7/21/2019 Shorthand for Orchestra Instrumentation

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Shorthand for Orchestra Instrumentation

The Orchestra is divided into four groups and specied as follows:

o Woodwindo Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets, Bassoons

o Brasso Horns, Trumpets, Trombones, Tuba

o Timpanio ercussion, iano, Harp, !ct"

o #tring #ectiono $iolins, $iolas, Celli, Basses

There is no standardi%ed version of this shorthand& however above is the basicorder"

EXAMPLES:

'"'"'"'" (")")"*" T *+""-"-"("

The rst four numbers are the woodwind instruments, reading down as the. are on

a score, and each di/erent instrument separated b. a dot, so ' 0utes, ' oboes, '

clarinets, ' bassoons" 1e2t come the brass, beginning with horns, then trumpets,

then trombones, then tuba" #o, ( horns, ) trumpets, ) trombones, * tuba" 3ump to

the last ve sets of numbers, and .ou have the string strengths, *+ *st violins, 'nd violins,- violas, - celli and ( basses" 4an. orchestra scores don5t specif. the

number of string pla.ers of course, but orchestra schedules and noticeboards

alwa.s use these numbers, because there are times when the string strength of a

normal s.mphon. orchestra 6*-"*("*'"*+"7 might be reduced, during a concerto or

a classical period s.mphon., for e2ample"

Between the brass and the strings will generall. come the timpani 68T87, percussion

6887, harp 68hp87, and an.thing else that doesn5t t elsewhere" #omethimes the 88

for percussion might have a gure after it in brac9ets 6indicating the number of

pla.ers7 or it might ust list the individual instruments"

1ow, suppose .our rst four numbers aren5t 8'"'"'"'8, but are

8';p"';C

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=f the 8p8 is in brac9ets, it means the instrument is pla.ed b. one of the 0utes, ie

8)6p78, meaning there are three 0autists, one of whom alsopla.s piccolo" =f two of

those three were to double on piccolo, then it would read 8)6'p78"

7/21/2019 Shorthand for Orchestra Instrumentation

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'd*, ';*,

'd*es;bass, )d*

@ """

' 0autists, one of which

doubles on piccolo& '

oboists plus cor anglais6not

doubling7& two clarinettists,

one of which doubles on !

clarinet, plus bass clarinet6not doubling7& three

bassoonists, one of which

doubles on contrabassoon"

1on@standard instruments

related to 8core8 instruments 6for

e2ample piccolo, cor

anglais,!@and bass

clarinet, contrabassoon7 are

given after the number for the8core8 instrument, using a 8;8 if

an e2tra pla.er is needed and a

8d8 if one pla.er ma. double"

', 'd*, ', ', alto

sa2 @ (, (, ), +,

timp, perc, hp, str

' 0utes, ' oboes 6one

doubling on cor anglais7, '

clarinets, ' bassoons, alto

sa2ophone @ ( horns, (

trumpets, ) trombones,

timpani, percussion, harp,strings

1on@8core8 instruments not

closel. related to an. 8core8

instrument 6for e2ample

the sa2ophone7 are given after

the group in >uestion, here

fromeorges Bi%et5s