Orchestral Voicings Part 1: Introduction

Welcome to this multi part tutorial about voicings.

There is an often seen misconception by learning composers and orchestrators to believe that there is a simple set of rules to apply when writing for orchestra. The idea to have a structurized Do's and Don'ts list that you can consult in any context seems like an easy way to writing for orchestra successfully. The problem is the idea "learn to compose for orchestra in 10 easy steps" runs very well with the current "internet mentality" and some online courses on these topics seem to jump on that train.

The answer however is as often way more complex and depending on context. The same applies if we even reduce our focus only on the field of chord voicings. The number of internet discussions going something like "How do I write chords for brass?" is astounding and ever growing.

But also there, the true answer always is: It depends.

In this series I will try  to focus on the things that it depends on. While it is absolutely impossible to cover these things from every aspect, I will try to give food for thought and strategies from basic principles that apply to any voicing to instrument specific strategies.

First we maybe need to clear up the terminology between "Chords" and "Voicing". A chord defines the harmonic idea behind a musical situation. This means it defines which harmony should be implied. The chord of let's say a Dm7 implies that the notes d, f, a and c should be present.

A voicing defines exactly how a chord is realized, so it doesn't just say that there is an f present but it defines exactly which f is present and whether that f may be doubled in another octave or not.

And this is where things get interesting. A bad orchestral voicing of a Dm7 chord can sound absolutely horrible while a good one can create a wonderful sound world that could be anything between sinister and heart meltingly melancholic.

Controlling this power is essential for composers and orchestrators alike.

We need to have an idea why that opening Bb major chord of Star Wars is so punchy and bright and how we can achieve that in our own writing. But we also need to understand why the same Bb major chord sounds so sonorous and full bodied when it appears as the harmonic fundament of the Island Fanfare of Jurassic Park.

When writing voicings for orchestra the first step is to free yourself from the constraints of whatever your main instrument is. The physical limits you have to deal with for example on the piano don't exist with an orchestra so you should not translate those. 

A classic example would be the large piano chords with octaves (or power chords) low in the left hand, a huge gap in the middle range and a punchy triad or 4 note chord in the right hand. While this sounds fine on piano (and lacking alternatives based on physical hand span) the hole in the middle register will translate into a pretty poor orchestral voicing in most contexts. 

Based on this there is also another habit that is often seen and that stands in the way of writing good souding voicings for orchestra: playing in several voices at once. The typical "hit record and then record string pads with two hands" strategy is in most cases not appropriate and diminishes the quality of what it actually could sound like if you put in more effort.

An essential part of how voicings sound is the management of the low and mid/low register of the orchestra by either ignoring it completely or crowding it with notes. In the next part, we will have a look at the so called low interval limits and how to apply them properly.