Percussion: the Right Instrument for the Right Job

Percussion: the Right Instrument for the Right Job

(Tip no. 57 from 100 MORE Orchestration Tips, to be released March 2020) Percussion instruments of similar timbre and attack can be quite different from one another in performance. The orchestrator should factor in range, intensity, and colour in choosing the correct instrument for a specific role. It sometimes takes a while before composers get…
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Video Tip of the Week: Timpani Tuning

Video Tip of the Week: Timpani Tuning

A video installment in my daily series of tips. Please follow me on Twitter for the Orchestration Online Tip of the Day at @OrchestrationOL, or join the Orchestration Online Facebook group for feedback, resources, and advice. Tip of the Day for this week: Monday, December 31: Proofing by Instrumental Section Tuesday, January 1: Where to…
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Timpani – Marking Tuning

Timpani – Marking Tuning

When composing for timpani, mark the required tuning at the start of your piece, and indicate changes in the score. Some composers will even make a little chart of the actual pitches in headless mini-notes – but I’ve found that it’s easiest just to write them out as technique text above the staff, in ascending…
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