5 Tips for Writing for Orchestra
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2024
- The world of classical arranging has always felt very foreign and intimidating to me but after a lot of study, as well as a lot of trial and error, I managed to put together my first real orchestral arrangement. It ended up being much longer, more frustrating, and more rewarding than I had anticipated, and I wanted to share some things that I used to approach the project that I found helpful. Enjoy!
featuring:
Orchestral Fantasy on strings: / orchestralfantasy
JohnStacy on brass: / thejohnstacy
Bassoonify on bassoon: / bassoonify
Medllix on flute and oboe: / medllix
Soundole on clarinet: / soundole
Standalone upload of arrangement: • Persona 4: Your Affect...
Bandcamp: 8bitmt.bandcamp.com/track/you...
0:00 Intro
3:23 My Arrangement
6:03 Tip 1: Create a Minimum Viable Product
8:48 Tip 2: Use a Reference Track
12:01 Tip 3: Think of a section as one chordal instrument
17:41 Tip 4: Think of a section as a collection of individuals
20:36 Tip 5: Separate your 'Writer Brain' and your 'Editor Brain'
PATREON: / 8bitmusictheory
DISCORD: / discord
NOTEBOOK: www.themusiciansnotebook.com/...
TWITTER: / 8bitmusictheory
#Orchestra #videogamemusic #musictheory - Ігри
Today I learned the genre of my music is “minimal viable product”
mine is "failed attempt at minimal viable product" hahaha
Same brother, same
I FEEL IT
Mine is 'non-viable overblown mess'
sameeeee
12:18 Don't forget that instruments from different families can work REALLY well together. Oboe and Trumpet, for example, can blend super well together for fantastic effect. Being aware of the timbral qualities of instruments can help with figuring this out.
Clarinets and violins too. It's common in a few orchestral pieces that the violins and the clarinets double each other for melodies.
French horn goes with everything 🤣
Sometimes composers mix two bassoons and two horns but it sounds like four horns.
I love mixing trumpet with oboe/clarinet they sound really good
@@ralfiralf7811 Especially with Violas and Cellos
Going to show this to my 11 year old. He’s been playing oboe for a year and dreams of being a composer. I personally am not musically inclined, but I enjoy your videos- theory has always interested me.
This is really wholesome and I admire your parenting
@@pAWNproductionsDE thanks! Doing my best :)
Good luck to your 11 year old!
I’m an oboist and composer too! I wish him the very best of luck in his endeavors!
As a musician studying music it always makes me smile to see parents support their kids this way.
8bit said “3rds and sixths are your friends for functional chord voicing” and I thought “no s***.”
...then I realized that I was biased as a woodwind player
Sixths? I rarely see those outside of experimental or contemporary works. Thirds, of course, are common, being part of nearly every chord with a name. I am also a woodwind player.
@@feeeshmeister4311 Firstly, both my comment and the video were talking about sixths in terms of the chord voicing, but it almost sounds like you’re talking about 6ths as a chord extension. The reason I get that impression is that you say thirds are “part of nearly every chord.” Voicing a chord so that there is a sixth between the third and root happens every time a chord is in first inversion. While I would agree that “drop two” voicings are “modern,” I would hesitate to call them “experimental” since it’s just a major chord arranged in a way that fits well with woodwind acoustics. To repeat, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT ADD 6 CHORDS.
Secondly, I should specify that I play bassoon rather than one of the upper winds, so I’m used to having a wider range between myself and the rest of a chord. My parts are also distinct from the upper winds, as I’ll be playing with the brass or strings as often as my own section. My rep also has a very small amount of classical “greats” with the rest being more modern, so I’m used to seeing thirds and sixths as interchangeable (again, the actual interval, not the chord tone).
This WoT wasn’t supposed to come across as pretentious, although I can see why it might seem that way. I just wanted you to have a better understanding of how I “think” musically to appreciate my comment.
Daniel Bazin I hadn’t gotten to that point in the video, so yes I was talking about extensions. Thanks for clarifying.
"write a bunch of complete segments and then put them together later" Notably how One-Winged Angel was constructed. Wait, is this the channel I learned that on??
I kinda feel like that's how Dancing Mad was made too. Each of the four movements are completely different from eachother, but they fit together perfectly when you actually listen to it...
Honestly, it'd be great if you could cover how Shoji Meguro can write pieces for such diverse genres, because damn. You could shove him industrial neo post-prog djent and he'd probably make it work
This. Shoji can write slow blues to pop to techno to rap and have it be fantastic
I’d love to see him work on a song for the splatoon games because they are amazing when it comes to genre blending, seafoam shanty by the bottom feeders is my favorite it is a fast rock song with a fiddle.
literal music demon
Yes please!
Yoko Kanno is just as versatile. Maybe it comes from practice?
The violinist in me looking at those "Str." lines has an instinctive reaction like "Wtf is this, piano score for someone with three hands?". I know you've merged the parts for the different string instruments down to a single score for display there, but as a violinist used to reading solo scores, the merged score for the string section there is just kinda hilarious.
Not to mention “Wind” and “Brass”. I get it though. I would rather look at that to analyze than a 50-part score.
Same for me. Also funny as a violist to see the viola part in bass clef.
it's also fun for me to see the french horn sometimes in bass clef when it's more typical to see it in treble lol
your arrangement definitely sounds like a mario galaxy song!
Yo imagine an after-credits scene where Peach and Mario goes to visit Rosalina after everything. His arrangement precisely gives that scene to me
I think has a lot to do with the instruments he choosed
I my you're right
Man! I was gonna say that!
I was gonna say Odyssey, but yeah, totally grandiose Mario for sure!
"Tip 1: Be a musical genius" - Papa 8-bit
Thanks for the belly laugh. This was right on point. I am so impressed with Mr. 8bit Music Theory, man.
naw, this is still very much ABC
"And the guitar player just strums some chords."
Woah, you just triggered every guitarist in the world.
Eh, only really the pretentious shredders who can play a thousand notes a second yet have no idea how to actually play something that sounds good to listen to.
The ones that got offended deserve it
@@Aurora-oe2qp It's as if music, and art in general, is subjective...
/s
@@ErebosGR So it isn't subjective then?
The most important thing that the guitar does in most rock ensembles will be playing the chords. Sure, it can play lead lines and solos too, and they can greatly improve a song, but the chords are still more important.
@@Aurora-oe2qp Of course it's subjective. Your sarcasm meter is broken.
You derided "pretentious shredders", like some people used to mock hardbop jazz musicians for playing too fast. Just because it doesn't sound good to you, that doesn't make it pretentious.
Arguably, the most important genre-defining element in rock music is the guitar riffs. Without them, rock music wouldn't be what it is.
Also, the guitar (electric or classical) is one of the most multi-role instruments to write music for. A classical guitar composition can have a bassline, accompaniment, percussive elements and melody played at the same time by one person. What other classical instrument can do that?
8-bit Music Theory,
Not going to lie, your arrangement really made me feel nostalgic that I ended up tearing up. P4G has a very special place in my life and your arrangement really just brought me back to the past. Props to you and the instrumentalists.
I really needed this atm, uploaded just in time!
This is actually really well-timed for me, since I'm experimenting writing orchestral and instrumental scores - plus I've been playing Persona 4 Dancing lately, so the cover is very timely too.
Same for me💛
"beeg violin" 😂
Truly amazing how you were able to get such a cohesive sound from everyone overdubbing from home!! That’s so incredibly difficult. A while video on how to do THAT would be much appreciated.
I really love how this turned out. Hearing it all come together is so satisfying!
Thanks for having me! :)
I think the only thing stopping me from creating something like this is the sheer frustration of trying to get it perfect and fear of failure.
I sometimes orchestrate music from video games just for something to do when I'm bored as it's good ear training and gives me a reason to learn more about orchestral writing. Believe me though, the number of failed experiments I have saved in the scores folder on my laptop has to be more than 30 - but that's part of the fun of it and it's also how you improve. If you have the time, don't be afraid to at least give it a shot cause either way you win - you might end up with something you're happy with, and even if you don't, you'll have still learned a bit about orchestral writing. There is one very important tip that he didn't mention in this video however and that's to learn as much as possible about the instruments you include in your orchestra - their ranges, what's easy to play and what isn't, how to write idiomatically for them, which instruments blend well together and which don't, and how their timbres change depending on what part of their range they're playing in (especially for the woodwinds)
Why are you speaking my mind? I've given up so many times just because I can't hear myself being so bad 😅
I wouldn't even know where to begin learning how to do this... x_x
I see Persona 4 on thumbnail, I click. Simple
Mood
This reads like a 4chan greentext
-be me
-see Persona 4
-click
-life good. No Regret
Honestly, same
Same
Tysm, i have been intrigued by composing music for so long and your videos have reallt been helpful for someone who has been watching them before knowing pretty much anything abt music theory, to someone who knows a little about kusic theory, so thanks
I had the same transformation. It's really fun to make music and I often come back to this channel for the theory and examples
Love how your brass section is geared towards low brass. In my own writing, I've been going back and forth between how I want to group up the instruments I play, which are primarily low brass, into chords, but has been simplifying a lot more than I expected. Still playing around with various combinations to see what I like in the meantime, but gradually working towards the sound I want.
Thanks for making this. As a Persona 4 fan, I love seeing its music getting attention, and I really enjoy seeing your thoughts through the composition and arrangement processes (one of the reasons I've also subbed to Alex Moukala and Jeremiah George). I hope to see more videos like this going forward!
Listening to this video really makes me think about how much work you put into these projects. From having the idea to writing the music to figuring out lessons and writing a scripting to all of the editing... It's damn impressive man. Thanks for doing it.
As an orchestral piece that stands on its own, and as a learning/teaching tool, I think this cover of "Your Affection" is extremely effective. However, from a more art-direction perspective, I don't think that the style of writing used for the orchestral version of "Simple and Clean" works as well for "Your Affection" given the character of the Persona series. If someone was going to write an orchestrated Persona track, I would expect it to be faster and more dynamic, rather than plodding and stately as your cover is. Don't get me wrong, I like it a lot, I just have a hard time with it knowing the context of the song it's based on.
That actually prompts an interesting discussion: is a cover or rearrangement obligated to be faithful to the work's original context? It certainly can be faithful to it, and you can argue that this makes the cover better or more meaningful. But when I think of, for instance, what jazz has with the great american songbook, it doesn't seem like this is a requirement at all. It feels to me like anyone can make whatever they want, out of whatever they want, and shouldn't be critiqued for veering far off of whatever inspired their work if they weren't specifically trying to stay in that style.
@@stapes5999 I only take issue with the idea that someone "shouldn't be critiqued", as I personally feel that well-meaning and well-thought-out critique is valuable regardless of context. Otherwise, I 100% agree that covers and rearrangements are in no way obligated to be faithful to the original work's context. As a matter of fact, I can think of several covers of songs that are explicitly and deliberately divorced from the original context that I really enjoy. It's very much down to personal opinion, and personally the chosen style of this rearrangement rubs me the wrong way. I don't mean to suggest that it is in any way less valuable or less worthwhile for it, nor that other people can't or shouldn't enjoy it, I merely sought to express my feelings in a way that could prove valuable to those who cared to read it.
But allow me to play devil's advocate for a second. The more divorced a song becomes from its original context, the less one can argue that a given song is related. Artists will always have artistic intent, and other artists are free to interpret said artistic intent, but at what point does reinterpretation become original creation? And more to the original point, as covers of songs can often be used to bring in new fans of a series, for the sake of - shall we say, fan outreach - is it not important to keep some of the original context so a newly minted fan has a better idea of what to expect going into the series, at least musically? If the cover exists for its own sake or to satisfy the enjoyment of its creator, perhaps not, but if the creator of the series hopes to use their artistic skills to bring in an audience who would otherwise have passed up the series, I believe a balance needs to be struck between distinctness and relatedness. Admittedly this a tenuous point, but my artist friends who really like Kingdom Hearts seem like they fit the description of fandom evangelism I've attempted to describe.
This is what was tickling my brain. I also really like this arrangement but it sounds way more Final Fantasy than Persona.
Stop it you two, no constructive disagreements on UA-cam, you're breaking the meta.
Edit: I hope this becomes the new meta.
i can feel the fabric of the universe crumble as you guys - in the youtube comment section - disagree without hate speech
I've wanted you to talk about orchestration for years, and I absolutely love it! It's in my opinion one of the absolute most important factors in how we perceive music, and one discussed not nearly as much as is should be.
The way you arrange it sounds very japanese game music-esque. it's really cool you really captured the essence of orchestral japanese game music! The rhythms, the harmonies, etc
Just an idea: It would be nice if everyone (the players) makes a "behind the scene" video, so every channel get a piece of the views too. It was a collab, so I really want to see all the different perspective and work too. Upload them at the same time and link to the videos.
Yeah that sounds cool though dunno if the others he collab with would do it.
I feel like every wind player's would start with "Ugh, B Major? Really?"
Dude, when I watched the standalone video before this, I legitimately thought to myself, "this feels like Kingdom Hearts music."
Then, I come here, and you say Hikari inspired you. You nailed it.
You blew my mind with your arrangement of Your Affection. Just wow.
Thank you so much.
I have been feeling perpetual inspired to make music for the last 5 days.
I've consumed at least 60 hours of educational content at this point and have slowly pieced together about 30 seconds of my first song ever.
I heard a few things from this vidoe that might help me greatly and I can't wait to try them out tomorrow after a good night's sleep. :3
I hope anyone reading this has an amazing day.
Probably the best orchestral writing resource I have found to date.
I really appreciate your approach to picking up these skills! You're making some really useful pedagogical videos. Thanks for getting me involved with this, it was a pleasure!
I love love love watching you break down your writing process in videos like this! It's super inspiring, and I'd absolutely be on board to see you do more of these and keep sharing the lessons you learn along the way.
Also, the arrangement you ended up with is almost mindbendingly beautiful. I think I even like it more than the original Your Affection.
This is so helpful. Thank you so much!!!
This inspired me to get back into developing a story idea. Your tip about having a goal to reach in the song applies well to the theme of a story and the tip about writing several parts out of order helped me start writing some scenes in the middle. I have been telling my kids to "write first, edit later" but you really explained that well. Thank you!
FINALLY youtube reccommended a very useful video, since i just started trying writing for orchestra.
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful arrangement of this song, and your process in getting there. As someone who also comes from a rock/jazz band background and is trying to make his first forays into orchestral writing, I deeply appreciate both. Arranging for orchestra is hella daunting! But this has given me new inspiration to learn how to do it.
Wow. Your videos normally have a whole lot of content contained with them, but this one just has so many tips that seem so useful. I don't really know where to even start with orchestral writing, so I never really bothered looking it up too much. The "think of instruments as a section but allow a voice or two to break away from the chords into their own melody/countermelody parts" is a really good starting point, as well as the "maybe just start with one of each instrument to avoid getting too bogged down with multiples of each instrument, resulting in an orchestra equaling three quintets (with strings repeated for volume/timbre purposes) which sounds a lot more manageable" idea - as well as the tips about how brass sections love to do chords all crunched up together while winds tend to be more spread out and strings can do whatever the heck they want (though you can look at my name and know that I'm most familiar with strings anyway).
One more point I would've loved for you to talk about is the importance of rests. I know not every instrument plays literally every bar (and you show plenty of rests in your score in the video) but I feel like I would always try to put either too many or too few instruments to be played all at once. Though I guess this is covered under the textural stuff you were talking about with the reference track idea - I should just look over what some other orchestral works have done.
Finally, it is interesting that you compare to guitar and piano. Obviously everyone comes to this video with different kinds of prior knowledge, but I don't really know how guitar and piano parts are arranged. Whenever I try to do anything on piano it's RH melody and LH chords, and so of course it always sounds remarkably like a children's song like that. And guitars - to me, it's a monophonic instrument that can't play chords because I have no idea how to do guitar chords.
Petition for a David Bruce-style follow-up video with your collaborators!
Good call on using the French Horn for counterpoint to draw attention. It's one of its primary purposes in band and orchestra, erm, orchestration. Euphoniums, too.
Your French horn call and response figure at 19:35 is beautiful! Great writing for horn with the open ascending intervals (I'm a horn player and arranger.) Very informative and enjoyable video overall.
I feel like a lot of these tips are good for arranging in general whether orchestral or not :-)
To me, the fact that each instrument in an orchestra does not have a defined role is part of what makes orchestral writing fun! While I've only written two orchestral works so far, it has been quite an experience. I always get the basics of my piece before doing the full orchestration. Sometimes, I write the melodies with variations and get a sketch of the whole piece before I even touch any orchestrations.
I think your way of thinking about orchestration is great! The choirs of brass, woodwind, and string is very established in the orchestral medium, and they all function well together. It can make a composition sound really cohesive writing in this way. Plus, I have started using a lot more musical references in my pieces, and it has made composing MUCH easier!
You're doing great composing for orchestras!
I'll be watching this sometime within the upcoming week. Thanks for covering this!
UA-cam does not have enough "pro tips" on writing for orchestra. Like what chord voicings sound good in which instruments. And the emotions that a trumpet melody provides vs a violin melody. Thank you!!
i’m so glad you’re touching on persona music that isn’t from 5!
This was an amazing video! Not only, did you write an awesome arraignment but you also explained your process in such a clear and comprehensible way. Videos like these are the reason you remain the only person I support on Patreon!
Wow! Excellent information in an a wonderfully concise, simple delivery! Excellent video for those of us who have experience writing for jazz big band and marching bands. This helped immensely as I am now writing orchestral arrangements of standards for a vocalists performing with a local symphony. Thanks so much!!!!
Oh my word, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS! This was incredibly insightful to watch. Tips 3 and 4 are going to completely change how I approach instruments, and I love your breakdown of writing/editing roles in tip 5. So accurate. *And you really nailed this arrangement!!* I LOVE the hikari vibes and also that taste of Studio Ghibli with those "stank" brass chords - Excellence 👌🏼 Stellar arrangement, stellar players (definitely checking them out!), and stellar summary. Well done and thank you to all involved! 🎶💙
Holy shit.
Honestly, even though this is geared towards and is most helpful for aspiring orchestral composers this video has a lot of super helpful info for aspiring band writers/composers. Ideas like the "minimum viable product", thinking of songs in chunks and switching between 'writer' and 'editor' mode can be SUUUUUUPER useful if you apply them with some mates in a simple garage setting. Props again for spreading knowledge this wonderful for free. You're truly doing God's work.
I seriously love your stuff. Been watching for years and I can honestly say you and this channel has been one of the largest inspriations for me not letting my musical brain fall by the wayside.
This is absolutely amazing, both the arrangement and all the insight you're sharing with us from writing it!
This is simply one of your best videos. Well done.
My compliments on the arrangement. It was quite good. Keep at it.
This video is everything I’ve needed in my life! You did a great job and I look forward to seeing what you’re able to achieve in the future
Tip #5 is really invaluable. I've never seen somebody phrase my perceived lack of creativity any better.
This video is one of the most helpful and informative resources for an aspiring composer. Thanks a ton, 8-bit. You never cease to amaze me
Hi man (I guess), I found this video to be such an interesting one, for it really was something YOU did that you were talking about for the whole video.
I usually really like your videos, but this one had something special in it, as I felt like listening to a friend who would just have finished a long work he'd be very proud of. I'm pretty sure I'll keep your tips in mind if I do start to make music someday (would be great to come up with this kind of project, especially if it's one with other people involved).
I was waiting for you to release a new video, 'cause I wanted to share my idea of what one of your next video could be (if you feel like it's interesting enough, of course.)
I actually don't know how old you are, so I wonder if you've played a lot of Nintendo DS games.
Since I'm 18, that's my case.
10 years ago, I bought a game which I had never heard of before, and I ended up really liking it and playing it with my older sister. I went through the whole game several times after that, and I recently listened to the whole soundtrack, which I found to be super cool and diverse.
I think it has to do with a lot of things you pointed out on your previous videos, such as leitmotivs, melodies, arrangements...
If you read this message, which is already nice of you, I suggest you to listen to this soundtrack.
Maybe you'll find it good enough for you to analyse some elements of it.
The game is called Drawn to life:The next chapter.
It's the only one of the series I played so far, but there's three other games from this franchise you can have a look at, including the prequel on DS (simply called Drawn to life).
I'm pretty sure Drawn to life's songs would sound AMAZING if they were to be reorchestrated.
This message is far too long by now, so thank you for reading it again, whoever you are.
I congratulate you (and the other ones who collaborated with you) for all the work you've done on this channel.
Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for this great video. You explained orchestration in a different way than others and it was refreshing to be part of that experience as a viewer ❤
Wow, that was amazing. You truly outdid yourself. I love it!
This was entertaining! I've never had a desire to create an orchestral score, but as an ensemble player I am always interested in how each of the individual pieces fit into the complete score. Whenever we play, we are encouraged to listen to the other parts and see who we play together with, or who should be the focus and adjust accordingly!
I always thought that Rise's dancing silhouette in that opening sequence was off, but after seeing it like 50 times during the video I definitely know that's the case.
I think you did a fantastic job arranging the piece! I definitely enjoyed the tips you gave and some the choices you made throughout your writing process. The switch in rhythm and the use of countering melody lines was something that really stood out to me in this piece. Great work!
I feel like this shows the limitations of arranging pop songs for orchestra. Even with an excellent arrangement and lots of heavy lifting, it still feels handicapped due to the original composition.
@@3enCooper To play devil's advocate here, the simplicity of the base song could be very helpful in grounding the overall piece. Orchestral pieces aren't as broadly enjoyed, and while flexing what's musically possible in them is interesting, I wonder if it can also make it difficult for the average listener to feel a proper sense of resolution. There's a place for both, but I expect transitioning people into appreciating more nuanced and complex things in genres they aren't familiar with starts by showing them something comfortable like this.
Haha true, but it really depends how the composer makes it. For example if you listen to the Aimer and Aria strings arrangement of the songs, it sounded almost as good as the original.
Dude.... this was the most useful 25 minutes of the past 3 mounths. Amazing content, explained brilliantly.
This is very helpful for me, someone who wants to learn to fully utilize an orchestra. Thanks for this awesome, informative video!
Was not expecting this to be so in depth and informational! Thank you for sharing this! The piece sounds amazing
I like how, between this and the woodwind composition video, you're taking us along on your journey as a composer.
This is all great advice! You’re a great resource for composers.
Dude I love this arrangement. Feels so final and triumphant. Gives me chills.
I've never heard the original song, so now your version is the one I'll know lol. It's amazing!
I relate to this immensely. I have often been intimidated by the orchestra and have trouble getting out of perfectionistic editor mode. Very comforting to see others with the same troubles. Good on you for tackling the beast! Very nice arrangement. I've started by arranging a super simple melody I wrote as an anthem for my writing club, without worrying about leaving instruments out or making things too complex
Your arrangement was so emotional. That was incredible.
Wow thank you so much for this video!! It was MORE than helpful! Especially tip #5. I have a tendency to compose from “beginning to end” and I just end up frustrating myself. The way you explain it helps me with that! Also your arrangement is killer!! 🔥
I got chills listening to this. Take an extra level in Composer +++
Your arrangement sounds INCREDIBLE! Bravo!
Your arrangement is so beautiful! I found myself smiling and waving my hand in the air like a conductor while listening to it because I got carried away, and also got a tear in my eye because it moved me. P4 has a special place in my heart, and its music too so this was super cool and inspiring for me. I've made one orchestral piece before, and it's so complex, but super fun!
Extremely helpful! I've always wanted to try arranging orchestrated pieces but struggled to understand how each instrument can function cohesively without feeling too cluttered. This video gave so much clarity and answered many questions I had trouble understanding and applying for a while. Thank you so much! I love your channel!
THIS HAS HELPED ME GRASP THIS SO MUCH. THANK YOU!
This episode takes on so many ideas and I really enjoyed it. Thank you!
So, I don't normally comment before finishing the video, but I gotta say, I love that you took inspiration from the Kingdom Hearts orchestration, that song is one of the reasons the DDD opening is one of my favorites to this day.
fantastic arrangement! absolutely loved it!
I know there was no percussion, but I feel like if you wanted to add some, a timpani would really add a lot to this.
This was probably the best video Ive seen on your channel yet. This really inspires me. Especially tip #5. I can't believe this was your first orchestral arrangement. You must be hypercritical of yourself to dare think that this would have been a challenge for you. Like I can't imagine that being my first attempt at anything and sounding so pro.
I'm amaze by your arrangement it gives goosebumps on how great it is
Probably my favorite video of yours thus far. Great advice for orchestral writing obviously, but also some amazing advice for composing as a whole.
I'll admit, this one hit me pretty hard at the right time. I'm in the middle of trying to create an album with a gamey sound to it, and I've been constantly finding myself in composing ruts where I have trouble sketching out ideas in a concise or timely manner. Tip #5 especially felt close to home! Hoping I can take some of this to heart to be a bit more productive.
Arrangement sounds beautiful, also. Keep up the good work~
Absolutely AMAZING job! Great tips as well as great music!!!! Very generous also. Thank you so very much!
Over the past year, I’ve decided to work towards being a full-time composer (shifting away from being a professional guitarist) and have been steadily building my portfolio. Orchestral music, whilst being my favourite to write, is by far the most difficult to get ‘just right’ and I think these tips are great for keeping things in perspective. I can get SO lost in all my parts, voicings, timbres, tempos and so on that, at times, it can be quite overwhelming so this video is a great reminder for me to keep things simple. Simplicity is king, even when writing complex music.
I’m currently working on an orchestral arrangement of ‘Legendary Theme’ from Gitaroo Man (which is just such a beautifully written melody that I wish I’d come up with it!) and I’ll be sure to keep these tips in mind as I keep working on it. Anyway, just wanted to share that and say that I love your videos and they consistently keep me inspired.
The "very dramatic" was captured really well.
I really love this channel so much, your little bits of comedy are always so charming and make me laugh everytime. They feel just right for for this channel been a fan for a while, great work as always!
I relate so much to your creative process, it's crazy. Thank you for this - I needed it.
Hikari is one of my favorite songs, and Your Affection is another. The way you took it and made it orchestral is beautiful. Its uplifting but it still has that peppyness that the lyrics give it, but with the strings instead.
Your fifth tip is actually really helpful for anything remotely creative.
This was very informative, thank you! Excellent job on your arrangement!
Boy howdy, I'll be coming back to this a ton. I have a severe case of the writer-editor-brain-mixup, and I'm glad I have a word for it now. But those are some seriously good strategies, thanks for sharing! This is getting me hyped.
Awesome! I would love to see more on this subject!
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned from this video. I have sooooo much to change for my current composition that I'm working on.
Thank you so much, 8-Bit! This is such an awesome video--and a very well-timed one for me! I wrote a chorale for piano recently and decided to orchestrate it for a submission to a scholarship contest (I'm going to study composition at college in fall). Texturally, I felt I wanted to use some of the techniques Ravel uses in his _Pavane pour une infante defunte,_ a beautiful piece which he originally wrote for piano and orchestrated later, but it had never occurred to me to actually use it or other pieces as a reference track--that's a great idea!
In addition, in my arrangement of the piece I've made quite a few mistakes in writing for the "quintets," especially the woodwinds, which I admittedly know little about; the band program at my school only has brass and three clarinets. I've voiced the woodwinds' chords far too closely and not stuck with thirds and sixths--thank you for giving the example of the four-part sax-to-orchestral-woodwind bit; that really helped me understand where I went wrong. Perhaps this could be fixed by having the woodwinds play less auxiliary material and assigning them the melody and simple harmony that the brasses can fill out with ninths and sevenths and the like? I have enjoyed many orchestral pieces which use semitone or whole-tone rubs in the clarinets or French horns for transitional parts, though, and I made use of that technique. The strings I can say I understand the balance of very well because of my experience listening to, playing in, and writing for strings-only ensembles. Even though MIDI audio does NOT do celli or violas justice, I understand how they sound in their ranges. Oboes and English horns (et cetera), not so much. Perhaps I should seek out some demonstrative videos for their ranges and techniques.
I'm sorry for the long comment and I know you probably won't see it, but I think that writing down the practical application of what your video taught me not only helped me but also that it might encourage you to know how much you are helping and have helped musicians and composers--especially fledgling ones like me. Thank you again, 8-Bit, for this incredibly useful and entertaining video; you're amazing!
This is really helpful. Writing for orchestra has always terrified me but breaking it down like this makes it feel a lot more accessible and doable. Thanks!
That was amazing man. I really enjoyed that!
as a brass player, clusters that are close but not *too* close have always been a really pretty and unique sound that i like, so im glad you agree lol!
i also am always in editor brain, but the way you put it really helped me realize that.