Music Composers Unite!
Color in the brass band score
When writing for brass do you find it to restrictive? To further develop this thought, because of only a limited score of like instruments do you find it challenging to develop a score or restrictive by range?
What do you think?
What do you think?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Pascoe on -
I agree that the use of different mutes can really help with making the color or changing the color of the music.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Pascoe on -
Good points and I agree that mutes can help in coloring the music. Sometimes I feel constrained by the range of the band, although modern bands seem to be extending this area, but there are limits. What do you think?
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Permalink Reply by Tim Pascoe on
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What about percussion, I think that this opens some possibilities.
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Permalink Reply by John Elliott on -
Tim,
Replying to your original question ("When writing for brass do you find it to restrictive? To further develop this thought, because of only a limited score of like instruments do you find it challenging to develop a score or restrictive by range?"), I am brand new to scoring for brass. I say that, even though I am 50+ years old, because I have always had a "fear" of brass (a lack of understanding of its potential).
To get over this, I am attacking it head on. I am writing a piece for brass octet (horn in F, trumpet & cornet in Bb, flugelhorn, 2 trombones, euphonium, and tuba) -- if for no other reason than to give myself the spurring-on to tackle this devil of mine.
To confront my private demons, I am reading all I can about orchestration for these instruments (titles/authors avail. upon request). I am also writing whatever I feel like (using the knowledge I have gained so far and the sound produced by Sibelius [latest version] to try to overcome this hurdle.
My next step is to make the various parts of this piece available to brass officianados to listen to and comment on. In tis way, I can (hopefully) learn and so can those in this group.
Attached is the first "combination" of the pieces I have put together for this brass octet. It is composed of fanfares. In the future, each fanfare will be interposed with contrasting pieces attempting to evoke different moods/eras/images.
But for now, the attached is just the currently-assembled fanfares.
My personal question is this: do the listeners here think I have begun to get a handle on brass orchestration, or am I off-base?
Attached, please find the MP# and the PDF of the current (very unfinished) version of this piece.
With all sincerity and anticipation of your replies,
--John Elliott
Albany, Oregon - Attachments:
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