auditioning orchestration options in Finale

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pseudonym
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:30 pm
Finale Version: 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by pseudonym » Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:51 am

Finale v25 Mac
Apologies in advance if this is answered elsewhere, but after searching "orchestration" in this forum's index, I did not find a suitable suggestion.
I am looking to practice orchestral arrangement of short piano works using Finale and would like to try out various combinations of strings and winds (perhaps with the type of ensemble indicated in Finale's default "small orchestra" template).
For instance, I have a piece with as many as 9 discreet voices (but not more), and I thought I might set up 9 staves with appropriate clefs and split the piano lines among them (with an eye towards maintaining line, of course), and then try changing the instruments used for playback. I understand that the electronic voices provided with Finale are approximations, but I thought it might be helpful to an extent.

Has anyone worked this way, and if so, was it helpful and practical?

Thanks


BuonTempi
Posts: 1297
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 8:59 am
Finale Version: Finale 27
Operating System: Mac

Post by BuonTempi » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:26 pm

Yes.

If you want to get a feeling of what different instrumentations will sound like, the Garritan sounds will work pretty well.

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Jay Emmes
Posts: 227
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 4:29 pm
Finale Version: 25.4.1.164
Operating System: Mac

Post by Jay Emmes » Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:05 pm

Please bear in mind that you will learn nothing about orchestration from either Finale or Garritan. They will only show you which synthetic sounds go well together according to your ears. If this is what you are looking for: fine, but if you're hoping to learn anything about orchestrating for real instruments you should seek proper channels of information.
Running Finale 25.4.1.163 in OS X 10.11.6

pseudonym
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:30 pm
Finale Version: 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by pseudonym » Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:19 pm

Jay Emmes,
Thanks for your reply; I do of course have resources that I can consult regarding effective combinations and voicing, and tips on what to avoid, etc. I also have the ability to try things out for real, but I'd rather not stretch the patience of the orchestra members, but rather do what I can ahead of time, bringing them something that's more likely to sound good.

BuonTempi,
Thanks for your reply.

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