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Books/Tutorials for MIDI orchestration without notation

HarmonyCore

Senior Member
I am looking for theory books or tutorials about midi orchestration that explains counterpoint, counter melodies, voice leading, and other important stuff using only the piano chart and a DAW. No notation. I can't read music and I don't have the time to learn the cleffs. I want to hone my skills theoretically as well. I know all the fundamentals of music theory (chords, scales, modes, inversions).
 
Good luck with that. That's like saying "I want to learn the fundamentals of grammar, style, and punctuation, but only by listening to audiobooks."

The biggest problem is that orchestration requires you to see and understand multiple instruments with all their dynamics and articulations simultaneously. You can't do that effectively on a piano roll.

The reason we use notation is because it is efficient at conveying the necessary information.
 
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I am looking for theory books or tutorials about midi orchestration that explains counterpoint, counter melodies, voice leading, and other important stuff using only the piano chart and a DAW. No notation.
I seriously doubt you’ll find much without notation. I’m curious why you don’t have time to learn basic musicianship. You mention clefs, but you would need to learn a lot more than just clefs. I think you don’t know what you don’t know. When I hear people make these sorts of comments my first thought is they are just lazy or don’t really have a real interest and I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way. I have no idea what your goals are. Perhaps you’re just looking for some quick little tips.

I think some of these expensive online courses claim you can learn orchestration without reading, but I haven’t seen them. Perhaps they are good. Some can do amazing things just using their ears. I get some pretty talented college students in my first semester theory/comp classes and they can write some interesting stuff, but they take my classes to get formal training because they are truly interested in taking their skills to another level.

Anyway, to answer your question, there are a few tutorials out there and here is one. Spitfire Audio often has tutorials that don’t involve notation. I think Project Sam has some videos too. Good luck.

 
I am looking for theory books or tutorials about midi orchestration that explains counterpoint, counter melodies, voice leading, and other important stuff using only the piano chart and a DAW. No notation. I can't read music and I don't have the time to learn the cleffs. I want to hone my skills theoretically as well. I know all the fundamentals of music theory (chords, scales, modes, inversions).

sorry..........there are NO shortcuts...roll up your sleeves and enjoy yourself. Learn form example by the masters !........there are loads of masters...steal their shit and make it your own...that's what they did. If you have an I phone get this: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/swyftnote-play-along-with-music-flash-cards/id1058445648

every day for a month or so and you will be reading in no time. As to music theory I am curious how you managed the fundamentals without being able to read. Perhaps you missed something.

Best

ed
 
Ok everyone, thx for taking the time to answer. Great answers. Looks like no other way around this. I learned the mentioned fundamentals on the piano directly by visualizing them on keys rather than on lines, spaces, and ledgers. I've always thought that notation is crucial only academically for those who is in actual orchestra playing in real time or sightreading. So, I thought to myself that I could do the same with advanced theory is to visualise it directly on the keys. After all, what's written in the paper is translated into an instrument. I just want to see that translation directly.
 
yeah..that's why it's tricky. Basically you are dealing with a very complex language . To write film music and the like you'll need to draw from a 100 year plus reservoir of harmonic syntax. None of that shit is presented in any way other than notation.....soz...but there you are !.......and even then your going to have to dig through a ton if it and select the bit's that interest you !

all the best

e
 
I am looking for theory books or tutorials about midi orchestration that explains counterpoint, counter melodies, voice leading, and other important stuff using only the piano chart and a DAW. No notation. I can't read music and I don't have the time to learn the cleffs. I want to hone my skills theoretically as well. I know all the fundamentals of music theory (chords, scales, modes, inversions).
You certainly have time to learn reading but you don't want to. Believe it or not, you are taking for granted the most important part to hone your skills.
There's also a misconception happening here. Midi orchestration, as far as I know, is related to techniques to produce expressive mockups. There's no such thing as orchestrating on midi or orchestrating on notation. The same principles apply to both. On the other hand, counterpoint, vl, harmony etc... are part of the composition which is easier learned through score reading.
I hope it helps!
 
You'll get the basics of notation is relatively short time, but what matters is how fast you'll get to a satisfying sight reading speed.

How difficult it is to learn notation (not only learn and understand it, but to be able to sight read fast enough to not give up/become exhausted after working for an hour) varies from person to person. Also: there are several 'tricks' to use when learning notation; methods that speed up the process of reaching a decent level of sigh reading skills/speed. So don't give up if you start to learn notation and find it less easy than you thought it would be, because most likely, a notation system developed today from the ground up would have been more logic that the existing system.

A few tips:

• Get used to identifying pitch not only by identifying it's 'absolute value' (based on position), but get used to, as soon as possible, to identifying pitch based each note's distance to the closest note.

• Don't assume that it's all logical. Notation is a graphical alphabet which only has 7 characters (ABCDEFG), but there are several As, several Bs etc, which of course means extra work. But if you look at one of the 'characters': 5 empty lines with a black note on top of the lowermost line, that graphical symbol means "E" if it's in treble clef, but it means "G" if it is in bass clef. That's a bad UI right there, because it's almost like telling a kid that the symbol we knows "E" is an E if it's placed on the uppermost line on a page, but it's "G" if it's shown in the line below. I know I'm exaggerating, but this *is* confusing for many beginners.

• Don't try to learn notation by looking at a Strawinsky score, or even at one of your favourite pop songs. If you aren't at all familiar with notation (which most people aren't), consider your self a kid in this context, and start with really simple stuff.

• Only work with piano clef - in order to get used to seeing the upper E mentioned as an E and the G I mentioned as a G, even if it looks almost the same. You'll get used to it, but it will take some time. Don't start with reading only treble clef stuff.

• Print out (in piano clef) one note at a time, with a letter next to it explaining what note it is, and place these small 'mini lessons' close to where you spend most of your time (where you eat breakfast, next to your bed, next to your computer screen etc). Then you'll slowly learn some notes, one at a time, without really trying.

• It's often easier to remember two things than one thing. If you think of the note system as a building, and find something to associated the lines with, things become easier. You could eg. think of the lower most line as the 'ground', that note is a G and ground start with G. Or that the line between the two dots in the F clef (bass clef) is the F line (the line in the center of the G (treble) clef is the G line.

• Think of the notes as ABCDEFG, not CDEFGABC or the (German etc) CDEFGAHC.

• Since the music alphabet ends with G, remember that the first notes above any G are ABC (etc).
 
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There is a method to speed-learn sight reading of pitch notation and some claim it takes between 15 minutes to an hour per clef to learn. The steps are (bass clef and left hand training as example):

1. Put a sticker (e.g. strip of red post it) on the middle c on a keyboard

2. Put 5 stickers (e.g. strips of green) on keyboard keys that correspond to notes falling on staff lines in bass clef. Like this:

1585066221741.png

3. Configure this online Sight Reading App like this:

1585064527312.png

4. Follow the online trainer. You only play notes that falls on a staff line (i.e. marked with a sticker on a keyboard) and skip for now the notes in between.

1585064626873.png

5. Some useful tips:

- As first training step, mentally and visually memorize the note that's on the middle staff line (first note in the screenshot above and the middle of the clef stickers) and use it as a compass for notes above and below. Some people use a separate color sticker to mark it

- Concentrate first on the notes that fall on the staff lines (skip the rest) for first practice run

- Add the notes that are between the staff lines when you're feel you're ready

=====
This is very fast and very simple, all it does is train visual-muscle coordination and rapid memorization. The method for treble clef (right hand) is exactly the same.

You decide when you're ready to move to extra staff lines and accidentals and you do that using the configure button and changing the lower and upper pitch limits.

Once you're good in each hand separately you combine them, and boom - you have full range of chords at your disposal.

Hope it helps!
 
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You'll get the basics of notation is relatively short time, but what matters is how fast you'll get to a satisfying sight reading speed.

How difficult it is to learn notation (not only learn and understand it, but to be able to sight read fast enough to not give up/become exhausted after working for an hour) varies from person to person. Also: there are several 'tricks' to use when learning notation; methods that speed up the process of reaching a decent level of sigh reading skills/speed. So don't give up if you start to learn notation and find it less easy than you thought it would be, because most likely, a notation system developed today from the ground up would have been more logic that the existing system.

A few tips: get used to identifying pitch not only bye identifying it's 'absolute value' (based on position), but get used to, as soon as possible, to identifying pitch based the notes distance to the closest note.

Don't assume that it's all logical. Notation is a graphical alphabet which only has 7 characters (ABCDEFG), but there are several As, several Bs etc, which of course means extra work. But if you look at one of the 'characters': 5 empty lines with a black note on top of the lowermost line, that graphical symbol means "E" if it's in treble clef, but it means "G" if it is in bass clef. That's a bad UI right there, because it's almost like telling a kid that the symbol we knows "E" is an E if it's placed on the uppermost line on a page, but it's "G" if it's shown in the line below. I know I'm exaggerating, but this *is* confusing for many beginners.

Also: don't try to learn notation by looking at a Strawinsky score, or even at one of your favourite pop songs. If you aren't at all familiar with notation (which most people aren't), consider your self a kid in this context, and start with really simple stuff.

Another tip: only work with piano clef - in order to get used to seeing the upper E mentioned as an E and the G I mentioned as a G, even if it looks almost the same. You'll get used to it, but it will take some time. Don't start with reading only treble clef stuff.

Fina tip: Print out (in piano clef) one note at a time, with a letter next to it explaining what note it is, and place these small 'mini lessons' close to where you spend most of your time (where you eat breakfast, next to your bed, next to your computer screen etc). Then you'll slowly learn some notes, one at a time, without really trying.

Appreciate your explanation, sir.
Respect !!! and Peace !!!
 
@HarmonyCore This might help, and I believe it’s at a big discount at the moment:

Thanks but I don't think I am going to buy any other course after I became a subscribed member in Groove3. Tons of videos out there.
 
There is a method to speed-learn sight reading of pitch notation and some claim it takes between 15 minutes to an hour per clef to learn. The steps are (bass clef and left hand training as example):

1. Put a sticker (e.g. strip of red post it) on the middle c on a keyboard

2. Put 5 stickers (e.g. strips of green) on keyboard keys that correspond to notes falling on staff lines in bass clef. Like this:

1585066221741.png

3. Configure this online Sight Reading App like this:

1585064527312.png

4. Follow the online trainer. You only play notes that falls on a staff line (i.e. marked with a sticker on a keyboard) and skip for now the notes in between.

1585064626873.png

5. Some useful tips:

- As first training step, mentally and visually memorize the note that's on the middle staff line (first note in the screenshot above and the middle of the clef stickers) and use it as a compass for notes above and below. Some people use a separate color sticker to mark it

- Concentrate first on the notes that fall on the staff lines (skip the rest) for first practice run

- Add the notes that are between the staff lines when you're feel you're ready

=====
This is very fast and very simple, all it does is train visual-muscle coordination and rapid memorization. The method for treble clef (right hand) is exactly the same.

You decide when you're ready to move to extra staff lines and accidentals and you do that using the configure button and changing the lower and upper pitch limits.

Once you're good in each hand separately you combine them, and boom - you have full range of chords at your disposal.

Hope it helps!

Amazing staff game app !!
It really helps.

thx :)
 
Good luck with that. That's like saying "I want to learn the fundamentals of grammar, style, and punctuation, but only by listening to audiobooks."
Well, not quite. Audiobooks wouldn't exist without something written down, but music can easily exist without ever writing a note. And you can certainly use your ears to understand orchestration. In fact, that's exactly what my high school music teacher had us do on a regular basis, because she knew we didn't read music. Learning to listen and separate the various instruments was a pretty miraculous moment for me.

You can certainly learn how the various instruments contrast and compliment each other without ever having to read a note of music. Would reading music be a benefit? Sure, for some. For others it might be a hindrance. It's why I always tells young writers that they have to find their own way into the work, because everyone learns differently.

The late Peter Alexander's website has a series on orchestrating by ear. He called it Visual Orchestration:

 
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