MIDI Orchestration Explained

Eli Krantzberg presents comprehensive MIDI Orchestration video tutorials! If you've ever wanted to start creating orchestral arrangements and motifs, this is the series that will get you on your way. Learn all about the important basics of orchestrating today's virtual instruments with MIDI and create truly authentic sounding orchestral parts. This series is meant to replace Eli's original MIDI Orchestration Explained, adding more info and utilizing current virtual instruments for a more up to date learning experience. You also get the MIDI files that Eli creates throughout the videos so you can import them into your DAW and follow along. These videos are for those new to MIDI orchestration.

The Orchestral Palette

• Welcome to MIDI Orchestration Explained (04:03) - Get an overview of what will be covered in this comprehensive video series.

• Working with Modern Software Instruments (11:07) - Learn all about Articulations, Key Switches, Expression Messages, Legato Transitions, Velocity Crossfades, and other performance aspects available on most modern orchestral software instruments.

• The Violin (08:12) - Learn about the violin and its various playing styles commonly recreated in sampled instruments.

• The Viola (08:54) - Hear the range, tuning, and timbral differences with this slightly larger four stringed version of the violin.

• The Cello & Double Bass (05:34) - Discover the lower voices in the string section, and hear how these interact as part of an ensemble.

• The Flute & Piccolo (09:30) - Explore the articulations and playing styles of these higher range woodwind instruments, and hear how they sound doubling violin, and double bass.

• The Oboe & English Horn (06:27) - Discover the unique expressive and melodic personality of these two double reed instruments.

• The Clarinets & Bassoon (06:54) - Hear how these woodwind instruments blend together in their various ranges.

• The Trumpet, Trombone, & Euphonium (07:13) - Learn about these brass instruments and the role of legato transitions, embouchure, and tonguing, when playing valved or slide based instruments.

• The French Horn & Tuba (04:00) - Explore the sonorous qualities of these two brass instruments.

• Non-Pitched Percussion (04:49) - Hear how the percussion section is used to add rhythmic emphasis, and bring out accents and dynamics in your orchestrations.

• Tuned Percussion Instruments (06:35) - Explore the pitched percussion instruments and hear how they blend with selected string and brass instruments.

• Ensemble Sections: Strings (09:26) - Her the textures available when working with larger string ensembles, and discover the sound of unisons, octaves, harmony, counter lines, and more.

• Ensemble Sections: Woodwinds (08:34) - Discover the textural qualities resulting from wide versus close woodwind voicings, and how they work when blended in various combinations with strings.

• Ensemble Sections: Brass (12:19) - Explore the rich textures of open and closed voicings within the brass family, and hear how they fill out the orchestration when combined with strings and woodwinds.

Orchestration Techniques

• Doubling Techniques (07:46) - Discover various ways of orchestrating and varying doubled parts for emphasis, dynamics, accents, and motivic development.

• Accompaniment Strategies (10:45) - Explore different ways to approach accompanying a soloist in an orchestral context.

• Sequencing Tips (08:25) - Learn how to capitalize on the subtleties available with your software instruments using parameter automation, momentary key switches, legato transitions, and round robin samples.

• Introduction to Counterpoint (12:09) - Explore various techniques and strategies used to develop thematic motifs using counter melodies.

• Ostinatos & Layering (06:01) - Learn how to use ostinatos in your orchestrations, and hear the effect of layering parts in different registers using different timbres.

• Reharmonization, Tempo, Modulation, & Meter (08:26) - Explore the use of reharmonization, tempo, modulation, and meter changes as tools to further develop orchestrations.

• Aleatoric Orchestration (10:14) - Take a break and have some fun by introducing the element of chance to your MIDI orchestrations using your DAW?s step sequencer (or arpeggiator, or nested looping), to introduce random interactions between various accompanying parts.

• Exploring Minimalism (10:22) - Principles of minimalism, using repetition, static harmonies, evolving and patterns, are explored as orchestration strategies.

• Harmonic Substitutions (09:12) - Review the basics of diatonic chord substitutions, and get a taste of what some jazz style reharmonization can sound like.

• Motivic Development Pt. 1 (08:41) - Explore techniques orchestrators and composers use to develop themes, including exact repetition of phrases, sequential repetition, and retrograde inversion.

• Motivic Development Pt. 2 (07:11) - Learn about intervallic contraction, expansion, and ornamentation as vehicles to develop and orchestrate melodic material.

• Motivic Development Pt. 3 (09:53) - Explore more theme and variation techniques, including rhythmic augmentation, diminution, fragmentation, simplification, and modal change.

• DAW Workflow Tips (13:04) - Discover ways to use your DAW and software instruments to add nuance and realism to your MIDI orchestration including subtle tempo accelerandos and ritardandos, region delay to move instruments farther away in the mix, splitting divisi parts between alternate versions of the software instruments, and more.

• Dynamics (06:22) - Learn how to combine Note Velocity, MIDI Expression, Volume, Layering, Tuttis, and Space, to create coherent dynamic orchestrations.

• Consideration & Approaches to Orchestration (11:41) - Eli gives you some helpful final thoughts and a review of key points to consider and use when creating your own orchestrations.