Tips for writing an orchestral soundtrack piece?

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning to write a orchestral soundtrack piece, and I'm wondering how you guys create something like that. I'm in the possession of some nice samples, so that shouldn't be a problem, but I have no idea how one starts creating a piece for all those instruments involved with an orchestra.

I do have a general 'blueprint' of where I want to go with the piece, which I recorded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vrcfenn08wzjnct/Impro0.3.mp3

and although I have some small idea's on how I want to translate it to something for an orchestra, I have no idea how to get started. Any tips on how to work up to something as complex as a orchestral piece are very much welcome. I'm also wondering what kind of workflow works for you :).

Greetings,

Bas

http://wiki.youngcomposers.com/Orchestration_Masterclass

There you can find tutorials about orchestrations and others (but are under construction) also we have a lesson system, you may request lessons...

I say you may start by orchestrating one of your piano pieces, for "medium-size" orchestra, that is

2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Basoons

4 Horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, Tuba

Timpani (other Percussions)

Violins I, Vioins II, Violas, Cellos, Contrabass

You perhaps would like to give a try and post your work in the Upload sections, seeing your work we can start from that point.

I would like to give you an answer with a lot of hard work:

Study scores (not williams or zimmer but the guys they learned from: Mahler, Debussy, Ravel aso.)

Transcribe scores you like - this could be Williams or other pop-guys

Read a book on orchestration - Sam Adlers for example

Don't think about writing orchestral soundtrack - think about writing orchestral first

I can detail my workflow when I've the time to make a longer post, but I can give some tips and suggestions.

From your sample I will assume you're writing a romantic/drama soundtrack, so I would look into putting the melody in the string section with piano on top and orchestrate it from there.

See, orchestration is a very personal thing; you'll want to arrange it so that it sounds good to you, but there's no "correct" way to orchestrate for soundtrack.

Familiarize yourself with the sound of the orchestra & its instruments and find the ones that sound good together and would work with your idea. Experiment.

You can draw inspiration from other composers as well; listen and mimic, try to learn the techniques others use, and how they orchestrate music. Then it's all up to hard work.

Personally, I can see the staccato/tenuto(?) at the beginning being played by woodwinds and the piano until it turns into that wonderfully flowing melody. The piano could be the focus and the strings would play below it to supplement the sound, maybe texture it with soft wind instruments and some brass.

Maybe you have a different idea too, so just experiment. There is only one way to learn orchestration and that is through practice.

I say you may start by orchestrating one of your piano pieces, for "medium-size" orchestra, that is

2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Basoons

4 Horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, Tuba

Timpani (other Percussions)

Violins I, Vioins II, Violas, Cellos, Contrabass

And this.