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. with me changes, I usually have those as suggestions the ensembles I have been with useing mallet instruments we had mallet bags which allowed us to drop stuff in and quickly pull stuff out With the octaves, I think that’s just purely for texture reasons sometimes I’ll have a single player use an octave grip with runs sometimes

Many thanks for those tips Mark. I will move the oboe part in Bar 6 to the clarinet. In Bar 16 I've already eliminated the oboe and replaced with flute (see amended version directly above your post). Alex.

Modest Mussorgsky piano suite "Pictures at the exhibition" certainly have been written for the orchestra countless times. Schubert arranged one of lieder into piano trio. Debussy orchestrated one his works. So, the answer is ...yes! In fact, that would be fun challenge for this forum: arrange a piano for certain ensemble. @Lithl That is one method. The other method is the old fashion way: write everything out. :)

Hi @Luis Hernández! In principle, I think you could adapt any piano work for an orchestra using a DAW. That said, there are certainly some that would be incredibly difficult, take Conlon Nancarrow’s Study No. 40a, for instance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXd-I_7XBoY That one might be almost impossible, don't you think? (Haha) Ultimately, piano works originally composed for player pianos might not be well-suited for orchestral adaptation. The same likely applies to piano pieces with an extremely sparse number of notes. Even if it were possible, the real question is whether the orchestration adds any value, whether it actually "works" or not. By the way, your arrangement of Schoenberg’s Six Little Pieces for Piano, Op. 19 was really good! I didn't comment on the specific topic because I don't feel qualified to offer advice on orchestration. However, I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it! Best, Lithl.

As a listener ... just a fun piece! Mark

A very effective and engaging orchestration ... it possesses a well rounded tonal balance with interesting color. Nice work. Mark

Alex, Please aware that in measure 6 you have a slur in pp in the Oboe going to the B - Bb the Oboe's lowest note. Not a problem usually, however, at that dynamic level it might not work. At measure 16 you have the Oboe at the high F and G.... I don't see the benefit here at all. Not really recommended unless it is an avant garde work. In both cases the Oboist will not be happy with the orchestration. Mark

A question Do you think that any piano piece, for example, could be adapted for an orchestral version? Or perhaps there are certain formats or styles that wouldn’t work well in this context? Please feel free to give examples Best regards

The truth is, it’s a surprising, original and captivating piece. Two things strike me – though they’re more questions than anything else, as my experience with percussion is very, very limited. One is the speed with which the percussionist changes instruments (or mallets). Sometimes it seems to happen in ‘zero time’. Is that possible? I suppose it must be down to the layout of the instruments and the mallets? The other is that in many sections the vibraphones and marimbas play in unison or an octave apart – is this due to the acoustic volume of the instruments? It sometimes sounds a bit overloaded, but I imagine that’s down to the virtual instrument as well. It’s certainly a very good lesson on percussion. As for the connection with the poem, well, I don’t know – I’m one of those who think that music doesn’t describe anything. To me, it sounds lively and cheerful, and, in a way, the instruments do remind me of a sunset on the coast. The score is explained very well.

Hi guys! I think there are different levels to "personal style." There’s the kind often seen in pop music—a style defined by the individual artist or the band itself—and then there’s the kind @Luis Hernández is referring to: a personal style that carries significant influence. In the 21st century, we see plenty of that first type—original, personal styles—and I personally enjoy listening to them. Artists like Nils Frahm, Boards of Canada, and GoGo Penguin come to mind. Perhaps the reason we aren't seeing the kind of unprecedented, revolutionary shifts that occurred in the 20th century is simply because music has fragmented into so many different genres. That said, I believe new and innovative works are still being created within each of those genres. We have such an incredible array of equipment and techniques available today that, depending on how you combine them, it’s certainly possible to create fresh, novel music. Though, I have to admit, I show absolutely no signs of doing that myself, haha. The topic of "random elements" is also fascinating. You could probably incorporate randomness into a piece by using a DAW that utilizes mathematical formulas for randomization. If you used that to establish rules for sound placement, for instance, you might be able to generate a different piece of music every time using just a single formula. Since the turn of the 21st century, we haven't really seen anyone who represents a paradigm shift in music, but I’m sure someone will emerge eventuallyーand I certainly hope to live long enough to see it happen! Best, Lithl.

I’ll answer those two questions/appeal them Anyways, about mallet players being able to play unto percussion is a existing thing, especially in the marching arts (which most of the mounting options are based after The church bells you were referring to were tubular bells (in America. We just happen to call those chimes.). The score indicates that they should not be damping in ring until they stop naturally by this methodology. If they do have a pedal, the pedal should be pressed down at all times and not be dampened trap stands and or mallet bags should be available for all of the performers, allowing the use for switching between yarn ,acrylic and also chime mallets Hopefully this could clear things up thanks And I’m glad you enjoyed the peace. This was really fun writing. (especially in four in the morning on a flight home.)

Entry: On Pastel Sky Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 10 10 10 10 8 8 10 10 Average Score: 9.5 Review: I generally do not much to say about this piece. My only concern is that why is mallet percussion players switching to non-mallet instruments. Usually, non-mallets require a different staves. You also church bells as part of the ensemble. I am not sure if mallet percussionist would be able to play them (?). Those runs and rolls seem seems to fine. There is no issue there. I can say this was highly creative piece with different textures, harmonies, and themes. The overall structure is intro (Hymnal) then quasi rondo happening. That was fun to listen to. You went above meeting what was expected. Mallet percussion mixed with non mallets creates beautiful orchestral sounds and colors. This is usually out side my taste, but...hey...I thoroughly enjoyed. Please write more mixed ensembles in the future. It is started to grow on me. kvothe.

on pastel skies was “commissioned” (more in this case called for) by the young composers 2026 summer competition fit this team after a poem about the serene atmosphere of the Midsummer afternoon So, on a bright summer day it shall be: The great sun, my partner in joy, Shall make, amid the satin and the silk, Your dear beauty lovelier still; The sky, all blue, like a tall canopy, Shall quiver sumptuously in the long folds Above our two happy brows, grown pale With pleasure and expectancy; And when evening comes, the breeze shall be soft And play caressingly about your veils, And the peaceful stars looking down Shall smile benevolently on man and wife. The gestation of this piece (initial thought, even before the entry of the first note) was an image of a dreamy Florida sunset over the Gulf of Mexico with this image the piece will transport you to another dimension of into the pastel pink, orange, and red opalescent skies instrumentation xylophone (doubling on glockenspiel and crotales, /w large zill bell attachment vibraphone I /w sus and Z.bell and dull metallic object (something like a Burma bell) vibraphone II /w sus and Z.bell and dull metallic object (something like a Burma bell) Marimba I /w sus and temple blocks Marimba II /w Chimes, sus and temple blocks and large, vibrating drum ( tom or surdo ect.) On Pastel Skies.mp3 On Pastel Skies.pdf

On second thought, I'd rather not share how I wrote this. I'm afraid of becoming flamed again, or bullied. Maybe on the flipside?

Here it is with transcription errors corrected. Perhaps I should move the Trumpet 1 part into the Oboe to solve the range problem? Or I could shift that passage down an octave, and leave it in the trumpets? Debussy - Les soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon #22 (midi).mp3 Debussy - Les soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon #24 (score).pdf

@Luis Hernández I also own Cecil book. His humor is rather intelligent. But at the time it was written, the alto flute was inaptly named bass flute. now, we both there is actual bass flute. So this is not correct naming. unlike Adler, he miss places other woods in brass section section. Again this is error on his part.

Why does Humanity use CARS ?...........................Why don't they use their LEGS ?

@Kvothe @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu THANK YOU I’m going to try and get hold of a copy of Adler’s treatise… I have a lesser-known little book by Cecil Forsyth (‘Orchestration’) which is a good complement because it covers the history of each instrument, why and how they came to be as they are, amongst other things. As for counterpoint… it’s a controversial topic and warrants a separate thread. In any case, when you haven’t followed a formal musical education and career path, as is my case – I do everything out of passion – at certain points or moments a good teacher is essential. Someone who’s a good educator, who can guide you directly. That gives you the wings to carry on on your own. I’ve turned to this professional ‘help’ at critical moments: When I decided to study tonal and modal harmony in depth. When I decided to delve into 20th-century compositional techniques. When I decided to understand and apply counterpoint in any style. And right now… with orchestration. Long live music!!

I don’t think innovation has to go hand in hand with formal training. I do think that any kind of training is beneficial. What I find challenging at the moment is the very act of innovating. And that’s not a bad thing. There’s enough material and musical languages out there to do millions of things. Throughout the 20th century, I believe there have indeed been many movements and composers who have explored, innovated and pushed boundaries, many of whom have left behind their own musical languages. Ives + Cowell, Schoenberg, Bartók, Messiaen, Cage, Ligeti, … right up to Pärt and Rautavaara. Minimalism… But since the latter part of the 20th century, I don’t think there has been any significant innovation. Perhaps in this day and age, innovation will have to come hand in hand with new technologies and sciences: Symbiosis with artificial intelligence: perhaps the composer could train a musical language model using their own works to generate variations with which to engage in real-time dialogue. The creation of mutable works (soundtracks, etc.) that never sound the same twice, adapting to factors relating to the listener. Perhaps some kind of microtonal system might re-emerge in the future?

= Music Criticism (Innovation) = In recent years, not only in music but in art in general, it has become possible for people without formal training to create works, unlike before. As a result, the world is flooded with a vast number of works. Among these works, there are some that are innovative and groundbreaking. That raises a question I keep coming back to: where's the line between "innovative" and "just bad"? For example, there may be novel instrumentation. This can be seen as innovative, or it can be seen as a sign of a lack of formal training. If that person did not have formal training, would that innovation automatically turn the work into a bad one? While that possibility exists, it also depends heavily on the artist and the context, and could be seen as missing the point of looking at the work itself. This gets even more complicated in an era where a single plugin and a handful of preset algorithms can generate something that sounds "novel" with almost no effort. If anyone can produce unconventional sounds at the push of a button, what kind of innovation actually deserves praise? What do you think? Please share your opinions freely!

Having read the review of the trumpet in F, I think it refers to a natural trumpet. It’s the same as with the French horn. Before the 19th century, these instruments were not chromatic. They were only capable of playing a natural scale. That is why there were horns in D, G, etc., depending on how they were constructed. This entailed significant limitations, particularly from today’s perspective. And that is why they took longer to be incorporated into the symphonic repertoire. In the 19th century, horns and trumpets evolved to incorporate the modern mechanisms of valves, etc., and became as we know them today. I believe that in such situations, one should look for another instrument where the register is comfortable.

I did find this webpage on F trumpets: Robb Stewart Brass InstrumentsOrchestral F Trumpet History — Robb Stewart Brass Instrum...Apparently they were very popular in the 1800s; but it says they're basically extinct today!

Last night, I discovered the magic of Suno's user-designed models feature. Basically, what you do is upload several tracks of your own creation, and this teaches Suno to cater to your tastes and mimic your style. Using this feature has, for me, tremendously improved my satisfaction with Suno and the quality of the site's output. Please do give the following tracks created with this feature a listen:

Now that I think about it, I used to march in a drum and bugle corps and all of our instruments were in G, even though such horns were usually also very rare. I marched with a G Mellophone which was basically a G Marching French Horn. The Trumpets were called G Sopranos and the Trombones and Tubas were just called G Tenors and G Contras. So I'm sure there exists every kind of instrument and tuning imaginable, somewhere.