WRITING FOR SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUE

Another important aspect of your composition is your INSTRUMENTATION, and deciding what sort of ensemble you want to write for will have a massive impact on how your piece actually sounds. Each instrument has it's own particular timbre, and also different technical challenges and effects that the composer needs to be aware of. For your composition to be really effective, you want to be familiar with how to write for each instrument, and how to draw out different techniques from your players. 

One the following pages, we look at how to write for specific groups of instruments; strings, brass, woodwind and vocals. You will need to know the members of each section for exams at the end of the year, so use this exercise as an opportunity to familiarise yourself with them. Try to include at least one of these instruments in your composition. 

WRITING FOR THE STRING SECTION

members of the string section

These videos look at how the techniques discussed above are applied to each member of the string family, and will give you a really good idea of how each instrument sounds and is used within the section.

STRING SECTIONS IN ACTION!

If you want to get really good at writing for strings, you want to listen to A LOT of music written for string quartets! Here are a few of my favourites! Actively listen to each one - analyse arrangements that you really like; What techniques are being used? How are the different instruments arranged to create a variety of musical textures? 

RANGE OF THE STRING FAMILY