How to indicate orchestral parts/arrangement?
I noticed that people use an indication on who plays in a given piece, by using numbers and slashes to indicate the number of each type of string and wind instrument. ie Orchestra 1/1/2/4 8/8/4/4/2 (I just made that up... but you get the idea)
How EXACTLY does that indication work? I would like to be able to use it
thanks
Comments
The clearest method is the David Daniels 4/ OLIS system and should be used by all music publishers.
INSTRUMENTATION FORMULA in score order.
The formulaic arrangement of wind instruments is used here: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon-horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba. Amplifications, if any, are spelled out in brackets. A dot (.) separates one player from another; a slash (/) indicates doubling. Thus:
First the Woodwinds:
3[1.2.3/pic] 2[1.Eh] 3[1.2.3/Ebcl/bcl] 3[1.2/cbn.cbn] —
. . . should be understood as:
3 flutists, the 3rd player doubling on piccolo.
2 oboists, the 2nd playing English horn throughout.
3 clarinetists, the 3rd doubling also on E-flat clarinet and bass clarinet.
3 bassoonists, the 2nd doubling on contrabassoon, and the 3rd playing contra throughout.
Then the Brass, Percussion and Strings:
4 3 3[1.2.btbn] 1 — tmp+3 — 2hp — pf — str.
... should be understood as:
4 horns,
3 trumpets.
3 trombones, 1st and 2nd player on tenor trombone, the 3rd on bass trombone.
1 tuba
1 timpani player playing as many "kettles" as needed.
3 percussion players playing as many instruments as needed. Those percussion instruments are listed separately.
2 harps
1 piano
full string section.
Any questions?
The orchestra you give would have:
1 flute, 1 oboe, 2 clarinets, 4 bassoons — 8 "French" horns, 8 trumpets, 4 trombones, 4 euphoniums (which would be rare in an orchestra), 2 tubas. ☺
you go to school as a music major years, to learn that
you almost have to learn how to play each instrument
you need to at least have a deep understanding to each instrument
if you are write or compose for it