Instrument and Composing Question

I'm new to the forums and was going to revive an old thread from page 10 or so but felt my question didn't fully fit into that thread (it was loosely related)

If one does not play an instrument, how would they compose for it? I mean, a specific instrument. I play guitar, piano, and drums. Lets say I wanted to write something for the violin, or the oboe, or anything I'm not familiar with playing...how would someone go about doing that? How does someone compose for an instrument they don't readily play? Or must you know how to play it to be able to write for it? I'm really urging to write music that's Orchestral and I'm not sure where to begin to learn how to write for those other instruments? I don't think just writing a melody and pressing a "select violin to play that" button would work at all.

Originally Posted by zandt1

If one does not play an instrument, how would they compose for it? I mean, a specific instrument. ...must you know how to play it to be able to write for it?

Playing an instrument isn't necessary - but some sort of intimate knowledge would help. Learn as much as you can about an instrument: Range (overall, recommended, extended); dexterity/velocity; dynamic range; multiple notes?; alternate sound production techniques; overtone series, projection...etc.

I've tried to generalize these for any/all instruments - specific examples: Violin bowing techniques (col legno), trombone alternate positions, clarinet multiphonics, trumpet mutes, horn stopping techniques, cello double stops...the list is endless.

This is stuff you will assimilate and absorb along the way - as you progress as a composer. You want to write for orchestra? Better start digging up info on stringed instruments. Anything that's foreign to you will benefit you if/when you write for it...

Ask a player, read a book, rent an instrument and learn it. Plenty of talented musicians around here, not a bad place to start. Also, check out wikipedia...

Also, LISTENING...the most important thing for any musician/composer to do. You hear something you like? Dig into it...

Thanks for the reply I'm going to start looking into the specifics of each instrument to see how they function like you suggested as a starting point.

A really great book on orchestrating is 'The Study Of Orchestration' by Samuel Adler. It has sections for each of the common (and less common) instruments of the orchestra, how they are played, how the sound is produced, how to notate them, what is their range and the characteristics of their range, and much more. But then it also goes on to how you combine instruments and achieve a balance in the orchestra. It is a VERY helpfull book.

Also, take a look at this website:

Principles of Orchestration On-line - northernsounds.com

This goes through the text of 'Principles of Orchestration' by Rimsky Korsakov, but also includes audio and video examples along the way.

Colin Thomson

I'm going to order the book as it's been on my amazon list for awhile but I started to read the lessons and it's all starting to make sense. I'll also have to restudy music theory as it's been a year since I've done anything with that (college got in the way) so once I redevelop my knowledge of the basics I'm going to jump in and discover it all.

Thanks!

Composition majors in college have to learn all that stuff over the course of years, so don't get discouraged by all the information.