Orchestration 1: Instrumentation & Orchestration Basics

06:45

OF TRAINING

For many of us, there is nothing in music more beautiful and expressive than a group of talented orchestral players performing a well-written score. The range of techniques available to each instrument along with the possible combinations of those instruments results in a 'magic' that is almost impossible to achieve in any situation.

The problem is that many of us don't possess the training or experience to confidently generate a decent written score for a string quartet, let alone a full orchestra. And even though recent technology has developed to such a point that it’s possible to create a great sounding ‘mock-up’ with sample libraries and sequencers, unless you have a good knowledge of how all the instruments work and their expressive capabilities and limitations you are at a distinct disadvantage.

There is so much to consider.

Which instruments will be able to deliver rich, emotional performances you need and where are the sweet spots to help them shine? How do you ‘voice’ the sections to give maximum clarity, power, and impact? What instruments combine well to give rich tonalities and which instruments tend to ‘mask’ one another? How do you achieve balance with such a diverse group of timbres and dynamics?

And what if your director requires real musicians? Are you comfortable with generating an actual full written score for a small ensemble or even a full orchestra?

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Enrolled Students

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Topics covered in the course

+107 countries

Worldwide community

Master Your Orchestra

Whether you’re producing an orchestral mock-up in a sequencer or writing for a group of real players, if you want to deliver an impressive sounding result you’ll need to have a sound understanding of the instruments you are writing for.

And our ‘Instrumentation and Orchestration Basics’ is designed to give you exactly that. You’ll learn all you need to know about the instruments themselves, the range of sounds they are capable of, the roles they play in the orchestra and how to actually write for them to give your compositions the best chance to shine.

Meet your trainer

Marc Jovani, Composer, Teacher, Cofounder of Cinematic Composing

Based in Los Angeles. Has composed soundtracks for more than 50 movies
Has provided music for major studios such as NETFLIX, Amazon, Lionsgate, Syfy, FOX.
His movies have been distributed internationally on leading, nationally broadcasted television channels, including Lifetime (USA), TF1 (France), the Hallmark Channel (USA), Canale 5 (Italy), Antena 3 (Spain), HBO (USA) and more.
His music has been recorded in major studios: Warner Bros (Burbank), EastWest (Hollywood), and others.
Co-founder of Cinematic Composing (2016) with more than 10.000 students and growing
Berklee College of Music: Composition & Orchestration teacher at Berklee (2010-2016)

Stories on Marc Jovani

Thank you!

Seeing Marc’s videos and hearing about the courses he has created kept my fire alive. The knowledge he shares is very motivating to me. I am excited to put the things I have learned into action and share my efforts with the community.

Steve Nelson

^{Composer. Los Angeles (USA)}

I learned a lot

Before the course, I was impressed with the way Marc explained things. This impression grew even more as he progressed. I learned a lot about workflow and ways to increase my production speed. This has inspired me in so many ways. Thanks for sharing your experience! I am looking forward to getting through the other courses!

Chris Nielsen

^{Composer. Fall River MA (USA)}

I highly recommend it

Marc Jovani is a truly inspiring teacher. His courses rekindled my interest in composing music.

Issa Molina

^{Guitar Player-Composer. Zaragoza (Spain)}

From Leipzig to L.A.

I´m a composer for film based in germany, leipzig. I joined CC because I like Marc Jovani's music very much and his way of narrating and communicating inspires me.

Georg Siebert

^{Filmcomposer. Leipzig (Germany)}

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

The courses are great. Marc give us great knowledge, He really know how to make great samples mockups. He shares with us all his knowledge and his tricks and tips.

Nicolas Garcia

^{Music Composer. Montpellier (France)}

What You'll Learn

Learn How The Orchestra Evolved
Understanding the roots of the orchestra and how it has adapted over time gives us a powerful insight into its capabilities today.
Understand The 'Balance Of Power'
Learn to appreciate the sonic differences when the number of players in a section changes and how that, in turn, affects the balance of the orchestra in terms of the other sections.
Using The Clefs, Transposing, And The Written Score
You'll learn which instruments are written in which clefs, which need to transpose and how to produce a full score for concert and film scoring projects.
Introduction To Score Editors And Notation Programs
How to generate a written score using score editing software.
Discover The Construction, Playing Techniques, And Roles Of The Instruments
We'll take you 'section by section' and 'instrument by instrument' so you can get a feel of what each instrument is capable of, both in terms of its range, its tonality, and the roles it plays in the orchestra.
Understand How To Write For Each Orchestral Section
Now that you’ve learned how to idiomatically write for each instrument and section, now you’ll discover how to write for each section depending on the role that it’s taking. For example, how to write for violins when you need that soaring strings melody singing on top of the orchestra. Or how to make the cellos and basses provide a cinematic solid low end. How to harmonize trumpets and trombones for that climatic heroic motive. Or haw to arrange woods if we want to color a high strings melody. For each section, you’ll have supporting examples that you can listen to and follow along so you understand how each section performs when it’s performing a melody, countermelody, background, bass… and how it sounds different depending on the voicing, unison, or octaves.

Stories on Orchestration 1: Instrumentation & Orchestration Basics

I am very impressed by the profound knowledge about orchestration you will achieve following this course

I’ve recently bought the course Orchestration 1: Instrumentation & Orchestration Basic and I am very impressed by the profound knowledge about orchestration you will achieve following this course.

Rolf Schild

^{Composer. Frizlar (Germany)}

Growing in a short time

I’ve learned a lot in such a short time and it's easy to follow our great instructor Marc Jovani.
He has a great experience.
To my knowledge, it’s one of the best remote courses out there.

Sarvar Kaziev

^{Composer. Texas (USA)}

I thought that I would be taking just a course

When I first started at CC, I thought that I would be taking just a course. Then, I realize of the importance of being part of this community.

Fernando Torres

^{Composer. Alicante (España)}

Everything is comprehensive and the instructors respond quickly

I have been studying orchestration for years. Everything is comprehensive and the instructors respond quickly when asked questions. I will be signing up for more courses in the future!

Bryant Waner

^{Composer Kansas (USA)}

The extra I needed

Thanks to this course I have found the fluency I needed to begin to master composition for orchestra.

Antón Cobelo Allegue

^{Sr. Cabañas (España)}

The curriculum

Explore Orchestration 1: Instrumentation & Orchestration Basics

There are three sections to this course. Understanding the content in each will help make you a more ‘complete’ composer and help you make great choices at every stage of your composition.

Available on your Personal Computer, Tablet & Smartphone.

The first section covers the basics: evolution of the orchestra, clefs you’ll need to understand, transposing, writing parts, and using a score editor.

The second section is where you’ll learn about the different sections of the orchestra and how to tap into the amazing variety of sounds and techniques that are available with each instrument.

The third section is where it all starts to come together and you’ll learn how to actually write for each section and also the full orchestra. You’ll discover how to voice chords correctly for sections, how to create ‘separation’ so your melodies will stand out and grab your listener’s attention, and how to achieve balance between sections.

Modules includes in this course

MODULE 1. Let's Get Started! – Basic Concepts

MODULE 2. The String Section

MODULE 3. The Brass Section

MODULE 4. The Woodwind Section

MODULE 5. The Harp and Keyboard Instruments

MODULE 6. The Percussion Section

MODULE 7. Orchestrating for Strings

MODULE 8. Orchestrating for Brass

MODULE 9. Orchestrating for Woodwinds

MODULE 10. Orchestrating for the Percussion Section and the Harp and Keyboard Instruments

MODULE 11. Orchestrating for Orchestra - From Sketch to Orchestra

What People Say About This Program

Highly recommended

On the road to orchestral composition using virtual instruments, this is the best online course I found. It is clear, concise and practical.
Also, from a countryman!
regards

David Ramos Martel

^{Composer. San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Spain)}

I was looking for guidance and I found Marc

I’ve purchased two courses from Cinematic Composing.
I highly recommend his courses to anyone interested in learning how to orchestrate, especially through digital means on the computer.

John Lortz

^{Composer. LA (USA)}

An expectation path

The Dream is to Be a Film and Tv Composer in Hollywood.
Now, I walking the first steps.

Pranav Makhijani

^{Student. Delhi (India)}

A motivating path

I find the course very interesting and motivating.

Francisco

^{Conductor, Saxophonist and teacher. Madrid (Spain)}

Highly recommended

Really happy to see how my music and sound are developing!! Keep the music flowing 😉

Sebastián Acosta Moreno

^{Composer. Madrid (España)}

The Best Academical Discounts

Did we mention that all our members are eligible for student discounts for libraries, plugins, and gear? This perk alone saves you hundreds of dollars composing software & libraries!

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In addition, you will have access to weekly classes, masterclasses with experts from the music sector, access to the private group where you can meet more composers who want to help you and share your doubts.

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Stories on Orchestration 1: Instrumentation & Orchestration Basics

Totaly recommended

The course is very well constructed and takes you through the different sections and instruments.
The course drastically improved my approach to my compositions and I am already reaping the benefits through better sounding projects.

Andrew McLean

^{Composer. Aberdeen (UK)}

Easily understandable for even a complete beginner

I am currently enrolled in two courses and so far they are definitely worth it. Very detailed and informative.
Fantastic courses.
I will definitely be purchasing another in the near future.

Micheal Kwasnicky

^{Composer. Coquitlam (Canada)}

I recommend this course

I’ve recently bought the course and I am very impressed by the profound knowledge about orchestration you will achieve following it.
The instruction is amazing!

Kevin Shah

^{Composer. A (USA)}

I'm already learning more than I ever could

This course has been a fantastic experience thus far. I'm already learning more than I ever could. It's far superior to just searching for online tuts. This course is all a hit!.

Steven Swartz