Free BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Orchestration and Instrumentation Questions and Answers — 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?
- Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, Strings (Correct answer)
- Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion
- Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, Percussion
- Woodwinds, Percussion, Brass, Strings
Correct answer: Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, Strings
The standard convention for orchestral score order, established to provide clarity for the conductor, places the instrument families in a consistent vertical arrangement. Woodwinds are at the top, followed by the brass section, then the percussion, and finally the string section at the bottom of the page. Within each family, instruments are typically ordered from highest pitch to lowest.
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?
- Using the wood of the bow to strike the strings.
- Drawing the bow smoothly and connectedly across the string.
- Bouncing the bow lightly off the string for each note. (Correct answer)
- Pressing the bow firmly near the bridge to create a glassy sound.
Correct answer: Bouncing the bow lightly off the string for each note.
Spiccato is an off-the-string bowing technique where the player bounces the bow on the string to create short, crisp, and separated notes. This technique is distinct from legato (smooth and connected), col legno (using the wood of the bow), and sul ponticello (playing near the bridge).
Question 3: Which of the following woodwind instruments produces sound without the use of a reed?
- Oboe
- Clarinet
- Bassoon
- Flute (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Flute
The flute and piccolo produce sound by blowing a stream of air across an edge or hole (the embouchure hole), which splits the air column and causes it to vibrate inside the instrument's tube. In contrast, the clarinet uses a single reed, while the oboe and bassoon are double-reed instruments.
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?
- Cup Mute
- Straight Mute (Correct answer)
- Bucket Mute
- Practice Mute
Correct answer: Straight Mute
The straight mute, often made of metal or fiber, is the most common orchestral mute and is known for creating a brighter, more metallic, and piercing tone by filtering out lower frequencies and emphasizing upper partials. The cup mute produces a darker, more muffled sound, the bucket mute creates a very soft and distant effect, and a practice mute is designed primarily to reduce volume for practicing.
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?
- It makes the chord too quiet to be heard.
- It creates intonation problems exclusively for the string section.
- It can cause the fundamental pitch to become obscured.
- It can create unwanted dissonance due to the prominence of natural overtones. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: It can create unwanted dissonance due to the prominence of natural overtones.
Every note produces a series of overtones (the harmonic series). The third of a major chord (e.g., the E in a C Major chord) has prominent overtones that can clash with other notes in the chord. For example, the overtones of E include a strong G-sharp. Doubling the third too many times amplifies these potentially dissonant overtones, resulting in a less pure and well-blended orchestral sound.
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?
- G4
- C5
- F4 (Correct answer)
- B-flat 4
Correct answer: F4
The French Horn in F is a transposing instrument that sounds a perfect fifth lower than written. Therefore, a written C5 will sound as an F4 at concert pitch. The key signature of the written part does not change the interval of transposition.
