4 Instrument Combinations for 4 Contrasting Emotions
This week, I've been thinking of how best to answer a question that I have received a few times from my subscribers - when trying to achieve a particular emotion or tone, how do I choose which orchestral instruments to use for the desired result?
After initially struggling to come up with an explanation, I thought I would go ahead and write a series of small fragments of ideas, each with a specific combination of instruments and each conveying a different mood or emotion.
There are of course numerous components of music which all help, working together, to contribute to achieving a particular mood - harmony, melody & rhythm, as well as Instrumentation and Orchestration. I'll be just focussing on Instrumentation for this newsletter though.
🦹♂️ Sinister
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For a sinister tone, you could initially choose a combination of instruments which have a low range, along with not being too powerful dynamics-wise. You don't always need to make a loud, heavy orchestral statement (which you could achieve with the addition of Brass instruments), but instead could have something with a more 'brooding undercurrent' feel instead.
Consider starting with the Cellos and Basses playing a main musical line, before then doubling on a Piano low down, along with a Bassoon.
For some drama and dissonance, you could also try adding a pedal note(s) (a held note while underlying harmony changes) up high in the Violins.
I've also added a Choir (Tenor and Basses) singing the tonic chord of Em.
For some extra attack, you could also add some Timpani notes - I find playing the root note of a chord at the beginning of a few measures helps to add something 'extra' to the sound.
🪄Magical
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For a completely different style, this time I tried to portray a magical feel through the Instrumentation choice.
A Celeste is often associated with a 'magical' feel. The Celeste, to me, has a 'sparkly' and 'twinkly' characteristic, which instantly adds that feeling of 'child's play' or 'magic'. Consider playing it in the upper half of its register as well.
John Williams writing for the Celeste in the main theme from Harry Potter has also helped to reinforce the instrument's association with all things magic!
In addition, you could try adding the Celli and Basses playing Pizzicato. Why Pizzicato? I can't be completely sure as to why the plucking technique is associated with light hearted-ness, but could it be to do with the fact a child would often first make a sound on a stringed instrument by plucking, rather than the complicated technique and movement of bowing a note?
You could also try adding a tremolo pedal note in the Violins again, this time playing up on the top of the treble staff.
🎖️Military
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The next style I had a go at was something with a Military tone. For this one, consider loading up firstly a variety of percussion sounds - Snare Drum, Gran Cassa (Bass Drum), Timpani and Crash Cymbals (Piatti) are always effective.
Consider adding a busy rhythm in the snare drum, helping to give a sense of energy or urgency, with punctuation by instruments such as the Piatti and Gran Cassa.
Brass Instruments will then of course help to further reinforce the Military flavour. I've gone for the French Horns playing a melody, but the Trumpet could be equally as effective.
You could stick with just Brass and Percussion, especially if going for a more ceremonial or fanfare-like tone, or you could include the Strings as well, adding some more weight and body to the sound.
😥 Sentimental
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For the final style, I wanted something with a more sentimental or calmer feeling. I wanted to choose instruments which firstly were not too overpowering, but ones which also had a warm characteristic or tone.
So you could consider starting with the mid-high strings, with the 1st Violins maybe playing a high pedal note, with the 2nd Violins and then Violas playing the 3 notes of a triad between them, lower down in the octave just above middle C.
For some added warmth, the Clarinets, doubling the 2nd violins, could also be a great addition.
Finally, using a Choir (in my case the Sopranos and Altos), could also help in adding further to a sentimental feel (I have them playing the notes from each Triad).
So hopefully those four Instrumental combinations can prove a useful starting point when approaching these particular styles.
There are of course a huge amount of varying Instrumental combinations you could use!
