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A Handbook of Orchestration

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A Handbook of Orchestration CONTENTS Apologia Foreword to Students List of Music to be used with this Book General Introduction to the Subj ect Explanation of the Compass Charts PART I THE SCORE (A graded course of study) The String Orchestra r The Small O chestra . The Full Orchestra N otes for Advanced Students PART II THE INSTRUMENTS Chapter I The String Group Chapter II The String Instruments Chapter III The Wind Group Chapter IV : The Wind Instruments Chapter V : The Percussion Group Chapter VI : The Percussion Instruments and the Harp Some Obsolete and rarely used Instruments O n the Study of Old and Foreign Scores Table of Instruments Bibliography Index APOLOGIA The paramount need in music teaching at the present a ener In or er time is the training of students s list s . d to listen intelligently one must understand the language that The r n u e of the us of to - is spoken . p incipal la g ag m ic day of he Or es r An nt e now e e of the is that t ch t a . i imat k l dg r r of or estr t on is en the ne ess r te n g amma ch a i , th , c a y ch ical e of h en s ener The es w eq uipm nt t e intellig t li t . b t ay to tt n t s now e e is wr n or es r s ores w a ai hi k l dg by iti g ch t al c , hich s ou in no se be or n o os on for one nno h ld ca igi al c mp iti , ca t learn the grammar of a language and write poetry in it u neous sim lta ly . Twenty years experience of teaching orchestration on — these lines by orchestrating piano-music already in e s en e w t ou re eren e to o er r n es of us xi t c , i h t f c th b a ch m ical — theory has convinced m e that good listeners can be p ro duced in t s wa and t s u en s rt u r hi y ; hat all t d t , pa ic la ly s n ers and n s s can be e ere ow r s soun i g pia i t , aid d th by t a d d us ns . n en stu en is the s e m icia hip I cid tally , if a d t at am time working through the ordinary academic routine of us eor w resu ts in o os on the t m ical th y hich l c mp iti , by ime he arrives at that goal he has already at hand the technical knowledge of the Orchestra which enables him to transcribe his e s re o he Fu S ore id a di ctly t t ll c . My pupils have repeatedly urged m e to p ut into book or the no es ve t e but er o f m t that I gi h m , hith t I have refrained from doing so because there are already so many vii viii APOLOGIA oo e t- oo s u lis e Bu Or e r g d t x b k p b h d . t ch st ation is a su e t w is lw s n n and row n so the bj c hich a ay cha gi g g i g , est oo nev t ets out- of- te in s or e b b k i i ably g da a h t tim . This continual change is due to the development of Music — tse w l e o er art or s—ten s a ll the t e to i lf, hich ik th f m d im e o e e o e a nd ore ffi ul o or t t e e ute . b c m m c mpl x , m di c x c This gives rise to a constant demand for instruments more capable of grappling with the technicalities of the o - he o ern s re . nstru ent ers r se to t o s on m d c I m mak i cca i , and t ou the Str n s are in the n st t the w n h gh i g mai a ic , i d and percussion instruments are constantly improved in e n s s t en is olo for n not er m cha i m . Thi , h , my ap gy addi g a h nu o ose re in e sten e ma al t th al ady xi c . In conclusion I wish to ack nowledge my great indebted o Mr e Fors w ose e ust ve volu e ness t . t C cil y h , h xha i m , t u e m e trust t t Orchestra ion has een nv to . , b i al abl I ha every student who has worked through this little book with advantage and pleasure will pass straight on to the e or in w Mr Fors t has or u e his v st gr at w k hich . y h f m lat d a e e of n n r e su e t k nowl dg a i t icat bj c . FL E E FID LE R . O R NC G . FOREWORD TO STUD ENTS Students without any knowledge of Harmony r and Counte point are assured that , although such knowledge is o f immense service in Orchestra n ecessar n tion , it is not y u til the scores become well advanced . Good elementary orchestra tion only requires acquaintance with the - s elements of music (keys , time ignatures , etc . ) and a working knowledge of transposition . The best method to follow is to study Har t s mony side by side with Orchestra ion , thu developing the tonal colour—sense simultane ou l s y with that of structure and design . The ! unfortunate method of postponing the study o r Orchestration until the final stage of a prolonged course o f theoretical training in music is reached is equivalent t o forbidding a child to colour rr pictures until he can draw co ectly . The two Parts of this book are to be used concurrently , and the student also requires copies of the Piano music and orchestral scores P listed on age 7 . The graded course of study is the result of long experience in teach in . g the subj ect String writing , correct but not necessarily elaborate , must be mastered 2 HANDBOOK O E ORCHESTRATION r first , as it is the fundamental basis of all o ches r i u t at on . The student is advised to st dy thoroughly each Section (of Par t I) befor e going on to the n ext it is the quickest in the r rn end , and nothing is gained by t ying to lea all at once the details of many in tsrum en ts . Concentration on one point at a time is the aim o f n r this system , which is o ly intended to sta t — the student on the right r oad a road which has no end N o detailed description of the inst ruments has been given as it is obvious that unless the student knows them already by sight and b y sound he cannot hope to achieve much . Tone ur r n n colouring , like pict e colou i g , ca not be r r r taught in wo ds , and any endeavou to desc ibe sounds generally results in absu rdity or in coher ence The ear can only be t r ain ed by constant to an r r r listening orchest a , fi st of all concent a on r an d ting single instruments and on g oups , then studying the mo r e complex soun ds o f r n u n u their va ious combinatio s . The st de t m st not be satisfied until he can hear men tally r r r every sco e he reads o w ites . All statements r elate to E nglish methods an d n r n r instruments o ly , and histo ic i fo mation has ro an d been rigorously excluded . The g wth developme nt o f m usical inst rumen ts is a s u b FOREWORD TO STUDENTS 3 ec t r j of immense inte est , but it has no bearing whatever on the study of elementar y orchestra r n . tion , and had better be defer ed u til later Students who wish t o p ursue this br an ch of the s ubj ect are referr ed to the Bibli o graphy at the end of this vo lume . The methods of the most modern composers are also omitted as being too fo r i r complicated the beg nner , who is assu ed that if his foundations ar e sound he will find little difficulty in embellishin g his scores later with the most r ecent ornamentation . It is unwise to obscure the plan of a text - book such as this by the introduction of cont r oversial matter : the directions and statements there r fo e have been made intentionally dogmatic .
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