The Natural Order of the Woodwinds

from The New Orchestration Bible

So you want to compose and orchestrate your first symphony?  Then you’ll need to pay heed to the following: The Natural Order of the Woodwinds.

The natural order of the woodwinds is bassoons on the bottom, then the upper woodwinds: clarinets, followed by oboes, then flutes on the top of the chord.  In an orchestral context, there will often be a significant gap between the bassoons and the upper woodwinds, filled in with other instruments.

---

Example 1:

from IV. helpisontheway. Johnson. First Ed.

In m93, Johnson places bassoons in octaves. There is a large gap, then clarinets, oboes, and flutes on top.  Take notice that Oboe 1 doubles Flute 2. One of the central reasons for this natural balance is that the oboes become thinner in volume as they go above the staff. Conversely, they tend to dominate as they approach the bottom.  If you were to imagine this same chord, but with the oboes and clarinets swapped, there is a risk that the sound of the oboes, stark on a perfect fourth, would sound too distinct from the  other members of the chord.       

---

Example 2

from IV. helpisontheway. Johnson. First Ed.

Think of Oboes as the the liason between the flutes and the clarinets. In m102, Johnson doesn’t have enough bassoons to capture the 6/4 chord as completed by the trombones, so he settles for the bassoons playing the outer notes.  A large gap ensues, then clarinets, oboes, and flutes on top.  Take notice: clarinets and flutes are voiced in perfect fourths, which can be rather stark when given to the oboes.  The oboes are sandwiched between flutes & clarinets; Ob. 1 doubles Fl. 2, and Ob. 2 doubles Cl. 1.

---

Example 3

pIano reduction from IV. helpisontheway. Johnson

In the above example, the uniqueness of the orchestration comes from the fact that there is a perfect fifth in the lowest register, but still placed in a higher register of the orchestra.  Clarinets are functioning like the defacto bass here.  Oboes  are in the middle.  Flutes on top.  The volume is piano, rendering doublings unnecessary: everyone blends together nicely.  Make sure to appreciate the nice, calm quality of the open fifth in the clarinets.

Helpisontheway for Orchestra

7 years to compose. 1 year to proofread & engrave. Now available for purchase, both individual movements and the entire score: https://www.barneyjmusic.com/purchase

Barney B. Johnson, classical composer

---

Example 4:

Never deny what is most natural.  This natural order works most of the time, but be wary of fixating on an ideology; you must learn to adapt to the circumstances:

from IV. helpisontheway. Johnson. First Ed.

In m279 of the Fourth Movement of helpisontheway, Johnson places the oboes in a lower register from the clarinets and flutes, relegating them to below the staff.  This is because we are in a climatic section of the work, called the Great Arrival, with the entire orchestra on a long, drawn out chord, forte (tempo is rather slow).  Here the listener will notice any weaknesses in your orchestration.  Thin oboes, in a higher register would disappear in this texture and add nothing to chord. Placing them lower allows them to compete with other instruments and allows them to support the other woodwinds.

---

Final Example:

pIano reduction from II. helpisontheway. Johnson.

In Movement Two, note that we are on a V or Dominant chord, in the key of D minor. Johnson has orchestrated this chord in a way such that it feels very tall, like a tower that stands slim but strong. Bassoons are on the bass, in octaves, but in a medium register, giving it that tall, but lighter feeling. Oboes are doubling the flutes, and clarinets are beneath them.

Now, what about filling in those gaps between the bassoons and the upper woodwinds? We will look at that in a future episode.

from II. helpisontheway. Johnson. First Ed.

About:

Barney B. Johnson is an American classical composer from a small town in New Jersey. Masters in Music Composition (UC Santa Barbara), Bachelors in Music Composition (SUNY Purchase) and five years of additional studies in counterpoint, harmony, and orchestration in Paris, France (L'Ecole Normale, Schola Cantorum). He has composed over 40 works for solo, chamber music, choral, and orchestra since 2003. Find out more: https://www.barneyjmusic.com/purchase