Orchestral Maneuvers
in the
DAW
Add depth, dimension,
and emotion to your
recordings using
techniques gleaned
from masters like
Beethoven, Stravinsky,
and Jimmy Page.
BY RICH TOZZOLI
When one thinks of the term “orches- tration,” visions of symphonies,
concert halls, and classical music often
come to mind. But there’s a lot more to it
than that: The art of orchestration can be
found in virtually every style of music out
there, and whether you realized it or not,
you’ve heard its various forms in many of
your favorite songs. In this article, we’ll take
a basic look at what orchestration is, its relationship to the guitar, and how you can use it
in some of your own productions.
From Beethoven to Page
Although Wikipedia isn’t necessarily the
best place to turn for life answers, some-
times it hits the right notes, so to speak.
And in this case, its definition of “orches-
tration” isn’t bad: “Orchestration is the
study or practice of writing music for an
orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musi-
cal ensemble) or of adapting for orchestra
music composed for another medium. It
only gradually over the course of music his-
tory came to be regarded as a compositional
art in itself.” That windy explanation expect-
edly hints at its use in an orchestra, but it also
mentions that the writing can be applied to any
music ensemble. It can be anything—from a
simple acoustic-guitar duet to the hardest, heavi-
est detuned metal tunes. But understanding the
layers of orchestration can also help with produc-
tion and mixing of recorded music.
Before we talk about orchestrating guitar parts,
let’s step back for a basic look at the tradition
of orchestration. The term orchestra is from the
Greek name for an area in front of a performance
stage that’s reserved for a chorus. Orchestration
itself is the practice of writing melody, harmony, and
