!

!
Table Of Content !


Table Of Content ! 2!
Introduction ! 4!
Composition! 6!
Melody Writing! 6!
A Comparison Of Two Melodies! 7!
Using Motifs To Write A Melody! 7!
Making A Song Section! 14!
Melody Summary! 16!
Harmony! 17!
Harmony examples! 18!
Form! 20!
Bonus Chapters: ! 23!
Making Your Compositions More Interesting: Contrast And Growth! 23!
How To Beat Writer’s Block ! 26!
Orchestration! 29!
Tone Color And Emotion! 29!
The Four Families:! 31!
Strings! 31!
The Instruments:! 34!
Brass! 36!
The Instruments! 38!
Woodwinds! 40!
Some basics:! 41!
Percussion! 44!
Some basics:! 44!
Common orchestration mistakes and how to avoid them! 47!
Quick Orchestration Templates! 48!
Arranging Your Composition! 49!
Production! 54!
Mixing ! 56!
Levels ! 57!
 Panning ! 58!
EQ! 59!
Compression! 60!
Reverb! 62!
Mastering! 64!
Going Back To The Mix! 64!
Louder Is Not Always Better! 65!
EQ! 65!
Compressor! 65!
Reverb! 65!
Limiter! 66!
Stereo Enhancing! 66!
Mixdown! 66!
The Next Steps! 67!
Bonus Chapters:! 68!
Useful Links! 78
!
!
Introduction !
!
!
«If something happened where I couldn't write music anymore, it would kill
me. It's not just a job. It's not just a hobby. It's why I get up in the morning.»!
- Hans Zimmer

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/hans_zimmer.html#Y5vZiY5i7tHsaw3Q.99!
!
The orchestra is a wonderful ensemble. It is huge and diverse, being able to
express every emotion imaginable. Epic battle themes, sad mellow love
melodies, aggressive action cues or uplifting adventure scores. It has brought
people to tears and laughter in concert halls, and accompanied you through
your favorite movie moments. We have all been moved by the wonderful
sound from an orchestra sometime. !
!
Orchestral music as we know it has been around for over 500 years, with big
composers like Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Today you may hear the sound
of an orchestra in almost every major motion picture, composed by names
like Hans Zimmer and James Horner. Orchestral composing has previously
been an art for geniuses, who scribbled down their compositions with pen
and paper. Today, technology has given us notation softwares, digital audio
workstations and sample libraries. Therefore, almost anybody with basic
musical knowledge and a little money can start creating their orchestral
compositions. !
!
Orchestration is the study of writing or arranging music for an orchestra. In
this book I will use the term «orchestration» for arranging music, and
composition for writing. Orchestration a very sought-after skill. Hiring an
orchestrator is really expensive, and even just a little general knowledge
about the art will enhance the quality of your compositions noticeably. Even
though the everyman can get the equipment to record orchestral music, the
art of composing and orchestrating is still advanced, and needs to be
practiced. Without proper knowledge about arranging for the orchestra, one
may encounter a lot of problems. 

The music might not be able to be played by a real orchestra, the mix may
sound cluttered, and everything might just sound unnatural and lifeless.
Learning through trial and error is good, but can be very discouraging and
hard at times. !
!
How do I know? Well, I have been there. I ordered my first orchestral library
when I was 16, and had no clue what the heck I was doing. I had been
playing music for 12 years, could read sheet music, and had been composing
music for 4 years. I had been playing in bands, recording music, and been in
contact with several record labels. Still, my orchestral music sounded like
utter garbage. Why? I suppose it was the lack of knowledge about
orchestration. I then went the hard road of trial and error for several months,
until I started studying Orchestration for Film and TV, at «Berklee Online». A
year after, I was able to compose my first orchestral piece with a complete
notated score, ready to be played by an orchestra. It was an incredible feeling
that I will never forget.!
!
Today I am composing music for a company called C21FX in Hollywood,
films, TV and games, and what I have learned the past years have been
totally invaluable for my work. Quite often, I am approached by people
needing tips on how to compose music, how to write for the orchestra, and
where to begin to become a composer. This book is dedicated to all of you
guys. It will take you through all the basics you need to know to get started.
From brainstorming your musical ideas, to composing your piece, arranging it
for an orchestra, and producing it with today’s digital technology. !
!
Remember, there is no shortcut to becoming a good composer. However, I
hope this book will help you avoid doing all the big mistakes I have done
while developing as a composer the past years. With this book, I want to help
you compose a piece from beginning to end, with my tips and techniques. I
have included sound and video examples for the lessons, where I apply the
techniques for you to see. I will take you through the development of an entire
composition made by me, from beginning to end, while explaining what I have
done so you can do the same. Yet, remember that there is no formula to
composing. There is no right or wrong as long as it sounds good. My only
goal is to help you compose better music quicker, and have a LOT of fun
doing it!



I hope you enjoy this book, and please feel free to contact me for questions!!
!




!
!
All best,

Arn Andersson

!
 Composition!

!
Melody Writing!
!
«Writing a tune is like sculpting. You get four or five notes, you take one out and
move one around, and you do a bit more and eventually, as the sculptor says: ‘In
that rock there is a statue, we have to go find it.» 

-John Williams

http://www.classicfm.com/discover/film-music/best-quotes-film-composer/john-williams-film-
composer-quotes/

!
!
Ever heard a totally mind blowing track on the radio? What was stuck in your
mind after listening to it? The beautiful hi-hat sound? The really expensive
guitar recorded through a 20,000$ amp? Most times, I would guess it was an
amazing melody. The melody is probably the most important and
characteristic element in a musical piece. It gives the song personality, and
makes it different from the rest. You have probably heard of «4 chord songs»,
hit songs which all are based on the same chord progression. What is the
one main element that makes those hit songs different from each other, giving
them their own character? Well, usually the melody.!
!
In my experience, if the melody is weak, the whole song will suffer. I have
heard music that is amazingly recorded and produced by extremely talented
musicians, but there was just something lacking… Something really
important, that eventually made me turn off the song all together. Looking
back now, I realize that those songs lacked a strong and memorable melody. I
have listened to a lot of music during my life, and composed a whole lot of
tracks myself. That way I have experienced the power of well written
melodies, and the destructive powers of bad ones. During the past years, I
have frequently asked myself: What are the characteristics of a great
melody? What is it that makes certain melodies so memorable? How can you
really engage and touch the listener with an amazing melody? !
!
I do not claim to have the final answer to this question, the absolute truth.
However, after studying a lot of melodies in works by both great classical
composers as well as in hit songs and film scores, I have found a few
elements they usually have in common. Simple elements and techniques you
can apply to your melodies to make them stand out, making your melodies
get stuck in the head of your listener for days. Elements that do not just apply
to single genres, but all music in general. Those tips will be revealed in detail
here. I hope this book will help you write some amazing melodies, and help
you improve as a songwriter and composer! !
!
A Comparison Of Two Melodies
!
Let’s just start out by having a listen to two different melodies. !
!
Melody 1:



Melody 2:!
!
Listen to them a few times. Which one do you like most? Which one do you
consider to be the «best» melody? I guess most of you will answer the first
one. But why?!
Try to sing both of the melodies. Which one is easiest to remember after just
one listen? 

Again, I guess the first one. I actually composed that melody in under a
minute, only using the techniques and tips I am going to present in this first
chapter. Now, let me show you how I did it, and how you can start writing
great and memorable melodies instantly too! !
!
!
Using Motifs To Write A Melody

!
Let’s begin by looking at the use of motifs, important building blocks in
creating a great melody and composition. A motif is a short characteristic
fragment of music, possessing a lot of the identity of the piece. Motifs create
themes or phrases of music which then again creates a part of a song (verse,
chorus etc), which together creates a whole song. I think the best example of
a motif in use is Beethoven’s 5th symphony, with the four really characteristic
notes, later known as the motif of fate. Take 30 seconds and listen to the
beginning of it, and notice how the motif is presented, and later developed
through the next bars of music. It is actually used 13 times during only 19
bars, and the entire first movement is built upon it!!
!
Let’s have a quick look at the example. There are 4 notes, G-G-G-Eb. It is
that simple. However, it is probably one of the most important motifs in the
history of classical music. Beethoven stated that the motif was fate knocking
at the door. !
!
Why should you use motifs in your compositions? If you listen to a lot of great
music throughout time, a lot of the songs are built upon a motif. The motifs
are quite powerful, because it gives the piece character and identity. When
using them throughout a piece, you maintain a characteristic quality, while still
developing the composition. It will have a feeling of unity and connection. !
Using motifs is also a great way to get out of the writers block. It may be
really hard to just come up with a melodic phrase on the go, especially if you
are on a tight schedule. With using a small motif to begin with, you might
quickly get ideas and get going. !
!
Now, let’s move over to actually composing a motif. To get the most out of this
tutorial, I encourage you to have pen and paper ready, or any other way to
notate your ideas. As you have seen in Beethoven’s example, the motif may
be ridiculously simple, and still create a masterpiece. Therefore, don’t
necessarily try too hard to create the most advanced motif ever, but try to
stay simple. Less is more. !
!
I have a few methods of coming up with motifs, that I will briefly explain here.
Let’s say you have a specific theme in your head, that you want to compose
around. Maybe you are even composing for a film or game. Take that word,
pay attention to how it is natural to say the word out loud, listen to how it
sounds. Then try to transfer this to music. You can also listen to the sound of
birds, people talking, or almost anything else! Remember that the key to a
good motif lies in the simplicity, so there is no need to be overly creative. If
you are starting out, you may just stick to the key of C major or A minor, as I
will do in this course. !

!
!
For this exercise, I made up a motif in about 10 seconds: 

It is in a 3/4 time signature in C major, with a duration of 2 bars. Your motif
may also be one bar long, in another key, simpler, slower, faster, it is totally
up to you. !
!
Exercise 1: Compose A Motif!
Beginner: Compose a simple motif, as I have done above. 

Intermediate: Compose 3 motifs, and pick the one you like the most. 

Advanced: Set a timer to 30 seconds and compose 3 motifs before the time
runs out. For an additional challenge, choose a key you are not too familiar
with (Like maybe Ab, F# or Bminor). Choose the one you like the most. !

!
Now that the motif is composed, it is time to develop it into a melodic phrase.
The freedom is endless, but I am going to show you a method that a lot of
popular songs and pieces use, that you may start out with. My guitar teacher
at high school taught me a method of improvising blues during one of our
classes. If you just play random notes in a pentatonic (blues) scale, it will
become nonsense and confusing to the listener. If you just repeat the same
short bending motif again and again for an entire solo (Like the beginning of
Johnny B Goode), you will bore the listener to death. The following method is
a way to maintain a structure while playing, while still engaging the listener
and making it interesting. A perfect balance between familiar and new,
between repetition and contrast. He called it «presentation, repetition,
variation and destruction.» What it basically means, is this:

- First you present a motif once.

- Second, you repeat the motif.

- Then, you use a slight variation of your main motif.

- At last, you present something completely new to end the phrase. 



This is my result. Not with me yet? Well, just relax and let me explain a little
better.!

Listen:!
!
Take a look at the picture above. Here I have used my motif, and developed it
using the technique I just presented to you. Presentation, repetition, variation,
destruction. What you may notice, is that I have changed the order a little.
Here it is Presentation, variation, repetition and destruction. You can move
around the four elements how you want, so experiment with different
structures. Now, let me explain how I have used the technique: Bar 1is simply
the motif I created in the last exercise. The 2nd one is quite similar, but the
ending is a little different (variation). Instead of going up, then down - it is
going down, then up. The point of the variation is to create something that is
familiar (similar to the main motif), but still fresh enough to be interesting.
Here the rhythm is the same, but the notes are changed for the ending.!
!
Afterwards in bar 3, I have just repeated my motif. As you see, there is a
small alteration to the ending, as I have added two 1/8 notes. This is an
example of how you can break these rules freely, as long as you follow the
main structure. It is not a completely similar repetition of the main motif, but
close enough. For the destruction part, you can use your imagination to
create a fitting ending to your phrase. It does not have to be related to your
motif at all, the idea here is to bring in something completely fresh. There are
no rules, but try to make it feel natural. This should round off your phrase in a
smooth way. !


As I just mentioned, feel free to experiment with the order of the 4 elements
(Presentation, repetition, variation, destruction, or PRVD). I have changed it
here to «Presentation, variation, repetition, destruction (PVRD)». You may
also use «Presentation, variation, destruction, repetition (PVDR)». Heck, you
can even start with the «destruction»! Experiment, and find what’s best for
your motif. A lot of songs use this «formula», like even Justin Bieber’s «Baby»
at the chorus. First the theme «baby, baby, baby ooh» is presented, then
varied the second time by altering the last note. After that it is repeated,
before it is «destroyed» by adding an ending to the chorus. If you listen to a
lot of popular and classical music, you might realize that this kind of structure
is really common.!
!
Let’s just have a quick look at another example using motifs in the same way.
If you are familiar with epic orchestral trailer music, I bet you have heard of
Two Steps From Hell. We are going to have a quick look at the motif used in
the main theme of their most popular track, Heart Of Courage:!

This motif is simply made out of one rest three notes playing the beginning of
the A minor scale, A, B, C. Here you can see the entire theme:!
Take a few seconds, and just look at how the motif is used to compose this
theme. Do you see how the motif’s rhythm is repeated 3 times, with just a
minor alteration in pitch from time to time? In the last bar, the motif is
«destroyed» by something completely new (but that still is not too far away
from the motif, resulting in a feeling of unity), consisting of four notes playing
a scale in a downwards motion. This is another great example of how a
ridiculously simple motif can result in a extremely successful and popular
theme. !
!
Another tip I have for writing melodies, is creating a clear «top point», a
climax for your melody. As a main rule, your melody should not just go up and
down randomly, without any clear direction. Let me try to explain by looking at
the phrase I made out of the motif in last exercise.!
!

My presentation motif is moving in an upwards direction. Afterwards, the

variation is moving downwards, as a small contrast. Then the repetition is
moving the phrase upwards again, until suddenly, we reach the highest note.
It is a C, an octave over the beginning note of the phrase, creating a climax to
the melody. Do you see where it is placed? It is not in the beginning, not in
the middle. It is more towards the end, taking the listener on a short journey
before we reach the top. Afterwards, the destruction part is taking the listener
safe back to the beginning note, ending the phrase where we started.!
!
Let us go back to the «Heart Of Courage Example for a moment, and have a
look at the top point in the melody.!
!

Do you see any similarities to the way I have used my motif above? Here you
see that the melody is reaching the climax at the first note in the last
measure. This is an F, the highest pitch in the entire theme, functioning as a
top point. When writing a melody, try to create such a top point, a climax to
capture the attention of the listener. I find this easy to do in the destruction
part, as you have the freedom to do whatever you wish there. Use your
imagination, experiment and find the solution that works best for you!



Remember, there is no right or wrong when it comes to composing. The tips I
am giving you here are only guidelines, and a starting point for further
exploration on your own. This is one of a million ways of composing. Never
use this as an ultimate manual, but mix it with your creativity, and you might
get some great results! !
!
Exercise 2: Write A Melody!
Beginner: Write a melody with your motif using PRVD or PVRD. !
Intermediate: Write a 3 melodies using 3 variations of the PRVD order. !
Advanced: Break all the rules. Find a new structure using your motif, and try
to get a sweet balance between repetition and contrast. 

Expert: Improvise a melody on your instrument (or sing) using your motif and
the PRVD technique (or a variation of it). Don’t stop and think, play/sing from
beginning to end. When you come up with something great, write that down. !


!
!
 !
Making A Song Section!
!
«The writing gets done away from the keyboard and away from the studio in
my head, in solitude. And then I come in and hopefully have something, then I
wrestle with sounds and picture all day long. But the ideas usually come from
a more obscure place, like a conversation with a director, a still somebody
shows you, or whatever.»!
- Hans Zimmer

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/hans_zimmer.html#Y5vZiY5i7tHsaw3Q.99!
!


Okay, so now you have a musical phrase ready, consisting of the beautiful
motif you just created. This is your melody, your «main theme».
Congratulations! You are one step closer to finishing your piece! The next
step now, is to expand on that phrase, and create an entire song section. This
might be the opening of an orchestral piece, verse of a song or whatever else
you want. 



What a lot of great music does, is dividing phrases into question and answer
roles. I am going to show you a quick way to use your main theme to create
an entire song section, using question and answer roles. To understand this,
some basic music theoretical knowledge is recommended. I am going to
explain the basics here. Those of you with theoretical knowledge might as
well skip this. 


!
!


It is best to sit by the piano or guitar to fully understand this. Take an
instrument of your choice, and play the C major scale (C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C). 

Play from C to B, and stop. Do you feel how the B really wants to go to C?
Because of this, the 7th step on the major scale (B in this case), is called the
leading tone. Listen to it a few times. Now, let’s look at the three main chords
in the key of C Major. !
!
!
!



The most important chords in C major, are those on the 1st, 4th and 5th step.
Those are called the Tonic, Sub-Dominant and Dominant chords. In this case
it is C Major, F Major and G Major. If you are able, play them a few times and
listen closely. Do you recognize anything while playing the G chord? Do you
feel that it leads back to C Major again? Now, take a look at the three notes
making up the G major. Do you recognize anything? If you look closely, you
can see that the B is the third in the G Major, the most characteristic note in a
chord. As we experienced, this note leads back to C. Therefore, G Major has
a tension that will be released by resolving to the chord of C Major. Now, let
us use this tension to our advantage! !
!
Remember me talking about question and answering roles? Take a look at
my song section, made up using my main theme:!
!
Listen:!
!
I have repeated the theme two times. The first time it has a questioning
function, and the last time an answering one. Do you see which chord I have
used in the ending of the first phrase? G Major (G,B,D), with the melody
landing on the D. As I just said, this creates a tension that needs to be
resolved. This tension has a questioning function, needing an «answer».
Therefore I have landed on the note C, the root note of C Major (C,E,G) in the
last phrase. This is resolving the previous tension, and creating an «answer»
to end the phrase. This technique is used in everything from Mozart’s music,
to popular music today. To do this yourself, try to land on the dominant chord
in the first phrase. Make the melody rest on one of the notes in this chord,
here G,B or D. In the second, answering phrase, land on one of the notes in
the tonic chord, C major (C,E,G). Experiment until you are satisfied.!
!
!
Melody Summary!
!
Now we have looked at how to use motifs to create interesting and
memorable themes. We have also looked at how you can enhance the impact
of that theme by creating a climax or top point for your melody. Both those
techniques are very effective, and used by a ton of huge songwriters and
composers around the world. From Beethoven, to Justin Bieber, to Thomas
Bergersen and Two Steps From Hell, motifs play an important role in the
impact of their melodies. We have also briefly looked at how you can use
your theme to create two phrases as building blocks for a song section. This
is done through giving them roles as questions and answers, a technique
used in various genres throughout history. !
!
All these tips and techniques can be applied to your melodies, to make them
stand out to your listener. And a melody that stands out, will make your
composition or song stand out and be memorable to your fans. However, I
can’t stress enough that these are only guidelines, one of MANY techniques
and ways to write melodies. There is no right or wrong way, only the way that
works best for you. Try to apply the information of this book to your melodies,
and experiment with it. Use your creativity, don’t be too bound to rules and
formulas. I hope the information presented in this chapter will help you
improve as a melody writer. Good luck crafting your melodies!!
!
!
!
!
 Harmony!
!
!
«If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to
say it in music.» 

- Gustav Mahler

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/gustavmahl106859.html#27xmg4yfZZG7C7Kp.99!

!
Now we almost have our entire main theme ready. Most likely though, you
want some kind of harmonic foundation under your melody. The choice of
chords is crucial to which emotional reaction you will get from the listener.
«What should I create first, the melody or harmony?» you may ask. The
answer is simply: It doesn’t matter, it is totally up to you. You may choose to
start with a chord progression (a sequence of chords), or with a melody when
you are composing a piece. The only reason I started with the melody, is that
I find it easier to put chords to a great melody, than to make a great melody
out of a sequence of chords. If you have time, try both!!
!
Now, which chords should you choose? We have two main «genders» of
chords. Major and minor. Major chords usually sounds happy, joyful and
uplifting, while the minor chords usually are more sad and melancholic. Since
you have already written your melody, I suppose you have a more or less
clear picture of the emotion you are going for. The first thing to look at, is if
the melody is in a major or minor key. !
!
!
!
If it is in C major, experiment with the chords C,F and G. See where it is
natural to put those in your melody. !
If you are a beginner, you might find it easier to set chords to an existing
melody if you have the chords and melody written down. Look at your melody,
and then look at the notes that make up the different chords. If we look at the
first three notes in my motif above, you can see that they match two of the
notes in the C major chord (look at the «chords» picture on this page).
However, the three next notes are are F,G and A.!

If you look at the chords above, you can see that neither F or A are in the C or
G chord. However, they are both in the F chord. Therefore, it is a good choice
to choose C for the first three notes, and F for the last three. For the ending
note I went for C (even though I could use G too). !

However, there are more than three chords in the C major scale. You may
also use D minor, E minor and A minor. Let’s look at them for a minute.!
The D minor chord may be used as a substitute for the F major. Do you see
that they share 2/3 of the same notes? The same goes for A minor, acting as
a substitute for C major, and Em for G major. Every major chord has a minor
substitute two steps below. Play around with those chords, find out where
they might fit in your melody. Remember that the minor chords have a sadder
quality, so switching out the F major with the D minor might dramatically
change the mood in your melody. All of the chords have their own quality and
sound, so you should experiment to find out what’s the best solution for your
composition!!
!
!
!
Harmony examples
!
Here I have taken my motif, and used a variety of chords to show you how
dramatically the harmony changes the emotional content of a melody. !
!
C - F C!
!
C - Dm Em!
!
Am - G/B C!
!
C - Bb C!
!
Gsus4 - Dm/F Abmaj7 !
!
!
Exercise 3: Write A Chord Progression !
!
Beginner: Write a chord progression for your melody, using tonic, sub-
dominant and dominant chords. These are C, F and G in C major. !
!
Intermediate: Write a chord progression using the chords above, but include
chords like II and VI. These are Dm and Am in C major. !
!
Advanced: Write 2 or 3 different chord progressions for your melody. In the
first, use only T S and D. On the second, use additional chords like those
above. Listen to the emotional difference. !


Expert: Use chords other than the main ones. Use the lowered 2nd step
chord (bII), lowered 6th, and 7th step chord (bVI and bVII). These are Db, Ab
and Bb in C major. Make 3 different chord progressions, and notice how the
emotion in the melody shifts.!
!
!
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!
!
!
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 Form!
!
"A creative artist works on his next composition because he was not satisfied with
his previous one.»

- Dmitri Shostakovich

http://www.classicfm.com/discover/music/inspiring-composer-quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/!

!
!
Now that you have your entire main theme ready, it is time to develop it into a
whole musical piece. Here, I am going to give you a few simple tricks to
create a simple but interesting form for a 2-4 minute piece. As I mentioned
earlier, repeating your main theme 4 times, will not really engage the listener.
The same goes for never repeating the theme, and instead just adding a
completely new section each time. This would most likely confuse the listener.
As always, we need to find a proper balance between contrast and repetition.
If we look at classical and popular music, there are a few song structures that
are quite popular, and for a reason. I am going to show you a few of them
here, which you then can apply to your compositions. !
!
We will call your main theme A, so if you were to repeat it several times like a
hymn or traditional song, your form would be: AAAA. This is called strophic
form, where the same melody is the same each verse, but the lyrics are
different. Creating an instrumental piece in this form might be challenging,
because it can easily turn out too repetitive and boring. It depends a lot on
your arranging skills, to be honest. Ever listened to Hans Zimmer’s «Time»
from Inception? There, the same theme is repeated over and over, just with
differences in orchestration. Yet it is one of my favorite pieces by him. Go and
listen to it, and see how he evolves the same theme, while still keeping it
engaging. Actually, one of my most popular pieces «Annihilation» is written in
the same way. Anyways, I am going to focus on an easier way to structure
your piece, called the AABA form. !
!
!
!
Take a look at the picture above. This is a simple, but highly effective way to
structure your piece. It is mainly consisting of different versions of your main
theme, as well as a contrasting secondary theme. Also here, we may use the
Presentation, Repetition, Variation, Destruction terms. Let me explain this: 

The A part is your main melody. This is the introduction of your main theme,
which you created in the last exercise. How would you start your piece? Full
orchestra playing with all its power, including choir and percussion + el
guitars? Probably not. A quite safe way to start, is beginning simple, and not
too powerful. The next section can be a repetition of your main theme, but
with a bigger ensemble or switching out the melody instrument for instance.
This creates a sense of growth, and keeps the piece interesting. Now, for the
third part, it is really important that we keep the listener interested. What can
we do?

!
The easiest way is to use contrast. Create something new and fresh for the
ears of your listener, a contrasting theme. If your main melody consists of
long notes, you may use short notes here. If the main theme is happy, you
might create a darker B-part. Try to create a clear contrast, while maintaining
the main emotion and character of your piece (See bonus chapter «Making
Your Compositions More Interesting»). I also like to back off on the loudness
in this part, to make the impact of the climax even bigger. I will come back to
some basic arranging tips for this in a few minutes. The main job for the
contrasting part, is to build up anticipation to the last song section. !
!
In the last part, you will create the climax, and most likely include the full
orchestra. 

By using a smaller ensemble in the B part, the impact here will be even
bigger. To enhance it even more, you might transpose it from say, C to D
Major to give it a lift. If your main theme is in minor, you might try to have the
ending in major. Just experiment on how to enlarge the effect of the last
section. After the climax, you can choose to end with a «BOOM», or to create
some kind of ending. This is up to you. Just use your creativity, and come up
with an epic way to structure your piece! Remember that this is just one of a
million ways to structure your music. The only reason I chose this one, is
because it almost always works effectively. Simply as that. If you are just
starting out, beginning with a structure like this may be very effective, and it
can help you explore more advanced structures later since you now have a
starting point.

!
Congratulations! Now you are basically finished composing your piece. Be
proud of yourself and give yourself a pat on the back! The next thing we are
going to have a look at, is to arrange your entire composition for the
orchestra. See you in the next chapter! !
!
!
Exercise 4: Structure Your Composition!
Beginner: Use the AABA form, as I do in my piece. !
!
Intermediate: Try to use the AAAA form. To pull this off, you will have to focus
greatly on orchestration to make a sense of growth and change. Listen to
Hans Zimmer’s «Time» for inspiration. !
!
Advanced: Use a totally different form. Experiment with forms like ABACADA
or ABCBA, or make a whole new form yourself. Use the tips from the
following bonus chapter «Making Your Compositions More Interesting:
Contrast And Growth» to help you on the way. !


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 Bonus Chapters: !



Making Your Compositions More Interesting: Contrast And Growth"
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Repetition and variation is a key to a great
composition. However, too much of either
one may also ruin a track. Repeating a
single section 10 times will most likely
become boring. On the other hand, 10
different sections will not be much better.
However, if you create a fine balance
between repetition and variation, you can
keep your listeners engaged and interested
for a long time. Two keywords for this is
contrast and growth. If you repeat a section
once, don’t make it completely similar to the first presentation. Add a new
instrument, change the chords a little, make it “grow”. This way you can
repeat material without having it sound boring. Contrast is when you
introduce something that is radically different from the material you have just
used. It is more of a sudden change. Balancing these, and implementing
them cleverly in your compositions will make your music stand out, so read
on.!
In this post we are going to have a look at my composition “Hope”, which was
originally an assignment for my composition class, receiving the highest
grade possible. We are going to analyze my usage of contrast, and see how
you can implement these tricks to lift your compositions to a new level.!
!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIvJuAJcMh8!
!
First of all, the track is composed in AABA-form. There are first two
presentations of the main theme (AA), then a new contrasting theme (B),
before the main theme is again used (A). When using the same theme 3
times, it is easy to end up making the whole track sound boring and
repetitive. To prevent this from happening, using contrast is a good idea. But
just creating totally different song sections will sound like… 3 different song
sections put after each other. We want it to still sound like one continued
piece, but still use contrast to separate the song sections and make them
interesting. Therefore we need a balance between contrast and growth. I am
going to show you a few different ways of doing this, just as I have done here
in my track “Hope”.!
!
A:!
In the first part of the track, a main theme is presented in the strings. It is a
theme made up of long notes, played with legato (notes are tied together, not
played separately). The theme is also played in the middle range of the
strings, resulting in a rather full and warm sound. There is a piano part going
on throughout the whole piece. If we look away from that, there are two main
layers of the song. The chords/bass, and the melody.!
!
A:!
In the next A part, the same theme is used. However, some instruments are
added to get a sense of growth. Choirs and woodwinds are added to the main
melody, an octave higher than the previous section. In addition 2 horns are
playing a short motif in between the string phrases, adding a third
independent layer (again, growth). The rest of the horns have joined the
harmonic instruments, playing chords. The tuba has joined the bass, so the
whole orchestra is balanced between the different parts (melody, chords,
bass). By adding more instruments in a new octave ,and a new layer to the
original theme, we get a sense of growth and a slight sense of contrast. Let’s
move on to the next part.!
!
B:!
Now, this is the most contrasting section, starting at 1.18. One of the first
things we realize by listening to this theme, is that the note values are very
short. There are a lot of short staccato notes playing , instead of the long tied
together, slow legato notes from the main theme. Varying note lengths
between sections is a VERY effective tool to create separation and contrast.
The whole section is actually just half the length of the main theme.What else
do we notice? Well, the instruments are playing in a higher register, resulting
in a lighter feel. We have also gone from almost the entire orchestra, to just a
few strings, oboes and piano, reducing the instrumentation drastically.
Creating variations in the dynamics is a very effective way to add contrast,
and keep the song section interesting.!
!
The next thing I want you to notice, is all the independent layers. In the
foreground, you can hear the violins playing a pattern. In the background you
can hear the bass playing the root notes. In between them, some oboes are
playing a new pattern consisting of two notes. It’s hard to hear, but there are
also some clarinets and violas playing a rhythmical pattern consisting of
chords. If we include the piano voice, we end up with a total of 5 independent
layers. So in this song section I have used contrast by changing note lengths,
using another register, cutting the section length in half, using dynamic
changes and adding more layers. The last thing I want you to pay attention to,
is the flute melody at the end of the section, at 1.27. This is the main theme,
making this very contrasting section sound connected to the first two
sections.!
!
A:!
This is the climax. It is the exact same theme as before, but certain steps
have been taken to make it stand out and not end up repetitive. First of all,
now the entire orchestra is used, including percussion. This will result in this
section being the loudest part of the composition. Because the previous part
(B) has been the least loudest, the effect will be even bigger. Second, the
theme is transposed a whole step up, lifting the whole feeling of the song
section. Modulating to a new, higher key is a very effective way of enhancing
the effect of a climax in your compositions. This is a very well known
songwriting trick used by a lot of the pro’s around the world. You will most
likely notice the string pattern from the B-part. I have kept this playing during
the climax, sort of to tie the different parts of the composition together. This
will create a sense of all the parts being linked to each other, while still being
different enough to remain interesting. This is the balance you want to
achieve.!
!
Now, we have looked at how I have used contrast and growth in my
composition. Let’s sum it up: Growth is a gradual change over time, while
contrast is a more immediate and distinct change. Too much of either one of
them might end up sounding boring or unnatural. If one theme is just growing
and growing slowly for 5 minutes, chances are it might end up repetitive and
boring. If you use say 3 song sections that are TOTALLY different from one
another, it won’t sound like a continuing song, but rather 3 short songs. As
mentioned, balance is key. You want to make your themes grow throughout a
piece, while still introducing enough new elements and contrasts to keep it
interesting for the listener. So what are some simple, yet effective things you
can do to create growth and contrasts in your compositions?!
!
Changing note values (As I have done between the second A and B, from
long to short)!
Sudden changes in dynamics (from the second A to B, and from B to A)!
Adding more instruments (Between two first A parts, creates growth)!
Changing Section Lengths (B is half the length of A)!
Adding more layers (more independent voices)!
Transposing (transposing up will lift the theme significantly)!
Reusing themes (Main theme in flutes on the B part, string pattern from B
part used in the climax. This does tie the composition together as a whole)!
I hope you can use some of these tips to enhance the quality of your
compositions, and keeping the listener engaged throughout the entire track!!
!
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!
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan,
and not quite enough time.»!
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How To Beat Writer’s Block !
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One of the hardest things when you are a composer, is staring down at a
blank piece of paper. Ever felt that you just cannot come up with a good
melody when you want to? That you just cannot seem to get inspired, and
struggle with starting a new composition? Then you have experienced the
infamous writer’s block. In this article I will give you a few tips on how to beat
the writer’s block, and be able to create compositions out of thin air, anytime.!
!
1. Start With A Title!
!
“Living’ On A Prayer” and “Dead Or Alive” are both songs that were written
based on a title, Bon Jovi has admitted. If you have a strong and interesting
title, the rest of the song may pretty much come by itself. While that is true,
just coming up with a great title might not be that easy. Try to find inspiration
in movies, poems or books. By switching out one word in a nice phrase, you
might end up with a very clever and inspiring title that will get you going with
composing your next track. I have use this way of writing a lots of times. The
phrases I start with might or might not be the final song titles, as the piece
tends to create itself while I am composing, and might therefore end up a
whole other place than when I first started. However, the phrase I start out
with always kickstarts the composing process and gives me a direction to
follow while writing the track.!
!
2. Write Using A Secondary Instrument!
!
I am a multi-instrumentalist, among others playing violin, piano and guitar. I
have to admit, that most of my compositions are written on the piano.
However, if I try to write something on the guitar, the outcome might be totally
different. The same goes for composing on the violin. I have been composing
on the piano for so long, that I often find myself walking in circles, getting
back to the same chord progressions or melody structures. I then find it very
useful to write using either the guitar or violin. Using a new instrument usually
makes me feel inspired, and makes me think in a new way, resulting in
compositions that are fresh and different. So if you are a guitarist, lay down
your guitar and sit down by the piano. If you are a pianist, try to just sing your
melodies or use a guitar. Try to turn to a secondary instrument, and you will
often find yourself writing in a whole different way.!
!
3. Choose A Well Known Chord Progression!
!
It might be hard to just come up with a great melody out of thin air. Therefore,
starting with a strong and common chord progression can be a good start. A
great progression might get you inspired enough to come up with some great
melodies to go with it. I have written some of my most successful pieces this
way. You can either sit down by your instrument and find a chord progression
that you like, or you can do a quick search for “Power Chord Progressions”
online. Power progressions are chord progressions that have been used to
write hits for decades. Find a progression that moves you, and your next
composition might almost write itself.!
!
4. Make It A Habit To Compose A Lot!
!
Composing and songwriting is an art that requires practice. To get better at
writing songs, you have to write more songs. Therefore, get used to sitting
down and just WRITE. I sometimes just sit down by the piano or guitar, and
compose something quickly in 2 minutes. It may be a short motif, a melody, or
just a chord progression. I don’t really pay too much attention to every detail
of what I am doing, but I use it as a practice to be able to just compose out of
thin air during a limited timespan. Some of it is crappy, but a lot of it is really
good, and makes the foundations of quite a lot of my compositions. I ALWAYS
record my quick sessions on my phone recorder. Then I can visit the ideas
later, and make a composition out of it. I think over 80% of my most popular
themes were written this way, by just playing the first theme that comes to
mind, and later working on the details. No matter how you choose to
exercise, be sure to just write a lot of music. That is the only true way to
become a better composer.!
!
5. Go Back To Old Ideas!
!
As I said, I always record my ideas. Even if it is just a small snippet, it might
become handy later. If you feel that you cannot come up with a good idea for
a new track, try to revisit your older drafts. If you have recorded your ideas
like I do, go back and see if something there inspires you. I have several
times been browsing through my records months back in time, and found
some gems I have made some really good tracks out of. Therefore, be sure
to go back in time and check out what you have done in the past, you might
find something useful.!
!
6. Take A Break!
!
If nothing works, and you still feel frustrated, hopeless and want to give up,
there is only one thing to do. Just take a break. Get away from your studio/
working desk, and go for a walk. Go see a movie, travel a bit, or just do
something else you enjoy. Take a break until you feel inspired and motivated
again. Composing music should be fun and fulfilling, not something that
makes you feel bad. If such a lack of motivation strikes, just take a break and
do something you enjoy. I promise you that the motivation to compose
suddenly will come back stronger than ever before, and you will be able to
compose some great tunes. I hope these tips will help those of you who are
staring at a blank piece of paper (or an empty project in the studio), to just get
started!!
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Orchestration!
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«To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts - such is the duty of the
artist» 

-Robert Schumann!

http://www.classicfm.com/discover/music/inspiring-composer-quotes/robert-schumann/!
!
By now, you are most likely fairly close to finishing composing your piece.
What’s remaining now, is the actual orchestral arrangement. The way you
orchestrate your piece has a HUGE impact on how the music will turn out.
Will your theme be played by a soft solo flute? A loud trumpet? An entire
string section? !
!
Tone Color And Emotion
This brings us to the question: Which emotional response are you seeking
from your listener? Is your main theme heroic and big? Sad and small? Dark
and brutal? Romantic and warm? Think about this for a moment, and decide
which emotional response you want. Maybe the composition should start out
sad and hopeful, and evolve into a huge romantic ending? If so, write that
down and keep it in mind while arranging. !
!
Every single instrument has it’s own tone color. The flute is round and warm,
the oboe is more nasal and bright, cellos are warm and full, and trumpets are
bright and brassy. The tone color of an instrument changes depending on
which register the player is playing in. The lower register of the cello for
instance, is dark, warm and round, while the upper register is brighter and
sharper. Therefore it is important with some general knowledge about the
orchestral instruments while arranging. We are going to look more at the
different tone colors and instruments in the «Families» chapter, coming next.
For now, just be aware that the tone color has a huge impact on the sound of
your composition. !
!
When doubling two instruments, you should double by tone color, not by
range. If you have a flute melody that is too quiet, and want to add a trumpet
just to bring it more to the front, the result might be quite bad. The two
instruments are playing in the same range, but have two completely different
tone colors. The result is often a feeling that the two instruments are fighting
for space in the mix. What you want to achieve through doubling instruments,
is to make them blend together and create a single, enhanced sound. !
!
When doubling instruments, ask yourself: «What do I want to achieve?». If
you want your flute melody to be more warm, full and round, you should
probably group it with a clarinet. Think of the sound color as visual colors, in
terms of what you want to achieve. Try to «paint» a picture with the tone
colors. Do you want a more brassy tone to the oboe? Double it with a muted
trumpet. Want a more full and rich sound? Double it with the bassoon in
octaves. Just as when you are blending visual colors, decide what you want
to achieve with the blend. If you want to make your red color more violet, add
some blue. Now, let us have a look at the four families of the orchestra. !
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 The Four Families:!
Strings!
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The string family is versatile, and can play almost anything. From staccato
lines in epic music, to warm, big love themes. What one must remember, is
that the string section isn’t a keyboard. You can’t just load up a string patch,
play your keyboard, and expect it to sound like an actual string section. A
string section may consist of 60 different players, each with their own
instrument. These may together play 5 individual lines, so just playing chords
on your keyboard with a string patch will sound like… ehh… chords on a
keyboard! Therefore, to get a natural and beautiful sounding string part in
your composition, some basic knowledge is required. Check out my article on
4 part writing HERE.



Let’s get started by looking at the ranges of the different instruments. The
string section consists of violins (usually divided in 1st and 2nd violins), violas,
cellos and contrabasses (also called double basses). It is quite important to
be aware of the limitations to the ranges of the instruments. This is to place
your melodies in the best ranges of the instruments, and avoiding writing
parts that the instruments cannot actually play. !
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!
Here you can see the ranges of each instrument in the string section. Be
aware of these while arranging. Now, let us have a look at some important
characteristics of the string section. 




!
They can play any note imaginable within their range. This is because
they have no frets, or defined keys like on a guitar or piano. The notes are
defined by where the musician places their fingers, so they are able to play
notes that are between the usual steps, as well as slide between notes. !
They can play continuously, without the need to breathe between lines. 

String players don’t need to breathe, as they play using a bow, and can play
long melodic lines without needing to take a break. !
They can play fast scales and runs.

A good string player can play very fast runs and scales, as well as arpeggiat-
ed chords. !
They can play several notes simultaneously, through double stops or triple
stops, where the player plays two or three strings at the same time. !
Their tone color is usually more dark and warm in the lower range, but
thinner, brighter and more brilliant in their higher ranges. !
This will have a huge impact on how your melody will turn out. If it is played in
the lower register, it will sound warmer and more gloomy. If you place it in a
higher register, it will sound lighter and more brilliant. The higher you go, the
more thin, brittle and penetrating the string sound will get. !
They are able to play a lot of different articulations, like legato, staccato,
marcato, etc. Get familiar with the different articulations of the string family,
and learn how to use them effectively. Let’s have a look at the most common
ones here:



Pizzicato: The player plucks the string with their finger.!
Arco: The player uses their bow. Written after the end of a pizzicato passage. !
Legato: Several notes connected with a single bow stroke. Has a flowing and
smooth feeling.!
Staccato: Short notes with space between them. !
Marcato: Accentuated!
Glissando: A slide from one note to another.!
Con Sordino: With a mute. Player puts a mute on the bridge, more mellow
and warm sound.!
Check out this site for a more complete list of articulations. http://beststu-
dentviolins.com/terms.html!
Be aware of the double bass/contrabass, as it is a transposing instrument. It
is notated an octave higher than it sounds. This means that the double bass
sounds an octave lower than what’s written in the picture above. !
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The Instruments:!
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The Violin: The violin is the smallest and highest
pitched instrument of the string family. There can be up
to 30 violins in an orchestra, which is more than any
other instrument in the ensemble. The four strings are
tuned in GDAE. 

Some good blends: Strings in octaves,
woodwinds. Pizzicato with harp."
!
The Viola: The bigger brother of the violin. Has a
darker timbre compared to the violins brighter
quality. Tuned in CGDA, a fifth lower than his little
brother. 

Some good blends: Strings in octaves, Pizzicato
with harp. !
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The Cello: The tenor and bass instrument of the
violin family. Has an even lower range than the
viola, able to produce a full and rich sound. !
Some good blends: Strings in octaves,
Pizzicato with harp, oboe, clarinet and bassoon,
horn. "
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The Double Bass: is actually not a part of the violin
family (violin, viola and cello). It’s timbre is dark,
powerful, broad and dull, and it is able to play in a very
low register due to it’s huge size. It has the bass role
of the orchestra.

Some good blends: Strings, harp, bass clarinet,
contrabassoon, tuba, timpani. "
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Harp: The harp is one of the oldest and most
widespread instruments in the world. It is played by
plucking strings that are attached to a wooden frame and
soundbox. A harp player is both able to play melodic
lines and chords on the instrument. It is a diatonic
instrument, and uses foot pedals to alter pitches (making
a C a C# or Cb for instance). Therefore a chromatic
scale is almost impossible to play on the harp. Its sound
is gentle, clear, mellow and flowing. !
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!
In a large orchestra, the string section will usually
look like this:
Violin 1: 16

Violin 2: 14

Viola: 12

Cellos: 10

Doublle Basses: 8

Harp: 1
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 Brass!
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You have probably heard the heroic theme of Indiana Jones, the brass
melody from Jurassic Park, or the main theme of Star Wars. The brass family
is a very important part of orchestral music, and very commonly used in film
scores. Brass melodies are heroic and epic, and their chords are powerful
and huge. The brass section has an unbelievable power in their sound.
However, there is a lot of things that brass players can do, and just as many
things they cannot do. To be able to write brass melodies and arrangements
that will sound great, it is important to learn the basics of the family. !
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Brass ranges:!

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The sound in brass instruments are created and controlled by the
vibration of the players lips. The pitch is determined by the frequency of
these vibrations. Loose lips and low air flow will produce a low pitch, due to
the low frequency of the vibration of the lip. The more tension on the lips, the
more air pressure is needed to get them to vibrate. Try this yourself, blow air
through your mouth to make your lips vibrate. Now tense your lips more and
more, and feel how you must use more force and air to make them vibrate,
and feel how this produces a higher pitched sound. This is what changes the
pitch, together with the valves of the brass instruments.

What this basically means is that more and more force is needed to play
higher and higher pitches. This again usually makes the sound louder and
louder the higher the pitch gets. Because of this, a brass player is rarely able
to play the low notes super loud, and can not play the highest notes super
quiet. !
!
Super-fast runs are harder to play on a brass instrument. Because a
brass player needs to adjust lip vibrations through air pressure, and finger
placements on valves, really fast runs might be quite hard to play. This is
especially true for the trombone, where the player needs to move his whole
arm to change the pitch of his instrument. Runs are easier on strings and
woodwinds, so if you have composed a fantastic and fast run, consider giving
it to a flute or violin instead of the horn or trombone. Remember this while
writing a brass melody. A super-fast trombone melody will be hard, or
impossible to play, and sound just unnatural to the listener. !
!
The tone color changes with the pitch."
The lower ranges of brass instruments are quite dark, and have a raw quality.
Their middle ranges are clearer, have a full tone, while their upper registers
are loud, hard, sharp and are able to cut through anything in the orchestra.!
!
They cannot play chords Brass instruments are only able to play one note
at a time on their instrument. "
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Brass doubling"
There is one instrument that is quite different from the others in the brass
family. The trumpets and trombones have a cylindrical bored mouthpiece,
giving them a more penetrating and bright tone color. The french horn
however, has a conical bored mouthpiece, giving it a more mellow and full
tone color. This is important to be aware of. Remember that I told you not to
group by range, but by tone color? This means that you should not
necessarily group the horn with the trombone, but rather with other
instruments with a more mellow and warm tone. Very common instruments to
double the horn with, are woodwinds and the cello. !
!
Humans need to breathe: While writing brass parts and melodies,
remember that a human being cannot hold their breath for an unlimited
amount of time. Especially not while using all the air playing an instrument!
This means that you should not have a continuous melody in the brass
instruments for too long. Remember to put in small breaks for the player to
breathe! Not only is it then able to be played by a real musician, but it sounds
a lot more natural and human to the listener. !
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Common Articulations!
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Brass instruments can play common articulations like legato, marcato and
staccato, but they have some unique ones like flutter tonguing (a rolled r
sound while playing) or double/triple tonguing. !
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Transposing Instruments"
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Trumpets and horns are transposing instruments. This means that if a Bb
trumpet player is told to play a C, the outcome would be a Bb. If an F horn
player plays a C, guess what it would sound like? Yeah, an F. Here you can
see how this is notated for brass instruments. !
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The Instruments!
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The Trumpet: has a bright, powerful and brilliant
sound quality. It is the smallest member of the brass
family, and it’s characteristic sound makes it perfect for
heroic and powerful themes. It is dark and round in it’s
lower register, fuller in it’s middle register and more
penetrating in it’s higher range. Usually tuned in C of
Bb. 

Some good blends: Trombone, oboe, viola. "
!
The Horn: Has a full, clear and round quality to it.
The lowest notes are very mellow and work very
well for calm passages. The middle register is
more full, and works very well for heroic themes.
The upper register is intense and bright, but still
very round compared to the other brass
instrument.!
Some good blends: Woodwinds, strings, cello
in unison. "
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The Trombone: has a sound that remains
homogenous for the entire range, unlike
instruments like the clarinet and bassoon. The
lower register is very dark and threatening when
played loud, and has a «warning» feeling to it.
Played softly, the low register is more mysterious.
The middle and higher register is more heroic,
brilliant and mighty, and has the characteristic
brass sound. 

Some good blends: Trumpet, Tuba."
!
The Tuba: is the biggest and lowest pitched brass
instrument in the orchestra. The lowest notes can only be
played very softly, but project very well. The middle register
is very full and soft sounding, and also the most used. !
Some good blends: Trombone, Double Bass. Bassoon
+ Contrabassoon. "
!
In a large orchestra, the brass section will usually look
like this:
Horns: 4-8

Trumpets: 3-6

Trombones: 3-6 (1-2 are bass trombones)

Tuba: 1 or 2
!
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!
 Woodwinds!
!
The woodwind family is a beautiful section of the orchestra, but sadly often
overlooked. Today’s epic music tend to focus on huge staccato strings,
chanting choirs and heroic brass melodies. Therefore, their little brothers in
the woodwinds section are often forgotten by the composers. However,
knowing to write for woodwinds is important, and may give your compositions
a whole new touch. Listen to «Buckbeak’s Flight» by John Williams, and skip
to 1.20. Notice how the woodwind runs in the background are giving a whole
new life to the music. Woodwinds can also be used to present themes in solo
instruments, doubling other instruments, or playing harmonic material.!
Woodwind Ranges!

!
!
Some basics:!
!
There are two kinds of woodwinds instruments: Flutes and reed
instruments. The reed instruments are divided in two, the single reeds and
double reeds. The clarinet is a single reed instrument, while the oboes and
bassoons are double reed instruments. They provide quite different tone
colors. The flutes and single reeds are more warm and round, while the
double reeds are more nasal and bright. !
!
Woodwinds are able to play fast scales and runs: In contrast to brass
instruments, woodwinds can easily play faster runs and arpeggiated chords.
In fact, this is a very usual way to use the woodwinds, as in the «Buckbeak’s
Flight» example. !
!
They cannot play chords Woodwind instruments are only able to play one
note at a time. However they can play arpeggios effectively, which is chords
played quickly, one note at a time. !
!
Transposing Instruments!
The Bb Clarinet and the English Horn are transposing instruments in the
woodwind section. !
!
Woodwind players need to breathe too: As with the brass section,
woodwind players need to breathe while playing. Therefore it is important to
create small breaks for the players, both within a phrase, and between
phrases.!
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The Instruments !
!
Piccolo: The piccolo is the highest pitched
instrument in the woodwind family, and in the entire
orchestra. It has a very penetrating and shrill quality
when played loud, yet a soft and sweet tone when
played softly. Good for huge tutti statements, but
should be used sparingly, as it is very tiresome to
listen to for the ears. 

Good blends: Doubling other woodwinds in
octaves!
!
!
!
Flute: The flute is an edge-tone instrument. It
has a rich and full tone in it’s middle range,
and a more brilliant and penetrating higher
register. Can both be used effectively as a solo
instrument, as well as for doubling other
instruments of the orchestra. Good blends:
Doubling violins (very common), oboe and
clarinet.!
!
!
!
!
Oboe:

The oboe is a double reed woodwind
instrument, with a nasal and bright tone
color. The expressive middle register is
often used both for sad, melancholic
themes as well as joyful melodies. !It has
a very characteristic quality, both good for
solo melodies, as well as for doubling
other orchestral instruments. 

Good blends: Flute for a more mellow
sound, clarinets for a fuller quality, or
bassoons for a more powerful and deep
sound. Both oboe and bassoons are
double reed instruments, and therefore sound very good when played
together.!
!
!
!
Clarinet:!
The clarinet is a single reed instrument, and
has a mellow, warm and expressive tone
color. Very effective for playing smooth and
expressive legato passages. The lower
register is dark, warm and melancholic when
played solo. The upper register is most
commonly used, and sounds very compact
and bright. It is quite similar to the human
voice, and can effectively express both
desperation, love, joy and mourning. 

Good blends: Woodwinds, horn, and cello.
Adds depth and warmth to other instruments when combined. !
!
Bassoon:

The bassoon is a tenor and bass instrument,
with a double reed mouthpiece like the oboe.
Though the two instruments are similar, the
bassoon is not as penetrating and sharp as its
little brother. The differences between the
registers of the instruments are very clear and
pronounced, one of the true characteristics of
the bassoon. The lower register is often used
as a bass foundation, and is quite thick and
heavy. Usage of the middle register is very
common, often playing mysterious, emotional
and melancholic melodies. The upper register
sounds very compressed, yet lyrical and soft. 

Good blends: Woodwinds, horn, low brass
and low strings. Adds a more powerful and
mellow touch to other instruments when doubled. Takes some of the metallic
edge off the brass instruments. !
!
In a large orchestra, the woodwind section will usually look like this:
Flutes: 2-4

Oboes: 2-4

Clarinets: 2-4

Bassoons: 2-4
 Percussion!
!
The percussion family is a very large and powerful family of the orchestra,
and includes all instruments making a sound when hit, shaken or scraped.
They keep the rhythm of the music, add color and are able to lift the entire
orchestra with it’s huge bearing power. !
!
Some basics:!
!
There are two kinds of percussion instruments: Pitched percussion and
non pitched percussion. The first category includes instruments that make a
musical pitch when hit, like a timpani, glockenspiel or piano. The latter does
not have a definite pitch, like a snare drum or triangle. !
!
Percussionists need to be very skilled: It is a lot harder than it seems to be
able to hit the right place with the exact right power at the right time. If a string
player plays a note 10ms too late, nobody would notice. However, if the same
thing happens to the timpani player, it would be a disaster. Percussionists
have to be extremely focused and accurate all the time, something that
makes it a very challenging task. !
!
Percussionists usually play several instruments: A percussionist usually
switches between several different percussion instruments during a single
piece of music. !
!
The Instruments !
!
Timpani:!
The timpani is a big bowl-looking drum, and the
loudest instrument in the entire orchestra. It is a
pitched instrument, and the player changes the notes
by stretching/loosening the drum heads with a foot
pedal. The Timpani is very central to the orchestral
percussion, since it both can play rhythm, melody and
harmony. Usually 4 different timpani of different size
are used. A timpanist must be very skilled, and
therefore usually requires a specialized player. 

It can be used as a background instrument when
played very lightly, but can project over the entire
ensemble when played in forte. The sound has a very deep, mellow, and
booming quality. !
!
Cymbals:!
The cymbals can be played by either striking one plate
against the other, or being struck with a stick/mallet.
The loud sound is usually used to accentuate musical
climaxes, and it’s sound can rise above the entire
orchestra. It is very effective when used sparingly. !
!
!
Snare Drum:!
The snare drum is the smallest of the cylindrical drums,
and is extremely common in all western music styles. It
is also a very important part of the orchestral percussion
family. Due to it’s small size, the sound is very bright,
sharp and penetrating. !
!
!
!
Bass Drum:!
The bass drum is also an important instrument in
both western popular music and orchestral works.
It is very effective for marking the rhythm, and
covers the bass register of the percussion section.
Is has a huge range, from subtle to super loud, and
most often only one bass drum is required. The
sound is quite dark, full, mighty and thunderous. !
!
!
!
!
!
Gongs:!
The gong is a hanging huge round metal plate with
a knob in the center. It has a definite pitch, and
adds an exotic flavor to the music. It has a very full
sounding and round tone, and gongs of different
sizes can be used to play entire melodies. !
!
!
Celesta:!
The celesta is an instrument that was invented
during the 19th century. It is played as a piano,
but has a percussive, yet heavenly sound. A
famous usage of this instrument is Prologue
and Hedwig’s theme from the Harry Potter
series. The celesta parts are usually very quick
and lively and requires a very skilled player. !
!
Piano:!
The piano is a well known instrument, very often
used in Jazz and Classical music. It is played
with a keyboard, and can both be used for
harmonies as well as melodies (or both at the
same time). It is very often also used as a
composition tool because of it’s diversity. !
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Common orchestration mistakes and how to avoid them!
!
As I mentioned earlier, the orchestra is a wonderful ensemble, able to
express every emotion imaginable. However, to getting the most out of it
requires quite a bit of knowledge and experience. Today, composers with the
right digital tools may write huge orchestral music, and make it sound quite
good. This music is created and written with and for virtual instruments.
Problems may therefore arise if one is seeking to have the music played by a
real orchestra, and find that the score is impossible to play by real musicians.
Badly orchestrated music may also clutter the mix, and make things sound
quite unrealistic and machine-made. This chapter is about the basics of
orchestration, common mistakes and how to avoid them. With these tips, your
composing will be smoother, the mix more balanced and the music more
realistic. !
!
1.Now knowing the limitations of the orchestra!
!
The orchestra is huge, containing a lot of different instruments, split into 5
main groups. Musically, the orchestra is able to do almost anything. However,
it has its limits, and they are important to be aware of. Woodwind players
need to breathe between phrases, brass players cannot play quietly in their
upper register, and string players can most certainly not play a C13 on their
instrument. If you are serious about composing orchestral music, you should
get a fair overview of the general playing ranges of the different instruments,
where they sound best, and what they can actually play and do. I will go into
detail about all these ranges and limitations in my Introduction to
Orchestration course. !
!
2. Not being aware of the difference between virtual and real
instruments.!
!
When people compose for virtual instruments, they usually load a patch, and
start playing. This patch may be staccato samples, or longer sustained notes.
It is therefore common that as one composes, one composes just for that
sample. That means that you will have the entire string part played in
staccato for example. A real violinist may however be able to switch between
playing staccato, legato, sustained notes, runs, trills and pizzicato in a blink of
an eye. Music for real orchestras is therefore often more diverse when it
comes to playing techniques. If you want to create a pumping trailer music
track, staying with the staccato samples is just fine. But if you want to create
dynamic orchestral music, load up different kind of samples, write for the real
instrument and not for your sampler. !
!
3. Grouping instruments by range, not tone color.!
!
One of the first things I ever learnt during my orchestration studies at Berklee
Online, was NOT to group instruments by playing range. Just because a
piccolo, flute and a trumpet all may play in a high pitch, doesn’t mean they
will sound good together. This applies BOTH to those who write for VST
plugins, and those who seek to write for a real performance. When you group
instruments, decide which tone color you are aiming for. For a warmer deeper
flute sound, double it with a clarinet. If you want a fuller more brassy sound to
your cello melody, double it with the french horn. Harp and pizzicato strings
are nice to group together for warm, lush harmonic material. Grouped with
the flute for a melody, you will have a nice and warm tone color. !
!
These are three of, what I consider to be, the most important things to be
aware of while writing for the orchestra. Orchestration is a very complicated
art, but with these steps, you are indeed on the right path! !
For a more in depth introduction to orchestration, check out my course here: 

There I will take you through the basics of orchestrating music, from piano
sketch to finished score. !
!
Quick Orchestration Templates!
!
These are some usual ways of orchestrating material, that you can use to get
quickly started. !


Big Orchestral Statement:!
Melody: Strings in octaves, doubled by flute. 

Countermelody: Horns and cello in unison. 

Harmony: Brass, Double Bass, Low Woodwinds, Choirs!
!
Intimate String Theme:

Melody: Violin 1 and 2

Countermelody: Oboe/Clarinet

Harmony: Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Harp!
!
Solo Statement:

Melody: Solo instrument (Flute, Oboe, Violin etc)

Harmony: Pizzicato Strings, Harp/Piano. !
!
!
!
!
Arranging Your Composition!
!
Okay, now we have been briefly looking at a lot of theory. We have made a
strong theme, put chords to it, and turned it into a full composition. Then we
have been looking briefly at the instruments of the orchestra, your toolbox
when arranging. It’s time to start working on the actual arrangement. !
!
By now, you actually have a lot of your work done already. After finishing your
song structure, you have most likely been thinking of the dynamics of your
track. For example a more calm introduction, then a build and a drop before
the climax like I have chosen. If you have been thinking about the emotion
you want to express, you have most likely started thinking about a fitting
melody instrument after reading about the four families. This is a very good
starting point. Now I will show you how I usually start out when arranging my
compositions. !
!
The first thing I do, is to get a blank piece of paper and a pencil. On that, I
draw a timeline, displaying the composition from beginning to end. Next, I
divide that timeline into song sections - in this case 4 (AABA form). Vertically,
I create 4 rows, one for melody, one for countermelody, harmony and
«other». Here I will fill in which instruments are playing what for each part in
the composition. !
!
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!
!
!
This is an example of how this may be done roughly. I also write in the
dynamics of the song, colored in black. By writing this down, I find it much
easier to choose the right instruments and arrange the composition properly. !
!
I usually start out by arranging the main theme, the core of the entire song.
Some places you might want lively runs in the woodwinds, driving percussion,
or other details. This is however something I find so much easier to do when
all the main ingredients are sorted out. Therefore, I encourage you to start
with arranging your melody and harmony. I often start doing this with either
the climax or the beginning. This is because I find those sections the easiest
ones to picture how I want, and they are therefore good starting points. !
!
A good place to start, is by picking your melody instrument. This choice
depends on the section you have chosen, because you will most likely vary
your melody instrument(s) throughout the piece. Maybe you will start out with
a soft flute melody in the beginning, then evolve to a bigger string melody,
then a solo piano melody in the contrasting part, before using the entire brass
family in the ending climax. Varying your instrumentation will help you gain
that perfect balance between contrast and similarity. Let me give you some
tips on how to do this effectively, here using the AABA form. !
!
This is one possibility:!
!
A: Start small. You may use a solo instrument for the melody (flute, oboe,
clarinet, violin, horn etc), with a smaller accompanying ensemble doing the
harmony. Harp and pizzicato strings, piano and soft sustained strings works
very well for this. !
!
A: Expand on the existing instrumentation and create a sense of growth. If
you used a solo instrument, double it with say, the first violin section. If you
used a solo horn, you might include 4 horns, or you can double it with the
cellos. Remember to expand the harmony section too, so the two elements
always remain balanced. If you have used strings in the first part, you may
double them with some soft brass chords, or use the woodwinds. You can
also introduce a counter melody in this part (more on that later). I like to
rather «build» than to «change» in this part, as we want the listener to follow
us all the way. Too much change too early in the song might be confusing, so
you might want to focus on expanding on the main theme instead of changing
it drastically during the two first presentations. !
!
B: Now is the time for change. By now your main theme should be fairly big
and powerful. If you have used a big string ensemble playing a theme with
long notes, it is a good idea to choose an instrumentation that is smaller, and
has a different tone color. Maybe you want to use pizzicato strings and
woodwinds, with an oboe playing the melody. Maybe a solo piano, or using
pitched percussion like xylophone, celesta or glockenspiel. A small
instrumentation here will make the climax seem even bigger. !
!
A: End big. Here you can use the entire orchestra. Maybe you want 6 horns
playing the melody, doubled by the cellos. Maybe you want the strings and
flutes playing the melody, doubling each other across 3 octaves. Remember
to keep the harmony section just as powerful. The brass family is actually
able to do the harmony all on it’s own, and still be heard through the entire
orchestra. !
!
Now, decide on a melody instrument for each section of the orchestra. Then,
choose an appropriate ensemble for the harmony. Write your choices on the
piece of paper we made earlier. If you are using another form than AABA, the
principles remains the same. Try to get a good balance between contrast and
growth. Use orchestration to highlight changes in your composition. When
you have done that, we have the foundation for our entire track ready. It is
time to fill in the gaps, and add some interesting details. !
!
Now that the main job is done, let’s add in some additional details. The
opening is actually best left quite simple. This is so the theme can be
presented clearly to the listener, without any other distracting elements.
However, on the second section (repetition) I would like to add in a
countermelody to expand on the first statement. !


Writing A Good Countermelody:!
!
Rhythm: Make the countermelody move while the main melody rests. The
best way to separate the two layers from each other, is to give them space.
When the main theme is active, let the countermelody rest. When the main
theme is resting, give life to the countermelody. !
Tone Color: Give the new layer a new tone color. If the melody uses the full
and warm color of flutes and violins, you may give the new element a more
bright and nasal tone by using the oboe and bassoon. Or if you have a heroic
horn theme, you can use the strings to create a contrasting countermelody.
There are tons of opportunities here. !
!
Here is an example from my composition: !

As you see, the melody and countermelody are separated in several ways.
First, the counter melody is one octave higher than the main melody. Second,
you can see that one is moving melodically while the other is resting. !
!
It sounds like this: !
!
I have also added some more details to the track:!
!
Woodwinds: Woodwinds are great for runs, adding life and excitement to
your music. I have done this at the climax. !
Choir: I have also added a female choir, singing a rhythm using the harmonic
material. 

Percussion: I have used percussion to add more drive, rhythm and energy to
the ending part. 



Listen:

!
There are no rules for adding details like this, use your imagination and
experiment until you are satisfied! !
!
!
Writing Down The Arrangement !
!
By now, you are actually close to finishing the entire arrangement. Some of
you may want to write down the entire arrangement voice for voice, but it’s
not really necessary. Because of the great paper you have made earlier in
this chapter, you know which instrument is playing/not playing where. To
begin with, this is really all you need. You know which instrument is playing
the main melody during the opening, you know which instruments are taking
care of the harmony during the contrasting section. If you start recording
those things you have written down, you will soon see your composition starts
to fall into place. And if you feel that you want to add more, but don’t really
know what yet, don’t worry. You can easily do this during the recording stage,
adding small details and voices as you see fit. !
!
Chord voicing: !
!
If you are going to arrange chords for strings, choirs, brass or woodwinds, it is
important to have proper chord voicing and use good 4 part writing. For those
of you who are new to those terms, there are bonus chapters at the end of
this book, explaining those concepts, as well as tips about writing one and
two layered music.!
!
!
Exercise 5: Orchestrating Your Composition!
Beginner: Use one or more of the templates in this chapter to orchestrate
your main melody. !
!
Intermediate: Put together an ensemble yourself. Decide upon a melody
instrument, and match it with other instruments of similar tone color and
bearing power. !
!
Advanced: Write down 3 different arrangements of your main theme. You
could use the template for one if you wish. Explore different emotions, and go
for the one you like the most. !
!
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 Production!
!
«Here's something I probably shouldn't be saying: I never listen to my
soundtrack albums because I can't stand it. It's just stereo. When I write, I
write in surround. My life is in surround.»!
- Hans Zimmer

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/hans_zimmer.html#Y5vZiY5i7tHsaw3Q.99!

!
Recording!
!
Now that you have composed and arranged your entire composition, it is time
to start making it into real sound. In this chapter we will record your track, and
make it ready for the mixing and mastering stage. For more in depth
information on building templates, choosing libraries, and speeding up your
workflow, stay updated on my coming «Technology In Music» course. I will
notify you when it’s out!!
!
After arranging your song, you roughly know which instruments and
articulations you will need. The first thing you should do, is to open up your
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), and start an empty project (if you don’t have
a template set up). Now, start to add your instruments, one by one. If you
want a layout that is similar to an orchestral score, I recommend that you start
with adding the woodwinds (flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons), and move
over to brass (horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba), further to pitched
percussion, percussion, choirs etc, before you end with the string section
(Violin 1 and 2, Viola, Cello and Contrabass). That way your DAW will look
very clean and tidy. !
!
Next, start naming all your tracks properly. If you have a flute staccato patch,
name it something like «Flute Stacc». If you have a cello legato patch, you
may name it «Cello leg». It takes a few extra minutes, but will save you a ton
of time every time you spend your day looking for your 2nd violin sordino
patch among the 100 tracks. After all names are set, color code your tracks. I
use a red color on all string tracks, yellow on all brass, dark blue on
woodwinds +++. Choose the colors you like, these will help you navigate in
your project much faster. When this is done, let’s start recording!!
!
Recording Your Project!
!
Recording your project is actually quite easy when you have already
arranged your track. The hardest part is usually looking at an empty DAW
screen, having no clue where you should start. This problem is fixed by
arranging your track in advance, like we did earlier. !
!
When I start recording, I usually either start with the main melody or the
harmonic part. Then I fill out everything in between, but this is totally up to
you. It all comes down to our own opinions and ways of working. Sometimes I
start with the opening theme, sometimes the ending. No matter what you
choose, you can start wherever you want, as you already have written down
what each instrument will play. So now, choose an instrument and record it.
This is your starting point. Now, start to expand on this until all the main parts
are done. Then, start to fill in the details. Have a look at the video of this
chapter for how this can be done.!
!
Done? Great! You are getting really close to finishing your track! Now, go
back and edit mistakes, do some polishing and finish it up for the mixing
stage. !
!
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 Mixing !
!
Mixing sampled orchestras might seem like a very hard task. It might indeed
be quite intimidating to sit there, staring at 60-100 different tracks in your
DAW. In this chapter we will try to break down the mixing stage into a few
very important steps, that will help you create the best mix possible. The
biggest problem with mixing sampled orchestras is that it is possible for them
to do things a real orchestra never could have done. Like letting the a single
flute play chords, letting a violin play in the low cello range etc. The orchestra
has been developed over hundreds of years, being constantly changed for
optimal sound balance. The orchestra is created so a good arrangement will
sound great and perfectly balanced when performed. So if you arrange
something a real orchestra couldn’t have done, the resulting mix will often
sound unnatural and weird. Which is why I say this before you start mixing:!
!
It’s all in the arrangement! !
!
Pay attention to your orchestration. Spend a good amount of time making
your arrangement as perfect as possible. If you arrangement is great, the mix
will automatically sound a lot better. If your arrangement is bad, you will
encounter some huge problems in the mix. Therefore, don’t be tempted to
think «Screw it, I’ll fix it in the mix» when you are arranging. Make sure your
arrangement is as good as it can before moving on the the final stages.
Done? Okay, we are ready to start mixing! After reading the basics of the
mixing terms, head over to the video and see how I apply everything to my
mix. !
!
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!
Levels
!
The mixing process already started when you recorded the first tracks of your
project. Already then you were probably adjusting the volume faders, so the
instruments matched each other and sounded balanced. And that is
essentially what mixing is about: balance. Balance between the instruments,
and between the frequency ranges. Later in the project you probably added
even more tracks, and balanced the volume further so the mix sounded good.
Maybe you even added some effects like reverb, eq and compression to get
the results you wanted. Now, you might be quite satisfied with the result, and
decide to bounce the mix to a wav file and finish it after reading this chapter.
My advice is: Don’t. Take a moment and read through this tip, which I first got
from the well known epic music producer Ivan Torrent, and later from
producers who have worked for Whitney Houston, Rolling Stones etc.!
!
As I mentioned, we are almost always mixing while we are recording and
editing our music. In the end we might therefore end up being quite biased.
After working on a track for a long time, we sometimes feel that the current
mix is the only way that particular track could be done. However, there can be
a lot of problems in the mix that we are so used to hearing, that we simply
don’t recognize them. Therefore I encourage you to start completely from
scratch when you are at the mixing stage. Save your project under a new
name (like X Mix v2), so you can go back to your old mix if you feel like later.
Take a long break, and start your mixing session by listening to some
professionally mixed music to tune in your ear.!
!
If you are working with a lot of MIDI and virtual instruments, I encourage you
to bounce all the instruments into stem files, and load them in a new project.
Then you will have only audio files to work with, something that will result in a
better mix. Ivan Torrent said this was his number 1 tip if you feel your mix is
muddy and unclear. After opening all your files into a new project, start
organizing and labeling your project as well as possible. This will help a LOT
with the workflow, as mentioned earlier.!
!
Now, turn all your faders down to zero. Then start with the fundamental
instruments like percussion and bass instruments, and balance them well.
Then start to bring in the rest of the instruments one by one, constantly
tweaking the volume faders for the best balance possible. Also disable all
your effects like EQ and reverb. Don’t delete them, but just disable them so
you can get back to them later if you need to. Do everything from the
beginning, and try to listen to the mix with a new pair of ears. Almost 100% of
the times, this will result in a MUCH better mix.!
!
After bouncing all your tracks into a new project, and doing all the mixing from
scratch, compare it to your earlier mix. The first time I did this, my jaw
dropped. The difference was huge. The new mix sounded so much more in
your face, full and rich. So if you are struggling with getting your mixes right,
try this tip out. It requires some more time, but it is well worth it in the end.!

Panning
As I said, the configuration of the orchestra has been refined during the past
500 years. All the instruments in the ensemble are placed so the performance
will sound as balanced as possible. The loudest instruments are placed in the
back, and the more quite ones in the front. Solo instruments are placed in the
middle, and the rest placed so the performance won’t sound too heavy to the
left or right. Therefore, proper instrument placement is crucial to get a
balanced and natural sounding mix. !
!
Depending on your library, your samples might, or might not be pre-panned.
Some sample libraries are already panned as in the orchestra, ready to be
played. This is true for the EWQL orchestral libraries. Some other libraries
(Like VSL) are usually not panned, so you have the freedom to mix the
samples as you wish.!

Here you can see a picture of the placement of instruments in the orchestra.
The strings are in front, and the brass in the back. If your instruments are not
pre-panned, you should try to place them somewhat similar to this. Pan your
first violins quite a bit to the left, violas quite centered, cellos and basses to
the right etc. Choose a part from your recorded piece you are mixing, and
experiment with it there. Try to make every instrument stand out by assigning
their own place in the stereo field to them. !
!
!
EQ
!
EQ is a great way to make an instrument stand out, remove unwanted
frequencies, and also to ruin your whole mix. When it comes to the orchestra,
be careful with any hard use of EQ. The main rule of EQ-ing is to always ask
yourself these questions: «Does this REALLY need EQ, or can I fix it in any
other way?» Try out the EQ change and ask yourself: «Did this REALLY
make the track better?». If not, undo it and fix the problem in another way. If
you do a lot of small changes that you don’t really notice on their own, you
might damage the mix in the long run. However, there is one crucial thing I
want you to do with the EQ: !
!
Most of us have experienced that our mix is muddy, messy, lacks the full bass
sound and crisp highs. I for sure have. Mixing is an art that takes years and
decades to master, and there are no quick fixes to magically make your mix
compete with the pro’s. However, I have realized that there is one single thing
that can totally make or break your mix. The funny thing is that it is
ridiculously simple!!
 !
Most of us strive to get the perfect bass sound in the mix. To get a full
sounding bass in a song, a lot of us believe that one should keep the bass
frequencies in all the instruments, like piano, flutes, vocals etc. (I also used
to). The fact is that all non-bass instruments produce noise in the bass region,
both from the room they were recorded in, breathing noises and much more.
Keeping the bass frequencies on non-bass instruments does therefore
actually drown your bass instruments, and makes the whole mix sound
messy.!
 !
The even bigger problems arise if the bass sound is not as we desire, and we
try to just boost it with an EQ in the master track in frustration. This will just lift
all the noise, and the problem will just become even worse. So… what do you
do to make your bass become clear and full, supporting the rest of the mix?
Well this may sound counter-intuitive, but it is highly effective: you cut the
bass.!
 !
You heard that right; to get a good bass sound, you must actually cut away all
the bass from the NON-BASS-instruments. This includes vocals, guitars,
violins, trumpets, flutes, snare drums, everything that is not a bass guitar, sub
bass synth or the double basses. Doing this will remove all the noise
produced by the non-bass instruments, revealing only the sound from the true
bass instruments, the one that you actually want to hear in your mix.!
 !
How do you do this? Well, what I used to do is to simply put a high-pass filter
(also called a low-cut) on all the instruments except for the basses, and cut
away everything below 80-100 Hz. A rule of thumb is to cut until you hear that
the fullness starts to disappear, then back off a little. Another frequency
problem area is around 200Hz, so on some instruments you may try to cut
away a bit in this area. Be careful with this though, as a lot of the fullness in a
few instruments, like the violins, exist here.!
 !
Now, load up your project
and cut away the bass,
and listen to the
difference. Notice how
everything opens up, the
bass becomes more
clear, and a bit of the mud
disappears. Next, you
can cut away some of the
highest frequencies using the same technique, but with a high cut/low pass
filter. The ear hears less and less of frequencies around 15-20KHz, but when
a lot of those frequencies start to build up, we perceive the mix as quite brittle
and sharp. Cut away this noise by using a low pass filter, and feel how your
mix slowly opens up a bit more. Remember, that this is only one of the steps
to a great mix, but to me it is a highly effective and important one.!
!
Compression
!
As with EQ, compression can both help, and destroy your mix, if not used
wisely. The orchestra is an ensemble full of life. It is able to play from silently
in ppp, to huge walls of sound in fff. The dynamics in orchestral music are
very important, and it is crucial that we don’t kill it with too heavy
compression. This is because a compressor… compresses the sound. It
lowers the loudest peaks, and boosts the more silent parts of the music. !
!
If you are not familiar with how a compressor works, have a look here:!
!
 This is a waveform without any
compression. You can see that the
loudness is very varied, from loud
peaks to more silent parts. If we
were trying to raise the volume of
this instrument, the peaks would
cut through, but the more silent
parts would not be heard in the
mix. The result being a track with
both too silent parts, and way too
loud parts. This can however be
fixed with compression. !
What a compressor does, is to
lower any audio over a given
threshold. Here you can see that
the audio that is over the threshold
is dampened. You can see that the
audio is now more compressed.
The amount of compression
depends on the ratio. The ratio
2:1 means that every 2db over the
threshold will be dampened by 1
db. In this picture the ratio is very
high (8:1), resulting in a very
heavy compression.!


!
!
!
You see that with heavy compression, all dynamic variations are more or less
gone. While this kind of dynamics could work for a EDM track, it would sound
lifeless if applied to an orchestral piece. Therefore, apply compression with
care, and CAREFULLY listen to the changes you make. Here too, ask
yourself: «Did this really make it sound better?». !
!
I rarely apply much compression to my orchestral tracks. However, I use it on
instruments that are very loud and percussive, like huge drums and shouting
choirs etc. This is to make them sound HUGE, to cut through the mix and
give the listener a punch in the face. But for soft violin melodies and flute
phrases, it would not work very well, killing the dynamics and life… However,
I sometimes apply a very light compression to the group tracks of my
instruments (strings, brass etc), to glue them a bit more together. You can see
me applying compression in the video about mixing. !
!
!
!
!
!
Reverb
Reverb is maybe the most important effect when producing orchestral music.
Orchestral music is usually played in concert halls. The reverberation of such
halls is therefore a very important part of the orchestral sound. Applying
reverb wisely to your tracks will make them sound more realistic and natural,
adding depth and life to your recordings. Adding too much will kill the punch
and energy of your music, and clutter it up. Let’s have a look at the basics of
using reverb on an orchestra. !
!
When somebody in the audience is listening to the orchestra, the first thing
they hear is the direct sound coming from the instruments. Then, the audio is
bouncing off the walls and ceiling, being thrown back and forth in a complex
pattern. The audio bouncing back and forth in the room, is the reverb.
Needless to say, the reverb will be different in a small chamber, than in a
cathedral or a huge concert hall. A lot of software reverb plugins are made to
simulate such spaces. !


We have two main types of reverb: Digital reverb and convolution reverb. A
digital reverb uses complex calculations to simulate the sound of a real
space. Such devices uses the dry (non reverb) signal from your track, and
simulate the reflections from a real hall. You will usually find a lot of presets
on a such plugin, so try to find one that simulates a medium or big concert
hall. !
!
A convolution reverb is quite different. Here the actual space from a concert
hall is recorded, and then added to your audio. I am not going into detail
about how a convolution reverb works, but it basically uses the recorded
acoustics of a real hall, and is then mixed with your audio signal. Now, both
types of reverb comes with a couple of controls, and let’s look at some
basics. !
!
The mix button controls the blend between the original dry signal, and the
processed audio with reverb. 0% = only dry signal, while 100% = only the
wet, processed signal. The pre delay is the time between when the original
sound is heard, and the initiation of the reverb. This means the time it takes
for the sound to travel to a wall, and be reflected to the listener after the
original sound is heard. Usually a pre delay of 20 to 30 ms is appropriate for a
big hall. Reverb time is the time it takes for the reverb to die out. Usually, 1.5
to 3 seconds is a good choice. Larger reverb times = larger halls. These are
the most basic controls of a reverb plugin. Some might have more options,
some might have less. !
!
Now, before applying reverb, you will have to know how your samples were
recorded. Some are recorded dry in a studio, some are recorded with reverb.
VSL libraries are usually recorded dry, leaving room for the producer to add
the reverb of his choice. EWQL samples tend to have a certain amount of
reverb recorded already, and therefore will sound better right out of the box.
However, you will have less room to change this later on. The most important
part is that you know which way your samples were recorded; Dry or wet, and
apply reverb according to that. !
!
!Unmixed:
!
!Mixed:
!
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 Mastering!

!
!
!
Mastering is the last production stage, and the process of transferring your
recorded audio to it’s final product. Traditionally the final product was a tape,
vinyl or CD, and the process was very challenging. Nowadays as we bounce
down wav files, things are a bit easier. A lot of people just render down their
mix, and skip the mastering process altogether. This is a big mistake. Let us
have a look at the basics of mastering your newly mixed track.!
!
Going Back To The Mix
!
If you notice something that sounds quite wrong, go back to the mixing stage
and fix it there. The mastering stage should not fix any major problems, but
enhance what’s already there to get a polished end result. If you notice a
frequency area that is too loud on one of the instruments, applying EQ on the
master to kill that frequency will kill it on ALL the instruments. This will
radically change the track, and it may end up sounding thin, hollow or sharp.
So if you notice that anything sounds off, just go back and fix it in the mixing
stage again. It is usually quicker and better than trying to fix it on the master
track. !
!
!
!
!
Louder Is Not Always Better
!
When applying compression and EQ, your ears can fool you. If you take a
track and compress it so it is louder, it will almost ALWAYS sound better. The
ear perceives louder audio as more bass-filled and crisp - in other words,
better. However, the true result is that you might be ruining your track
completely. Therefore, when applying changes that make anything sound
louder, be sure to match the volume of the before and after result. Compare
them at the same volume, and see how the recent changes improved or
damaged the track. Don’t always pick the one that sounds the best because it
is loudest, your ear might fool you. !
!
!
EQ
!
When using an equalizer on the master track, be careful. You don’t want to do
any dramatic changes, but rather small alterations and enhancements. If
something is very wrong, go back to the mix and fix the problem there. Trying
to fix everything in the master process will cost you a LOT of time, and will
ruin your end product. However, if you want to enhance a certain
characteristic to the overall mix, some gentle cutting and boosting may be
applied. Use your ears and be careful. !
!
Compressor
!
As with the EQ, be gentle. You don’t want to kill the dynamics of your
orchestral piece. However, a tiny bit of compressing might glue your
instruments together a bit more, giving you a pleasing and nice result. Use a
low ratio, I would never use anything above 1:2 on an orchestral track. I
would maybe use some heavier compression on a huge, hybrid trailer music
track, but never overdo it. !
!
Reverb
!
Adding a tiny bit of reverb to the master track can glue the mix together, and
can make the instruments sound more like they’re playing in the same hall.
On the other hand, adding too much reverb can make everything sound
distant and muddy, and will kill the clarity and punch in the mix. Therefore
apply reverb with care, as with anything else you are doing on the master
track. You can alter the dry/wet signal on most reverb devices, so aim for a
quite dry audio signal with just a little bit of reverb on it to glue things together.
Use your ears and find the sweet spot. !
!
Limiter
!
A limiter is like a compressor with an incredibly high ratio. This means that all
the audio that is over a set threshold will be completely dampened, and no
audio will ever exceed this limit (hence the name limiter). As everything above
the limiter’s threshold will be completely killed, too hard usage of this will
squash the mix completely, leaving it sounding dead and cold. Therefore, just
apply some limiting in the end to make sure that the audio is not clipping
(getting over 0.0 db). If the limiter is working very hard and reducing the gain
too much, lower the volume going into it. When the limiter is adjusted
perfectly, you are almost finished with your master track.!

Stereo Enhancing
!
Using a stereo enhancer can really make your mix sound wide and full, but
too much will ruin the punch and clarity just like the reverb. Most DAWs come
with a stereo enhancer plugin, and you could experiment with how this plugin
affects your audio. Most of us want our track to sound as wide and as full as
possible, but this does not mean that you should crank the stereo enhancer
to the maximum effect. This will totally ruin the mix, so listen carefully to any
changes you make. Most of the width of your track comes from the mixing
stage. Both by proper leveling and panning, as well as separating instruments
by cutting lows and highs with the EQ. When you find the sweet spot, you are
done. !
!
Mixdown
!
Go to the «Export» or «Render» function of your DAW. Choose WAV or an
AIFF file format, in 24 bit. Be sure that the entire song is selected, and export
it. !
!
!
Mastered Track:
!
 The Next Steps!
!
It is time to give yourself an high five, you are finally done with your track! Not
too long ago, you were reading the first pages of this book. Now you have a
completely finished song stored on your computer! Not just a composition you
have written, but an actual orchestral arrangement, recorded, and fully mixed
and mastered! All by yourself. That is absolutely something to be proud of.!
!
Now, upload your track to SoundCloud or YouTube, show it to your friends,
sell it on BandCamp or AudioJungle, listen to it on your car stereo. Get
feedback from people, compose more music, grow your fan base, collaborate
with other artists, explore your sound, earn money, improve as a composer,
do what ever you want to do with your skills. But most importantly, have
fun!!
!
I really hope you enjoyed this course, and that it helped you in some way or
another. If you want to, I would be happy to give you some detailed feedback
on your composition, to help you grow even more as a composer. And if you
have any feedback regarding this course, please let me know. I will do
anything I can to improve this course for the future readers. Stay in touch,
good luck, and I wish you all the best!!
!
- Arn"
!
«You can go to school forever, but you’re never really going to learn until you
just do it.» - Michael Giaccino 

http://www.classicfm.com/discover/film-music/best-quotes-film-composer!
 !
Bonus Chapters:!
!
How To Make Your MIDI Instruments Sound More Realistic

In this article we will have a look at how to make your MIDI instruments sound
better and more realistic. When we are making orchestral music production
on our computers, things might end up sounding stiff and mechanic if we’re
not careful enough. Some pieces might even scream “SAMPLES!” when you
listen to them. Yet, a lot of composers manage to create some fantastic music
using virtual instruments, making them sound awfully realistic. Sometimes it
is hard for an untrained ear to tell if the recording is of a real orchestra or not.
So how do they do this, and how can you make your tracks sound more
realistic and natural?!
!
Today, a lot of music is made with sample libraries. When we record a
melody, we usually load a patch in our DAW and start playing. One of the
biggest mistakes people then do, is that they stay to that one single patch for
the entire track. The reason they do this is most likely because it is a bit of a
hassle to switch between different tracks and patches within a melody. A real
instrument, however, does not have this problem. A violinist can switch
between short and long notes just by moving his arm differently. He can
switch to hard staccato sounds by putting more pressure on his bow. He can
basically play any articulation within the blink of an eye, and good composers
tend to take good use of this in their music. Therefore, using only a single
patch throughout a track might result in unnatural, static and machine-
sounding music.!
!
To avoid this, you have to alter the way of thinking. When you are writing a
melody, don’t write for the patch, write for the whole instrument. Don’t
compose for the articulation, compose for a real instrumentalist. Imagine
being the instrumentalist with the instrument. How would he/she play it? You
don’t need to be an expert, or actually know how to play the instrument at all,
but it is a helpful way of thinking. Ask yourself: How can I use the articulations
available on the instrument to make this melody as good as possible? If you
write with the real instrument in mind, mixing let’s say long legato notes and
short staccato notes of different velocities, you will get a result that sounds
MUCH more realistic and alive!!
!
It makes sense, doesn’t it? To make your samples sound more like a real
orchestra, you have to mimic the characteristics of a real orchestra, with real
instruments. The wide use of different articulations is one of these
characteristics. So now, start writing for the instrument, not the patch. Use all
the articulations that are left untouched in your orchestral library, and see
your pieces come alive. This does not just apply to your melodies, but the
whole orchestra. I hope this way of thinking will help you create some
fantastically realistic and organic sounding tracks!!
!
Listen to this classic track by John Williams, and notice how all the
instruments switch between long and short notes, and different articulations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bTpp8PQSog!
!
!
Orchestral Arrangements Part 1: Single Layered Music!
!
!
Orchestral music comes in all forms and all sorts of complexity. Some pieces
might have just a melody and chords, while others might have 8 different
musical ideas going on at the same time.!
!
This is going to be the first in a series of 4 articles regarding orchestration of
different complexity levels. The next four weeks we will have a look at single
layered, two layered, three layered and four or more layered music. !
!
One layered or homophonic (From greek, homos = same – phone = sound),
music is made up of one single idea, where all the instruments play identical
or very similar rhythms. Monophonic music is music with only one voice, like
a solo flute performance. In homophonic music, the different instruments
might play different notes (in a chord for instance), but they all play the same
rhythm to present a theme or motif clearly. Single layered textures are usually
used to introduce a theme, to create a
climax (for example after a complex
buildup), or as a conclusion/ending.!
!
In this first example we are going to have
a look at my track «Hope», a piece we
have been looking at in an earlier article.
Below you can see a few bars of the
main theme , which is a single layered
texture.!
!
This score is from a smaller arrangement
I did of this composition for a class at
school earlier this year. It has only one
instrument playing each voice, so it is easy to get an overview of all the
voices simultaneously.!
!
Here we have 5 voices, making up both the harmony and melody in the
theme. All of them are playing the same rhythm, making the listener perceive
them as a single unit. !
!
Another example is the opening statement in the Tannhauser Overture by
Wagner, which is a very beautiful homophonic theme. When arranging a
homophonic statement, it is important to choose the instruments wisely. Think
about the emotion you want to express, and choose your instrumentation
accordingly. A brass section playing the theme in forte will sound completely
different than a soft string section playing the same thing.!
!
Also, try to vary your doubling throughout the passage. If the instrumentation
keeps constant, without any changes, a long homophonic statement might
turn out boring and monotonous. Try to make your passage evolve, making it
bridge smoothly into the next section of your composition. This can be done
by adding more instruments to make the theme grow, or for instance
changing the instrument that is doubling the melody line for a sense of
change.!
!
This week we have been briefly looking at music with only one layer.
Homophonic music is effective for introducing a theme, or being used as a
climax after a complex crescendo, or as an ending of a composition.!
Next week we will have a look at the more common two layered music, with
an independent melody and harmony. Until then, good luck experimenting
with homophonic themes, and feel free to send me your results for feedback!!
!
!
Orchestral Arrangements Part 2: Two Layered Music !
!
Last week we had a look at music with only one layer. We remember that a
«layer» is a musical idea where the instruments are playing the same rhythm,
and therefore perceived as one unit. This week, we will have a look at music
with two ideas coexisting at the same time.!
!
In a two layered piece of music, the musical ideas will often be characterized
as background and foreground material. To successfully write in a two-
layered context, there are some things you need to keep in mind. Always
ensure that the two ideas are separated and different from another. For
instance by using a moving melody over long, sustained chords. The two
layers should also be properly balanced. This means that you should not use
a brass section playing as loud as they can behind a soft flute melody. If you
separate your two layers well and balance them properly, you will make sure
that the attention of your listener is focused on the most important layer, the
foreground. In this example, this is the moving melody.!
!
To achieve a good separation between layers, there is a little toolbox you can
use:!
!
Rhythm: By giving the foreground and background material a different
rhythm, you may create separation effectively.!
!
Articulation: Separation can also be created by using two different
articulations on the two layers. For instance pizzicato background chords with
a sustained melody in front.!
!
Tone Color: By using two different tone colors, separation can be easily
achieved. You could for example use strings playing pizzicato together with a
harp in the background, while a solo oboe plays a melody on top. The warm
and round background material will be separated from the colder and more
nasal foreground idea.!
!
Pitch Range: At last but not at least, separation is easily created by using two
different pitch ranges. The chords might be in the middle to lower register,
while the melody is in the higher pitch range of the instrument. This will create
separation, even if the melodic statement is played on a solo piano (same
articulation, same tone color).!
!
Remember that you can always use several of these «tools» to create
separation, but you do not necessarily need to use all of them at the same
time. Now let’s look at some
examples.!
!
This is a piano reduction from the
opening sequence of The Planets:
Mars by Gustav Holst. It was an
example used by my teacher at
Berklee Online when we
discussed two layered music, and
it is a very good one indeed, so I
will use it here too. Listen to the
full sequence with the written
score here.!
!
The first layer is a rhythmic pattern played by col legno strings, harp and
timpani. Col legno is a technique where the string players hits the string using
the wood of their bow, resulting in a very hard, snappy and unique sound. The
second layer is a very dark melody played by brass and woodwinds. When
the melody comes in, it is the newest element, and will gain the listener’s
attention. At the same time, the rhythmic element is very repetitive, making it
fall into the background. This makes us perceive the horn and woodwind
melody as the foreground element, and the rhythmic pattern as the
background. However, when the melody stops, the attention goes back to the
rhythmical pattern. Therefore what we perceive as the foreground is changing
back and forth throughout the part. Let’s have a look at how they are
separated and balanced.!
!
First of all, the rhythm creates separation very effectively in this sequence.
The background has a short and driving motion, while the melody consists of
only long, sustained notes. You also notice that the tone color of the two
elements are completely different. The melody has a dark, round, ominous
feel, while the background is lighter, sharper and much more percussive. And
at least of course, the articulations: Sustained notes differ greatly from the col
legno playing technique. Combining these differences, we have two elements
that are very effectively separated. Both of the layers are played by a
relatively big ensemble, balancing out each other evenly.!
!
This week we have been briefly looking at music with two coexisting ideas.
Such an example could also be a standard chords and melody sequence.
Next week we will look at music with 3 layers, usually a harmony, melody and
countermelody. Until then, have fun experimenting with two layered
Orchestral music production using the tools described in this article!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Chord Voicing!

When you press a key on your piano or pluck a string on your guitar, you hear
a pitch. The pitch you hear however, is not just consisting of one single
frequency, but a fundamental frequency with many overtones. The strength of
these overtones define the timbre of the pitch, and makes us able to separate
a C on the piano from a C on the guitar. What most people don’t know, is that
the series of overtones are a great guide to voicing chords and arranging. Let
me explain.!
!
Here you see the first overtones from the root note of
C. See how they actually form a chord? Notice how
the chord is built. A lot of space in the lower end, and
closer between each note the higher you get. This is a
great example of how a chord should be voiced. If the
notes are too close in the darker register, the chord will
sound muffled and muddy. Wider spaces in the low
register and closer voicing in the upper register will
result in a full, clear and rich chord. Always remember
this while voicing your chords.!
!
So let’s say you have a C Major triad. That is 3 notes, C E and G. When you
have three instruments, voicing such a chord is not a problem. But what do
you do when you have 4 string parts? 7 Parts? An entire orchestra!? As you
have only 3 different notes, you have to double some of them. The question is
however, which ones do you double? Again, the answer
actually lies in the overtones. Let us see which notes it
consists of.!
!
!
I have marked the root note red, and the fifth (G) blue.
How often are the different notes doubled?!
Root: 4 times!
Fifth: 2 times

Third: 1 time!
(Seventh: 1 time – If you are voicing a seventh chord)!
Immediately you see that the root note is doubled 4 times, that is 50% of the
notes in the chord! So as a general rule, double the root note. That means if
you have 4 voices, double the root note in the triad. As you can see here, the
root is doubled twice as many times as the fifth, which again is doubled twice
as many times as the third. This is a good rule to follow when you are voicing
your chords. Be careful with doubling the third too much, as it will change the
color and feel of the chord quite dramatically. Let us have a look at a few
examples of good and bad voicing:!
!
Bad chord voicing: !
!
!
This is a good example of a bad chord voicing.
See how the voices are close in the lower range,
and more spaced in the higher range? This is the
opposite of what we want, and will create a
muddy, cluttered sound. In addition, the root is
only played once(!), the fifth 3 times, and the third
3 times. The doubling in this chord is therefore
also bad. Now, let us look at a better chord
voicing.!
!
!
Good chord voicing: !
!
!
Here you can see that there is a lot of space in
the lower end, with more closed voices in the
upper part of the chord. This will result in a
balanced and clear chord. Also notice the
doubling, the root note is used 4 times, the fifth 2
tines, and the third 1 time. This is a perfect way to
double chord with more than 4 voices.!
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Use an open, spaced voicing in the lowest notes, to avoid a muddy chord.!
Use a more closed voicing in the top notes of the chord.!
In general, double the root.!
In general, double the fifth half as often as the root.!
Avoid doubling the third too much, half as often as the fifth is good.!
These guidelines does not only apply to chords, but to voices in your
compositions in general. Hope this helps!!
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How To Effectively Voice Harmonic Material !
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Okay, if you have read my article about chord voicing, you probably have a
clue about how to voice a chord, which notes to double, and which ones not
to double. But how does one voice a whole chord progression to make it feel
like one phrase, and not just totally individual chords?!
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Today I will use the string section as an example, but these tips works for
anything, may it be choir, brass, woodwinds or a group of vocalists (or any
instruments for that matter). Take a listen to the following example, to see
how the result from this exercise will turn out.!
!
As I have written before, please don’t treat your orchestra as a keyboard, as it
will result in a highly unnatural sound. This is the number one thing I want you
to keep in mind while voicing harmonic material. Listen to those two
examples, and notice the difference.!
!
See how the first one sounds quite unnatural, feeling like somebody is just
playing chords with a string patch on a keyboard? Do you notice how the
other one actually sounds more like a real string section playing? How do you
achieve this?!
These tips goes back to the era of the composers like Bach, as they
developed rules for good 4 part voicing. I am not a huge fan of being bound
to strict rules, but I have to admit that these rules might make your harmonic
material a whole lot better. Let’s get started.!
Okay, the string section is divided into 5 instrument groups, Violin 1 and 2,
Violas, Cellos and Contrabasses. As this is tips for 4 part voicing, we will just
use the cellos to double the contrabasses (root note) in the chords. So now,
we have 4 different voices, ready to play 4 separate melodies, together
creating a beautiful chord progression. After reading my chord voicing article,
you should know how to properly voice a chord. In this example, we will work
with the Am – F – C – G, progression. Therefore, what I want you to do first,
is to just voice a A minor (A,C,E) chord for the strings (4 voices).!
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Here are the chord progression for the piano. What we want to do, is to voice
this for 4 string voices. First, start out voicing the first A-minor chord using the
tips from the chord voicing article. When you have done this, you are ready to
proceed.!
!
Now, some general guidelines when voicing harmonic material:!
!
1. Make each voice move as little as possible to the next chord!
2. Avoid parallel fifths and octaves!
3. Keep the voicing spaced in the lower end, and closed in the upper end.!
4. Be aware of proper doubling (Double the root first, then the fifth, and then
the third)!
!
Now, let’s look at some examples:!
This is an example of bad
voicing, where the string section
is used as a piano.!
!
See how every voice is moving in
a parallel direction, just as the
piano version above? This will
sound like somebody playing
chords on a keyboard with a
string patch, and not 4 individual
string voices. Therefore, you
should avoid parallel fifths and
octaves (thirds and sixths are
fine) when voicing.!
!
You also see how the different voices jump around to the next note up and
down. As a rule of thumb, each voice should go the closest way to the next
note, making it easier to play, and more interesting to listen to.!
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Now, let’s have a look at how you
rather should voice this chord
progression:!
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Here you can see how each voice
are moving in various direction,
therefore avoiding the keyboard
chord-feel. They are also moving
just one step each time, to the
closest note in the next chord. Try to
sing each voice, and see how
natural it feels. Each voice is natural
to sing and play, and they are all
different, making them feel like
individual melodies.!
So now, look back the rules I mentioned above, and see how they are used
here.!
!
I have made each voice move as little as possible to the next chord, as they
are all moving just one step each time.!
I have avoided parallel fifths and octaves, which makes each voice feel like
an individual part, and not a part of a chord being moved around.!
!
To end this tutorial, let us look at how the notes in the chords above are
doubled throughout the progression. See how the doubling in each chord is
good throughout the progression?!
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So, to sum all this up:!
Avoid getting the keyboard chord-playing feeling by making each voice move
individually. Make each voice move to the closest note in the next chord.
Remember to maintain a proper chord voicing in each chord in the
progression.!
Now, just add a melody, and you are good to go!!
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Useful Links!
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www.composingsecrets.com !
www.arnandersson.com!
www.youtube.com/user/ArnAndersson!
www.facebook.com/arnofficial!
www.filmandgamecomposers.com !
www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com!
www.vsl.com !
www.soundsonline.com!
www.8dio.com!

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