February 1, 201115 yr Hello everyone :) I would like to start studying orchestration, I can read music so I thought it would be a good idea to study some classical scores to pick up some techniques and see how the instruments can be used and communicate with each other. Could someone please recommend some pieces that use the full orchestra effectively but aren't to crazy and complex? Thanks for your time :)
February 1, 201115 yr Pick one you like to listen to!! No one piece is going to show you all the facets of orchestration, so pick something you are aurally familiar with. Then go to the library to check if it's available and take a look at some of the pages. Does it seem to complicated? Then try another piece.
November 13, 201213 yr The possibilities of orchestration are nearly limitless, and most advances in music (or really anything) are about finding new ways to do things, so I'd suggest starting with pieces you like and studying how that composer chose to orchestrate the work. As I posted elsewhere, I highly recommend Samuel Adler's Study of Orchestration: http://www.amazon.com/Study-Orchestration-Samuel-Adler/dp/0393958078/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352780526&sr=1-1&keywords=samuel+adler+orchestration You will learn a LOT about the instruments of the orchestra and how they fit together. As I said, there aren't really any "rules" other than what other composers have done and what has been found to be effective. But a good understanding of the rules is the first important step in breaking them.
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