Tutorial No 2.      Two parallel scales a third apart, then octave doublings.

The woodwind section is the least powerful of the orchestra, next come the strings, and the most powerful is the brass by a handsome margin.  Within the woodwinds, this example plays a scale on the Bb clarinet, doubled one third above on the oboe. This demonstrates how the piercing tone of the oboe tends to dominate the blend, especially as it is also the higher part. Then we add flutes doubling the clarinet at one octave and two octaves higher.  The oboe part still tends to shine through, despite two flutes above it. Finally we add massed violins doubling the clarinet at one octave. This then dominates the blend, and we hear the violins and flutes above the oboe.

  1. Open the Diatonic and Chromatic Scale Generator from the main MENU  
    Create ->  Scales and Passages -> Scales and Arpeggios.
  2. Under Key, set the drop-down box to Bb, and leave the option button at Major.
  3. Under Instrument Family set the drop-down box to Woodwind, then set the instrument to Clarinet. Set Octave to 3 so the clarinet will start on the Bb below middle C. Set Time Signature to 4/4.
  4. Click the green button Play Scale at the foot of the screen, to hear this scale on the clarinet.
  5. Click the orange button Save as fragment for use in composing board.
  6. A fragment name dialog box will appear, filled with "ScaleBb major". Type a 1 at the end of this, (because all saved fragments must have unique names),  and  type "Clarinet" in the description, then click OK. Listen to the result by using the playbar.
  7. Repeat steps 2 to 6, with oboe as the instrument, and Start on which degree = 3, and name the fragment "Oboe doubling at third"
  8. Repeat steps 2 to 6, with flute as the instrument, and octave = 4, and Start on which degree = 1, and name the fragment "Flute doubling at octave"
  9. Repeat steps 2 to 6, with flute as the instrument, and octave = 5, and Start on which degree = 1, and name the fragment "Flute doubling at two octaves"
  10. Repeat steps 2 to 6, with strings as the instrument, and octave = 4, and Start on which degree = 1, and name the fragment "Violins doubling at octave".
  11. Open the Musical Discovery Composing Board from the main MENU :-
    Create ->  Compositions -> Composing Board.  There should be five icons at the foot of the screen with your descriptions listed. Listen to each fragment separately, by  right-clicking each icon to bring up a dialog box with information about the fragment, then click the green button Play fragment (all tracks).
  12. Try various dragging combinations of these fragments, arranged vertically in the first column of the composing board, and click the orange button Assemble fragments on the board into a new tune, then click the Play button to hear the blended effect.
Note especially the combinations described at the top of this tutorial, and how the oboe tends to dominate until the strings are added.