Writing For The Real Orchestra, should I study Logic SCORE or books..... Options

[tokyoroland]

In the not-to-distant future, I may have the opportunity to score a film using a real orchestra. Now, I took a theory class at my junior college last semester, and I know the basics, but when it comes to writiing for the real thing, I am completely new.

My question is, should I rely on the comprehensive SCORE section of Logic platinum to automatically write it FOR me, just paying attention to recording... provided that I learn the whole SCORE section first, so I can detect errors...

Or should I go the traditional way, and read books on HOW to write for the orchestra, all of the different instruments.. because I dont know...if I give a printed score from Logic, will the orchestra play it different than I envisioned? Will I sound completely different, even if, in the future, I am using superb software instruments like Vienna and Spectrasonics?

All advice is welcome!



- jeffro

[bach12]

I agree with all the above repsonses.

But, also consider this.....respect from the musicians, engineers, producers, etc.

You should hopefully have everything so well thought out as far as proper scoring, instrument ranges, articulations in various passages, etc. that the recording will go very smoothly with a minimum of stops and starts. Hopefully you'll be using good musicians who'll have the ability to read your music and interpret it very quickly with a minimum of questions.

Otherwise, you'll be wasting everybody's time.... which equals money in a recording situation.

That's why the big film producers use the composers who know their stuff cold when it comes to big orchestral situations (ie: John Williams, James Horner, the Newman brothers, Elliot Goldenthal, Alan Silvestri, etc. etc.) These composers know their craft....the recording musicians and engineers can have full confidence that the sessions will go smoothly......and most importantly, everyone can focus on the music.

We all have to know as much as we can about everything....the more we know, the more we realize that we have a hell of a lot more to know.

Please, please, please....don't rely on a piece of software (even if it's Sibelius's or Finale's arrange function) to write your music. Do you really want to sound like everybody else in the world?

Understand what real instruments can or can't do, and get creative. Listen to some scores by Goldsmith, Horner, etc. to know what real instruments are capable of. Listen to the score from the old film 'Altered States' with music by John Corigliano.
It's amazing to hear what he did using no synths at all .....it's all orchestra! Unbelievable! (Check out all the great composers!)

Hey.....I could go on and on! Good luck to you! If you've got a gig to actually be able to score with live musicians these days, we're all very envious of you!

Good luck!

Cam