Jan 8, 2020 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Cluster Voicings Cluster voicings are another possibility to add interesting harmonic structures to your music. As opposed to “normal” clusters that stack minor OR major seconds, cluster voicings follow a certain scale structure incorporating only notes of the current...
Dec 4, 2019 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Low Interval Limits The reason why some chord voicings sound muddy and unfocussed often lies in the fact that they violate the so-called low interval limits. These limits are guidelines for every interval structure and the lowest possible position they can be played...
Nov 29, 2019 | Daily Film Scoring Bits, Orchestration
Close vs. Open Position Chords in Brass When writing chords in Brass it is usually better to stay in close position voicings rather than in open position. As basically all brass instruments have a natural crescendo and raise in intensity towards their top end, writing...
Nov 27, 2019 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Drop 2 and Drop 2+4 A very easy way to gain more sonority in your chord voicings or to make more space for the top line is to “drop 2”, “drop 2+4” or traditionally called “open voicing”. These are pretty simple procedures to spread out close position voicings to fill...
Nov 13, 2019 | Composition, Daily Film Scoring Bits
Minor Ninths The minor ninth is considered the “last dissonant interval”, even more than a minor second. Therefore it should be handled with care in any chord voicing (including minor ninths + octave(s)). The inherent dissonance in this interval will often...