04-30-2020, 11:52 PM
Hi everyone,
In the sketch below, I used a solo clarinet and a solo french horn for a two part harmony. I wanted something full but unobtrusive and it seems to be a good blend.
I experimented with both a four horn section and a solo horn for the horn part, but realized that I couldn't decided which would be better because I simply didn't know what a composer with more know-how than me would actually do or why. To me, the sound is largely the same, but I wondered if there were some other reason why one would be better than the other. I know the general rule is just do what sounds good, but both actually sound good to me. Because of that, I feel like there is an opportunity to learn something about writing for horns here...
So, horns as harmony? I understand soft horns can blend with most anything, and it could even be useful to build chords with just the horns (the "horn pad" of old). Does a solo horn ever come up in a larger orchestra as just one part of a blend like this?
Sketch
In the sketch below, I used a solo clarinet and a solo french horn for a two part harmony. I wanted something full but unobtrusive and it seems to be a good blend.
I experimented with both a four horn section and a solo horn for the horn part, but realized that I couldn't decided which would be better because I simply didn't know what a composer with more know-how than me would actually do or why. To me, the sound is largely the same, but I wondered if there were some other reason why one would be better than the other. I know the general rule is just do what sounds good, but both actually sound good to me. Because of that, I feel like there is an opportunity to learn something about writing for horns here...
So, horns as harmony? I understand soft horns can blend with most anything, and it could even be useful to build chords with just the horns (the "horn pad" of old). Does a solo horn ever come up in a larger orchestra as just one part of a blend like this?
Sketch