FREE BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Orchestration and Instrumentation Questions and Answers

Question 1

An orchestrator is arranging a passage for a standard symphony orchestra and needs to place the instrument families in the correct score order from top to bottom.
Which of the following represents the conventional layout?

Accepted Answer

Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, Strings

Answer

Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion

Answer

Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, Percussion

Answer

Woodwinds, Percussion, Brass, Strings

Question 2

A composer writes a fast, light, and detached passage for the violin section and marks it 'spiccato'. Which bowing technique is required to perform this articulation correctly?

Accepted Answer

Bouncing the bow lightly off the string for each note.

Answer

Using the wood of the bow to strike the strings.

Answer

Drawing the bow smoothly and connectedly across the string.

Answer

Pressing the bow firmly near the bridge to create a glassy sound.

Question 3

Which of the following woodwind instruments produces sound without the use of a reed?

Accepted Answer

Flute

Answer

Oboe

Answer

Clarinet

Answer

Bassoon

Question 4

A composer wants to create a metallic, piercing, and somewhat nasal timbre in the trumpet section. The score marking is 'con sord.'. Which type of mute would most effectively produce this sound?

Accepted Answer

Straight Mute

Answer

Cup Mute

Answer

Bucket Mute

Answer

Practice Mute

Question 5

When arranging a four-part chord for the full orchestra, a common beginner's mistake is to excessively double the third of the chord, particularly in the upper registers. Why is this practice generally avoided?

Accepted Answer

It can create unwanted dissonance due to the prominence of natural overtones.

Answer

It makes the chord too quiet to be heard.

Answer

It creates intonation problems exclusively for the string section.

Answer

It can cause the fundamental pitch to become obscured.

Question 6

A passage for French Horn in F is written with a key signature of G Major (one sharp). If the written note is a C5 (the C in the third space of the treble clef), what is the sounding concert pitch?

Accepted Answer

F4

Answer

G4

Answer

C5

Answer

B-flat 4