Orchestration: PART 1 - Theory (Woodwinds)

LESSON 1 (Continued)

Let me add a final example for the woodwind section. A question came up in the discussion thread on this topic, and I will repost the example and explanation here.

Again, to repeat, the concepts of "weak" and "strong" registers are guidelines meant to aid you in understanding how instruments can and should function together.

Notes in the weak register of an instrument are not notes that are not to be used. Au contraire, learn to use them at appropriate moments, learn to take advantage of the effects they can create.

Brief piccolo and oboe example

Above is a short recording of music using both weak and strong registers of two woodwinds: piccolo and oboe.

The opening places the piccolo, in its lowest register, against tremolo strings.

The oboe comes in in its very lowest "strong" register, with a sort of "honk"-ish quality. The oboe then switches to its "sweet" register, two octaves up. So you can hear the contrast between the two extremes. The piccolo comes in then in its very highest octave.

What you will notice about the piccolo in its "weak" range is that it has an almost "woodsy" quality to it. It actually resembles the sound of the soprano recorder.

The oboe in its strong register, on the other hand, sounds like an asthmatic duck. Which CAN be a nice effect when well used. There are countless examples of this effect in well-known pieces of music.

The important thing to remember with either of these examples, however, is that the instruments in their weak ranges are generally softer and easier to cover up with too heavy an orchestration. Likewise, it is more difficult to expect subtlety from their strong range if the orchestration is very denuded or sparse.