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Debreved

I get sent a lot of scores to check out and, while I always try to keep up and give people advice, I sometimes miss someone or fall behind! I have a few things I plan to do in the near future, including an online talk about my Error Code 7 article, and another in-person Insensitive Workshop. Meanwhile, from March 11th to March 25th, I am going to start the day having coffee and vegemite on toast with ten different people. We can talk about…
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I am pleased to announce that on October 25th, 2018, the inaugural DeBreved Orchestration InSensitive workshop/master class/clinic/seminar/corroboree will take place! Four people will be selected to spend a day with Tim, talking about orchestration, technology, and workflows with a focus on what it is like to orchestrate studio film scores in 2018. The Insensitive (workshop/master class/clinic/seminar/corroboree) attendees will be expected to already possess a working knowledge of the orchestra, and to have skills on notation programs and DAWs. Professional experience in the film world is not…
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  This post and its companion, Jazz Notation - the Default, present the material from my talk on January 11, 2014, at the Jazz Education Network Conference in Dallas, Texas. In my previous post on jazz notation, I discussed some of the ways that understanding the band's default performance practice can help you to write cleaner, more effective notation. Here are a few more tips for producing scores that are easily readable and will get you the performance you want. ChordsOne thing that people seem…
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This post and its companion, Jazz Notation - Drums and Chords, present the material from my talk on January 11, 2014, at the Jazz Education Network Conference in Dallas, Texas. Thank you to Makemusic for their sponsorship. Introduction I get a lot of scores sent to me by composers and arrangers both young and old. I see a lot of things that do not need to be on the page, or are written in ways that are way more complicated than necessary. A lot of…
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There are many books and internet resources out there. Some are a little dated or express the opinion of only one person (a bit like my blog!) but it is worth reading as many as you can. Please let me know of any more really good ones to add to the list. One of the most concise I have found for use as an everyday reference is Alfred's Essentials of Orchestration by Dave Black and Tom Gerou. This is a no-nonsense book that has the…
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I will be moving all of my finale tips to this page. Please note all examples are done using Finale 2011. For examples of how to do some of these things in the 'other' program, Philip Rothman of NYC Music Services has kindly translated them. Here they are. Scores Large Time Signatures 1. Document Options> Fonts>Notation: Time (Score) = EngraverTime 40 Plain 2. Document Options> Time Signatures. Set top symbol to 0, Bottom to -290 (EVPUs) 3. Plugins>Scoring and Arranging>Global Staff Attributes. Turn off Time…
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In Part III of my chat with Endre Granat, we discuss how the bow can be used to change the color of the sound. Sul Tasto and Sul Ponticello are demonstrated as well as how bow speed and pressure effect the sound. Make sure you check out Part I and Part II of Endre's interview and Guide to a Good Bow Job and It's the Pizz.
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In Part II of my chat with Endre Granat, we discuss some of the mechanics of playing a stringed instrument and Endre demonstrates standard bowing techniques. He breaks them down into three categories. Legato Staccato 'Bouncing' Legato is the default bow stroke; no additional notation is needed apart from slurs if you want more than one note per bow. Staccato is a short, fast stroke where the bow starts and ends on the string. 'Bouncing' is a stroke where the bow starts and ends above,…
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Endre Granat is the most recorded violinist and concertmaster working in the studios today. He has served as concertmaster with everyone from such silver age legends as Miklos Rozsa and Henry Mancini to currently active composers like Marco Beltrami and Christophe Beck. In part one, Endre and I talk about how he got started in the studios, how things have changed over the years and the demands placed on studio musicians. Here are some links to the people he mentions in the interview. Miklos…
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In part 2 of my interview with horn player Jim Thatcher, we dive in and talk about the range of techniques available to the horn and the wide variety of tonal colors it can produce and more importantly, how they are produced. In addition, Jim explains just what those horn players are doing with their hands up inside their bells. In Part 3 we talk about stopping and mutes. These videos are a great companion to my post about the horn, where you…
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