Tips on Orchestral writing

Hello!

I would like to receive some tips to orchestral composition.

I find myself pretty accomplished in string quartet compositions. I make strong use of counterpoint and I think I do a pretty good job at blending all the four instruments. But whenever I try to compose some Orchestral music I feel I can't tackle it properly. I completely miss the utility of woodwinds ( except for lyrical themes by oboes and clarinets ) and always have a feeling like " what this instrument should play, when it's not the main character? ". Maybe my problem is the huge amount of instruments.

I've analyzed lots of scores ( especially from Mahler's work ), but still can't get to the point of understanding, despite of I can vividly hear, with my inner ear, the music I would like to put on paper.

Any useful exercise you would suggest? Thanks

Hey! Try to map and plan, on the long run, how you want the parts of the music to work. Define what texture, density, register, etc. you want every part to sound like, then try sketching it for a small group, maybe a quartet. After you have a nice scketch (it may be a mental one) see what intruments are able to play which lines, and spread it onto the orchestra.

Also, try writing simple "blocked textures" before actually orchestrating/arranging the whole piece. For example: select an 8 measure group that you know how you want to sound like, and orchestrate just that, until you get to a result that your happy with. You may do that with all the important parts of the piece and then connect them. 

You can use the woodwinds to double other parts, and the horns might be a good tool to blend them with the strings.

That's what I did for my piece "Incipience - Arrangement for Orchestra" and I think it turned out nice.

I hope I was able to help!

Good luck, Jean.