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

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?

Accepted Answer

Bouncing the bow lightly off the string for each note.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Flute

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Straight Mute

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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.

BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Practice Test

BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Practice Test

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