End Result - you learn how to write and produce your own music!
You accomplish this by using our exclusive 117-page Professional Mentor™ workbook which guides you from score analysis all the way through writing and recording 12-13 two-minute original works, plus, an optional full orchestral assignment.
The Professional Mentor™ – much more than a workbook. The Professional Mentor is the heart of Professional Orchestration Volume 1 because it turns Professional Orchestration into a complete home study course that you can do on your schedule at your own pace. There’s never a rush.
Here’s how it works.
With the Professional Mentor, rather than taking a self-test to see if you know the material, you write one piece for each of the 13 solo instruments covered (the equal of roughly a semester’s worth of work at college) before you do your “final” project – a full symphonic orchestration. With this approach, you create 13 publishable works that become the basis for your own publishing company, and, you can go to the next step, and create your own CD by doing a MIDI mock-up of your piece.
Instruments you write original works for are:
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, French horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, and Harp.
Book Examples Audio Package – 20+ hours of music in DRM-free MP3 Format covering a majority of the examples found in the books! That’s right, over 20 hours of full orchestral music, recorded live in Europe, licensed from eClassical.com! $140.00 Retail Value!
PLUS! with the additional Professional Mentor Vol. 1 MP3 Concert Package you also get an extra 78 tracks of DRM-free MP3s giving an average 20-minute concert for these solo instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, violin, viola, cello, bass, harp and percussion. $77.22 Retail Value!
Why so much music?
Well, it all has to do with the teaching philosophy behind Professional Orchestration. Listening to a snippet that’s only a few seconds long is, on one hand, very efficient. But how does that example fit into the whole score? What’s the dramatic impact when you hear it? How did the composer set up the example? And how did he exit? These are all questions professionals ask when they study a typical orchestration text. Before now, to answer these questions was a first class pain in the butt! You’d have to find the score, then the CD. All time-wasting, time consuming stuff. But not with Professional Orchestration. That’s because you get the complete symphonic movement the example is found in! So not only do you hear the example, you hear it’s place and dramatic impact in the work. Something every film/TV composer not only wants to know, but must know if their writing is to be effective.
And value? Well, one orchestration book on the market today only has a single CD that comes with the book, while another has a separate CD package, snippets only, that costs over $100. But with the Professional Orchestration™ Everything-So-Far Home Study Package, you get more than 20 hours of music included for the one price.
But that’s not all. Thanks to the way Alexander Publishing has developed the audio package, you can build your MIDI mock-up skills the same way professionals do. Just import the MP3 into your sequencer, open to the matching full page/full example in the
Professional Orchestration™ book, and start your sequencing.
So not only do you build your MIDI mock-up skills, but also your recording skills, too!
Do you know the term, DRM? Well, DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. When you download MP3s from some sites, they’ll only work on the Mac, the iPod or selected players. You can’t just play them anywhere. To be DRM-free, means that once downloaded, these MP3s can be imported into your sequencer and played on any MP3 player: iPod, computer (Mac or PC!), even your cell phone. You can even burn a CD and play these MP3s on your car CD player (if it reads MP3s, of course!). The big benefit for you is that you can listen and learn wherever you go. No restrictions.
Now, here’s where the Professional Mentor goes to the next step. The good folks at the Vienna Symphonic Library, and composer Jay Bacal, have allowed us to give you, at no extra charge, 13 solo compositions with MP3 and MIDI files created by Jay for the Vienna Instruments sample library. Just load the MP3 and MIDI file into your sequencer. You’ll see how Jay created the composition by studying velocity, expression, and mod wheel data. By the time you’ve gone through each instrument, including solo strings, you’ll know what you need to not only write for each instrument, but how to approach doing a MIDI mock-up. It’s a professional education you can apply to any library, too.
SAMPLE PAGES (Click to open in a new window)
Professional Orchestration Vol 1: Introduction
Professional Orchestration Vol 2A: Introduction & Chapter 1
Professional Orchestration Vol 2A: Review by BioShock Game Composer - Garry Schyman
Professional Orchestration Vol 2B: Introduction
TABLE OF CONTENTS - Professional Orchestration Volume 1
The First Key: Solo Instruments and Instrumentation Notes
Chapter 1 - String Section Overview
Chapter 2 -The Violin: Basic Information
Chapter 3 - The Viola: Basic Information
Chapter 4 - The Cello: Basic Information
Chapter 5 - The String Bass: Basic Information
Chapter 6 - Bowings, Effects, & Bowing Effects
Chapter 7 - String Stops
Chapter 8 - Divisi
Chapter 9 - Muted Strings
Chapter 10 - Pizzicato
Chapter 11 - Natural and Artificial Harmonics
Chapter 12 - Woodwind Basics
Chapter 13 - The Flute
Chapter 14 - The Piccolo
Chapter 15 - The Oboe
Chapter 16 - The English Horn
Chapter 17 - The Clarinet
Chapter 18 - The Bass Clarinet
Chapter 19 - The Bassoon
Chapter 20 - The Contrabassoon
Chapter 21 - Brass Basics
Chapter 22 - The Bb Trumpet
Chapter 23 - The Tenor and Bass Trombones
Chapter 24 - The Tubas
Chapter 25 - The French Horn
Chapter 26 - The Harp
Chapter 27 - Piano, Organ, Celeste, & Virtual Orchestra
Chapter 28 - The Percussion Section
Bibliography
TABLE OF CONTENTS - Professional Orchestration Volume 2A
UNISON
Chapter 1 - Violins 1 + Violins 2
Chapter 2 - Violins + Violas
Chapter 3 - Violins + Cellos
Chapter 4 - Violas + Cellos
Chapter 5 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 + Violas
Chapter 6 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 + Cellos
Chapter 7 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 + Violas + Cellos
TWO-PARTS
Chapter 8 - Violins 1 - Violins 2
Chapter 9 - Violins 1 (or 2) - Violas
Chapter 10 - Violins – Cellos
Chapter 11 - Violas – Cellos
Chapter 12 - Cellos – Basses
Chapter 13 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 – Violas
Chapter 14 - Violins 1 + ½ Violins 2 – ½ Violins 2 + Violas
Chapter 15 - Violins 1 - Violins 2 + Violas
Chapter 16 - Violas + Cellos - Basses
Chapter 17 - Violas - Cellos + Basses
Chapter 18 - Violins - Violas + Cellos
Chapter 19 - Violins – Violins 2 + Cellos
Chapter 20 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 + Violas - Cellos
Chapter 21 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 + Violas - Cellos + Basses
Chapter 22 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 - Violas + Cellos
Chapter 23 - Violins 1 + ½ Violins 2 – ½ Violins 2 + Cellos
Chapter 24 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 + Violas + Cellos - Basses
Chapter 25 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 - Cellos
THREE-PARTS
Chapter 26 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 - Violas - Cellos
Chapter 27 - Violins 1 + Violas - Cellos - Basses
Chapter 28 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 + Violas - Cellos - Basses
Chapter 29 - Violins 1 – Violins 2 - Violas
Chapter 30 - Violins – Violas - Cellos
Chapter 31 - Violins 1 – Violins 2 – Violas + Cellos
Chapter 32 - Violins 1 – Violins 2 + Violas - Cellos
Chapter 33 - Violas – Cellos - Basses
Chapter 34 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 – Violas + Cellos - Basses
Chapter 35 - Violins 1 + ½ Violins 2 – ½ Violins 2 + ½ Violas – ½ Violas + Cellos
Chapter 36 - Violins 1 – Violins 2 – Violas + ½ Cellos
Chapter 37 - Violins 1 + Violins 2 – Cellos - Basses
FOUR-PARTS
Chapter 38 - Violins 1 - Violins 2 – Violas - Cellos
Chapter 39 - Violins 1 - Violins 2 + Violas – Cellos - Basses
FIVE-PARTS
Chapter 40 - Violins 1 – Violins 2 – Violas – Cellos - Basses
DIVISI IN OCTAVES
Chapter 41 - About Divisi
Chapter 42 - Violins 1 – Violins 1
Chapter 43 - Violas – Violas
Chapter 44 - Cellos – Cellos
Chapter 45 - Basses - Basses
DIVISI IN INTERVALS
Chapter 46 - Violins 1 – Violins 2 playing 3rds
Chapter 47 - Violins Divisi in 3rds
Chapter 48 - Violas Divisi in 3rds
Chapter 49 - Violins Divisi in 6ths
Chapter 50 - Violas Divisi in 6ths
SPECIAL COMBINATIONS
Chapter 51 - Special Combinations of Octaves, Thirds, Sixths & Tenths
Chapter 52 - Violas Divisi + Cellos Divisi in 6ths
Chapter 53 - Violins in 3rds – Violas/Cellos (3rds)
Chapter 54 - Violins 1 in 3rds – Violins 2 in 3rds
Chapter 55 - Violins 1 and Violas in Octaves with Violins 2 Playing Inner harmony part in 3rds
Chapter 56 - Violas and Cellos Doubling on 3rds
Chapter 57 - Multiple 3rds and Sixths
Chapter 58 - More Multiple 3rds and Sixths
Chapter 59 - Vlns 1 + Vlns 2 (3rds) – Violas A + Violas B (3rds)
Chapter 60 - Thirds in Three Octaves
Chapter 61 - Violins and Violas in Sixths
Chapter 62 - Vlns 1 div in 3rds – Violins 2 (top line) + Violas (bottom line)
Chapter 63 - Tenths
Chapter 64 - Violins 2 and Violas in 3rds – Cellos div
Chapter 65 - Violins 2 in 3rds – Cellos in 3rds
TABLE OF CONTENTS - Professional Orchestration Volume 2B
Introduction
Chapter 1 - The Woodwind Family
Chapter 2 - Woodwind Section Sizes
Section 1 - Woodwind Unisons
Chapter 3 - Flute Unisons
Chapter 4 - Flute + Oboe
Chapter 5 - Flute + English Horn
Chapter 6 - Flute + Clarinet
Chapter 7 - Oboe Unisons
Chapter 8 - Oboe + Clarinet
Chapter 9 - English Horn + Clarinet
Chapter 10 - English Horn + Bassoon
Chapter 11 - Clarinet + Clarinet
Chapter 12 - Clarinet + Bassoon
Chapter 13 - Bassoon + Bassoon
Chapter 14 - Bassoon + Sarrusaphone
Chapter 15 - Bassoon + Contrabassoon
Chapter 16 - Flute + Oboe + Clarinet
Chapter 17 - Flute + English Horn + Oboe + Clarinet
Chapter 18 - Flute + Oboe + Clarinet + Eb Clarinet
Chapter 19 - Oboe + Clarinet + English Horn
Chapter 20 - English Horn + Clarinet + Bassoon
Section 2 - Woodwind Octaves
Chapter 21 - Piccolo - Flute
Chapter 22 - Piccolo - Oboe
Chapter 23 - Piccolo - Clarinet
Chapter 24 - Flute - Flute
Chapter 25 - Flute - Oboe
Chapter 26 - Flute - Clarinet
Chapter 27 - Flute - Bassoon
Chapter 28 - Oboe - Oboe
Chapter 29 - Oboe - Clarinet
Chapter 30 - Oboe - English Horn
Chapter 31 - Oboe - Bassoon
Chapter 32 - English Horn - Bassoon
Chapter 33 - Clarinet - Clarinet
Chapter 34 - Clarinet - Bass Clarinet
Chapter 35 - Clarinet - Bassoon
Chapter 36 - Bassoon - Bassoon
Chapter 37 - Bassoon - Contrabassoon
Section 3 - Woodwind Combinations in Two- to Five-Parts
Chapter 38 - Two Parts: Low to Medium Registers
Chapter 39 - Two Parts: Medium Register
Chapter 40 - Two Parts: Medium to High Register
Chapter 41 - Two Parts: High Register
Chapter 42 - Two Parts: Very High Register
Chapter 43 - Three Parts: High Register
Chapter 44 - Three Parts: Very High Register
Chapter 45 - Four to Five-Parts
Section 4 - Light Vertical Harmony in the Woodwinds
Chapter 46 - Light Harmony in the Flutes
Chapter 47 - Light Harmony in the Oboes
Chapter 48 - Light Harmony in the Clarinets
Chapter 49 - Light Harmony in the Bassoons
Chapter 50 - Two-Part Light Harmony: Thirds in Unison
Chapter 51 - Two-Part Light Harmony: Thirds in Octave
Chapter 52 - Three-Part Light Harmony: Thirds in Multiple Octaves
BRASS
Introduction
Chapter 53 - French Horns in Unison
Chapter 54 - French Horns in Octaves (Two Parts)
Chapter 55 - French Horns in 3rds and 6ths
Chapter 56 - Trumpets in Unison
Chapter 57 - Trumpets in Octaves (Two Parts)
Chapter 58 - Trumpets in Thirds
Chapter 59 - Trombones in Unison
Chapter 60 - Trombones in Octaves (Two Parts)
Chapter 61 - Trombones in Thirds
Conclusion