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Marimba – Mallet Choices

Marimba – Mallet Choices

When scoring for marimba, be especially precise about the type of mallets and articulation you want, as different types favor different overtones. Watch the end of the Evelyn Glennie video I’ve linked below. There are intriguing possibilities with softer mallets, tremolo, and contrasting registers.

Strings – Mute Changes

Strings – Mute Changes

Always make sure that that your string players have plenty of time to put on and take off their mutes. Yes, this is a standard caution of orchestration manuals, but there’s more to it: you also have to provide some cover for the minuscule bustle as the players go about the process. Most players have…
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Orchestration – Horns and Winds Overlapping

Orchestration – Horns and Winds Overlapping

When overlapping a wind chord into a horn chord, try dropping some of the horn notes by an octave, especially if the wind chord had clarinets on top. The overtones from the horns will blend seamlessly into the timbre of the clarinets – but you have to balance the dynamics carefully!