favorite videos so far! I learned a lot. Thanks to you Alain for taking the time to teach us this and to you Ryan for setting it up!

[@tomdaigon8707]

Alain is an awesome instructor , musician and human being.

[@rodterrell304]

Ryan, that was Tremendous! Thank you so much for posting. You guys are really good.

[@TonyIrayhany]

I am a self-taught and this is the first time I am hearing about four part writing, thank you. I will dive more into it and try to apply it

[@choimdachoim9491]

Amazingly useful video. I didn't learn anything like this during 5 years of college with a music composing major. Why couldn't those years have been as productive as this short video?

[@JuanMariaSolare]

because the college didn't engage me as a teacher?

[@choimdachoim9491]

@@JuanMariaSolare Obviously, but there's only one of you, sadly.

[@Ahmad-Mounir44]

Having Ryan to get Alain join in is mind blowing to me 😍

[@VFXCommander]

Alain Mayrand is the best teacher in music! Straight to the point orchestration!

[@carminepastore3274]

I have also taken many of Alain's classes. He is an outstanding teacher and scoreclub in fantastic!

[@cwgochris71]

Very clear presentation. I always love it when a video maker can take the mystery out of creative work and bring it down to earth. You show that anyone who wants to work at it can learn, through practice and persistence, what the professionals do. So thanks.

[@Crimzan4]

Awesome you got Alain for this great and super helpful video!

[@PedalingAdventures]

Well done. There is real teaching provided here. I recognize that, at the core, there really is no such thing as being completely self taught. Formal and informal education play important roles in the learning process. And this content significantly contributes. Many thanks!

[@JScaranoMusic]

When I start writing an orchestral score, I've always started with the full layout, with all the instruments I think I might use, because I usually know what instruments I want to use as I'm going along, and if I end up not using an instrument at all, I just remove that staff when I'm done. I always thought writing everything out this way before transferring it to a full orchestral score was just an extra step, but I can see how it might actually save time and simplify the process. I might have to give it a try.

[@mcadder]

Would really like to see more of your choice of sounds/librarys. Thanks for a great video!

[@BlazhenBazeNastevski]

1st. I loved it without the ostinatos it had it's own character. 2nd: 4part harmony is the "Holy grail". Outstanding video every musician/composer should see this bravo

[@georgemckendrickbryce9863]

I never knew I needed this video in ny life! 🤯 I've been writing songs for almost 20 years and have always been dissatisfied with other people's low expectations with the movement of the music. This vid is like my gateway drug into orchestration 🤘 Thanks

[@tomfull6637]

This moved my composing horizon far away in a beat! Thx

[@jade8538]

This was incredibly helpful. I'm currently working my way through the "Tonal Harmony" textbook, which has a lot of emphasis on 4 part writing. It's often a very dry journey through the text and exercises ... but the approach laid out by Alain demonstrates that mastering the skill of good SATB writing is a worthwhile investment of time, and can really facilitate and demystify the challenge of orchestration.

[@vincentcolletti7664]

I enjoy your videos but wanted to give a special thank you for turning me on to Alain and Score Club. No pain, All gain. Supercharged my composition skills in very little time.

[@smoh-gm3dj]

Thank you so much, your videos really revolutionizing my composition

[@thelime9133]

the melody reminds me alot of the 3rd rachmaninoff piano concerto

[@lucifervalentine5406]

Yes!

[@MoreGemma]

Thank god someone's talking about four-part writing! I got to this video being afraid of stumbling with another "quick tip video" Great surprise!

[@ashankasen]

Excellent and clear explanations and teaching. Thank you so much.

[@kristinabengtsson7558]

Best video I´ve ever seen on orchestration. So clear. Thank you

[@शिव_सागर]

Thank You Very Much!🙂🙏

[@anthonywritesfantasy]

Alain is soooooo good! And you let me right to his course. It's like casting your first level 9 spell.

[@ChickpeaMilkshake]

Great video, thanks Ryan!

[@robinthomsoncomposer]

I kinda knew how to do this but this providing added clarity on converting a piano part to full orchestral extrapolation. I knew there was a lot of sense my switching to piano from guitar.

[@dauphindauphin6607]

The first 10 seconds are amazing !!!

[@sebastianfia9541]

Amazing video, clear and succint. Even starting with such simple melody and harmony, the orchestration gave everything incredibile depth. Gonna try this out

[@carmirobert.cruceru]

This is amazing! I really have the training in the satb writing. This is amazing!

[@leeahegg2377]

Do more like this tutorial, please! Very informative and useful!

[@ArnoldVeeman]

This is exactly how I taught my students how to write orchestral and even (considerate) band music. Some picked it up. Others just filled in the harmony lazily 😅 But this technique is by far the best, in strategic terms.

[@ojorotimi8150]

Wow, I’ve been greatly blessed by this lecture. Thanks🙏

[@TheTravelerAiArt]

This is the video I’ve been looking for. Amazing information.

[@baloothedrummer]

I love this kind of videos

[@nirandangol]

One more episode with Alan mayrand please!

[@dc8955]

I agree with this but would add that the orchestra is a paint palate. Maybe just the strings in the first half of the phrase and just in the woodwinds softer in the answer. Then bring them all in on the repeat.

[@BuyNLarge_]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🎼 *Introduction to Chorale Writing and Orchestration* - Explaining the purpose of using Chorale writing as a foundation for orchestration, emphasizing structure and coherence. - Demonstrating the process of harmonizing a melody and orchestrating it using a four-part writing technique. - Highlighting the simplicity and effectiveness of orchestrating directly from the four-part writing, ensuring balanced voicings across different instruments. 01:12 🎹 *Orchestrating from Four-Part Writing* - Demonstrating how to orchestrate directly from the four-part writing, assigning instruments based on the SATB structure. - Emphasizing the effectiveness of this approach in creating balanced orchestrations across various tempos and dynamics. - Discussing the simplicity and clarity of assigning instruments based on the written structure, especially for string sections. 03:26 🎺 *Adding Brass and Woodwinds* - Exploring the addition of brass instruments to the orchestration, maintaining standard voicings and octave doublings. - Demonstrating the incorporation of woodwind instruments, following the same setup as the string sections. - Emphasizing the importance of balance within each section and considering the overall orchestral balance. 05:38 🥁 *Enhancing Orchestration with Rhythmic Variation and Percussion* - Introducing rhythmic variations and percussion to enhance the orchestration, emphasizing the importance of maintaining structural integrity. - Demonstrating how rhythmic changes in the bass line and melodic repetition can add interest without altering the SATB structure. - Exploring the incorporation of percussion elements, such as timpani and cymbal crashes, to emphasize key moments in the music. 09:12 🎶 *Exploring Arpeggiated Lines and Octave Doublings* - Exploring the use of arpeggiated lines to add texture and movement to the orchestration, while maintaining clarity and cohesion. - Discussing options for octave doublings and potential challenges, particularly in ensuring clarity in string sections. - Reinforcing the concept of utilizing standard orchestration techniques to efficiently expand and enhance musical compositions. Made with HARPA AI

[@silviermotova]

honestly thank you very much for this video. it gave me clarity about composing. thankyou!

[@amarug]

As a beginner who isn't at orchestration level yet, I would LOVE to have a discussion on this particular harmonization of this melody, it sounds really pretty to me and it's clearly not just picking the default chords - there is clearly stuff going on. Just to examplify my confusion/curiousity: the last three chords (including melody) form II - VI - V, which seems to be some unusual form of an imperfect cadence and since it's in D Minor, that means its a diminished chord.. and before there is also a half dimished chord...I mean just the last three chords and there is so much going on... I am so curious what thinking went into this, especially since to me it sounds absolutely amazing!

[@jordanj9069]

A very useful concept for ALL composition

[@dagoelius]

The horn section by itself is the best part.

[@nicolaicrabtree1336]

Wow! Just wow! Exactly what I needed right now

[@autistikicecream]

Man that's awesome! Thank you! I hope video on harmonization will come out soon!

[@jobaecker9752]

Beautifully demonstrated! Thank you!

[@CalebSmedra]

Fantastic, as always.

[@Raymorend]

Thanks! Very informative! I started orchestration as a part of wind and brass band conducting minor and worked a lot with SATB, this video gave me some answers on a questions I had and ideas to develop going from 4 voice orchestral sketch.

[@petrumazilu3292]

We need more videos like this!!

[@maryshaw4399]

Great video! Thanks Ryan and Alain. Scoreclub is an awesome resource.

[@SolarMumuns]

The best orchestration vid I've seen on YT. So clear and simple. Bravo!

[@ontherhumbline]

Your timing is impeccable. I am in the process of composing a piece where this works beautifully.

[@antjamnow1286]

Epic and clean approach.

[@fourp0ds78]

I took some notes on the steps, and wow. It's very long! But I'll definitely try this out!

[@Ibadez38]

I think clarinets are useless at the tessitura for which they are written. It's impossible to hear them because of the trumpets playing ff a higher tessitura than the clarinets. With a mass of brass, it's advisable to tighten up the wind instruments and have them play in a higher tessitura than the brass instruments. Maybe I'm wrong and you were looking for a special effect by writing the clarinets so low in the tessitura?

[@mrewan6221]

It's a mistake made by so many, and taught by so many. All the woodwinds are melody instruments. I'd be giving them the soprano line and the alto line (but adjusted to there are a decent amount of third or sixths) to _every_ pair of woodwinds in a suitable octave. At this loud volume, it would be flutes pretty high, clarinets into the upper register, oboes around C5, and bassoons around A3. This mid and low brass completely cover the middle harmony parts, and the low strings and brass deal with the bass line. If there really has to be a bass line in the woodwinds, I'd add a bass clarinet.

[@ButeSound]

I played brass in a wind band, we always had to play super quiet since woodwind couldn't cope. Best avoid the clash

[@Heosmin]

Super helpful, thank you!

[@sandwich-breath]

Great collab! I’ll be checking out the course for sure.

[@dagmarintreble]

That was interesting, thank you!

[@jacksonkerr2095]

This is incredible, thank you for posting this. I went to school for music several years ago, and it's nice to be able to brush up on some skills relating to this field. Thank you!

[@jamesmihalkamusic]

Thank you for this, it will be super helpful in my future orchestration! Your videos are always so informative and inspiring.

[@peterassing670]

I will subscribe soon the education in this channel is truly world class God bless for sharing this with the masses

[@MostafaDeknach]

love your videos, always inspiring and informative.. love from Lebanon

[@Johnstone565]

Excellent video, thanks 😊

[@BlackHermit]

Alain is very good.

[@julespardon2252]

Amazing video, thank you so much for sharing all these knowledges !!!!!

[@RivkaMacales]

Wonderful, thank you for this!

[@gavinleepermusic]

Great video guys! I quite liked that overlapping divisi idea (1/2 V1 melody 8va, 1/2 V1 on melody, 1/2 V2 melody, 1/2 V2 harmony) so that the melody gets a net full strings section. Quite enjoyed Alain's Orchestrating The Line after Ryan turned me onto it last year!

[@vskmusic89]

Thanks for this video, it much helpful to me , and I'm studying BMUS Composition for Film. I need to write for the strings quartet, I I understood lots, thanks again, bro. I always watch your video, all helpful me

[@yixuantjanmusic]

Great video! The motif sounds a lot like Mvt 1 of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto !😂

[@monkeyman15387]

I thought so too 😂

[@Patty-bv8jq]

This has really helped me. Thank you!!!

[@shanonkiyoshi4784]

😳🤯🤩 Well HOT DAMN! I've been using 4 Part Harmony to "orchestrate" my music, then "exploding" certain sections to create movement in my lines for YEARS ... but ALL this time I felt like I was CHEATING 😂🤣 Little had I KNOWN that I'd inadvertently stumbled upon HOW to orchestrate in the first place... 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ Thank you SO MUCH for this video! This one video ALONE has given me MUCH more confidence in my skills as a Composer as a Whole. Priceless. Truly. Sincerely, a Fellow Composer 😎👍🎵🎶

[@musical_lolu4811]

Why would you think you were 'cheating'? Some stuff is just that basic; you don't have to make life already harder than it is.

[@shanonkiyoshi4784]

@@musical_lolu4811 It felt like cheating because I was using 4-part harmony concepts I'd extracted from studying pop songs & using them to extrapolate my Orchestral Work. It didn't seem legitimate (@ least to me). I know ppl who took courses in orchestration & I'd done no such thing, hence I talked myself into a HUGE case of Imposter Syndrome. This video SHATTERED that notion, so ✨️🤩👍🎉✨️

[@fantasticfungi]

I had the exact same response! I've never studied music composition but have played around with string quartet arrangements for a while now. I just learned that the approach I stumbled upon organically has an actual name and is how the pros do it too 😁

[@mr88cet]

5:21 - “a dynamic marking is not a volume control; it’s an attitude”: Dang, that is so true!

[@hindymusic4880]

Nice technic. Very rach3 melody.😊

[@RockerProf]

Love the pragmatism of this video. Wish I had seen this when I started writing my first orchestration about a year ago. Any chance you can do a video on the practical range of each instrument in the orchestra?

[@balbino4]

Very very very very good! Thank you very much!

[@robertmueller2023]

What happened to the technology of 2003? It seems to have devolved in a way with the conversion to laptops. Back then we had desktop PCs, Soundblaster sound cards, and MIDI programs all in the same unit. Has MIDI finally figured out how to synthesize timpani rolls?

[@Muzisoccer253]

this video is sooo informative in powefull, thanks a lot !

[@jorgeparr3002]

This is AWESOME STUFF 🎉 THANK YOU SO MUCH SIR 🎉

[@MaheshKumar-wv3fb]

Oh my goodness, I thank the Universal consciousness which showed me this video in youtube, from many years I was wondering about this how a 4 part writing helps in Orchestration. Really Golden piece of info. Thanks would be a very small word to show my gratitude for this video. Many thanks Ryan! Expecting more videos like this in your channel :)

[@Musingnotes]

It didn’t click for me how important four-part writing is for the groundwork of composing until I started teaching it to my high school theory students. I wish I got this kind of teaching in my music school!!