[UltimaWizard]

Hey all. I learned an interesting bit of advice for writing instrumental parts from my Oboe teacher: Clarinet and Oboe when playing together can cause some destructive interference, causing an unusual sound. Some composers use this produced strange sound to their advantage when writing (especially if you want a more tense feel to the music).

Does anyone else have any similar interesting tidbits? Us other arrangers/composers out here would be only too happy to learn about useful matchings of instruments and how they interact!

[Nicol Armarfi]

A very common way to make 'playful' sounds is to have a chromatic percussion instrument like the vibes or glock doubling the flutes. I've done this a few times myself, and it comes out very nicely when done right.

[SND15]

sometimes adding a oboe in the mists of harmony parts (usually low strings like cellos) give songs a mysterious tone. If you get the chance, listen to the nutcracker suite arabian dance if you wanna hear an example.

[UltimaWizard]

Been listening to the Crisis Core soundtrack...in SOLDIER Battle you can really hear this, but if you double a bass line to a snare drum you get a very powerful rhythmic sound.

[Joseph Perkins]

Regarding the oboe/clarinet blend, woodwinds don't blend or sound as homogeneous as the brass or string sections. I usually use woodwinds more for color, since they get unique sounds. I find strings to be relatively the same, as well as brass. usually I get more unique sounds depending on the timbre of the instrument (most notably the higher positions on a cello). And don't forget percussion instruments as well.

Try looking up info on orchestration. I was hurting in that area, but I have discovered some tricks to combination. An easy one is using octaves for transparency (whether soft or loud) and using more saturated chords for a heavier sound.

Try this for orchestration
http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/pers...k.O/index.html
Try to look up Principles of Orchestration, as well.

Also go here
http://vsl.co.at/en/70/149/150/46.vsl
Choose an instrument, and then click on Instrument Combinations

Experimenting also works.

I'm trying to learn a lot of this before I go to college. I'm signing up for an orchestration class. If you discover anything else. Please let us all know here.