How do you write orchestral tuttis?

Gongchime

Hello Gongchime,

How I write orchestral tutti:

Look at the melody. Decide the texture and harmony.

The usual thing for Woodwind and Brass: put an unison, perfect octave, a third distant, a sixth distant, a fifth distant, or interleaving, or any combination of them

The usual thing for Percussion: 1-bar, 2-bar, or 4-bar ostinato, timpani at melody that need to be stressed, and timpani/drum rolls at bridges

The usual thing for Strings: chords with the principal violin somewhat following the main melody. I love tremolos very much. The interval between secondary violins and the primary violin is usually never an unison.

The less usual thing:

1. retrograde
2. inversion
3. transposition (either diatonic or chromatic)
4. syncopation
5. pause (silence)
6. repetition (with variation, to its extent)
7. smoothening the progression from V to I by using Isus4. (V-I becomes V-Isus4-I)

8. remembering that not all part of the orchestra must be sounded at any given time (that there can be silent/muted parts, if it is better). Remember the words 'silence is gold'?

and many more

The most usual thing is, however, to write the tutti by what I feel suitable. Experiment with new things is encouraged, like what Telemann said (i.e. to seek novelty in harmony when you run out of melody). There are many people out there that understand something but cannot explain it, aren't there?

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