Writing for Brass in Spitfire Symphony Orchestra with Guy Michelmore | Spitfire Audio скачать в хорошем качестве

Writing for Brass in Spitfire Symphony Orchestra with Guy Michelmore | Spitfire Audio

In this lesson from Mastering Orchestral Composition with Spitfire Audio, Emmy-nominated composer Guy Michelmore (‪@ThinkSpaceEducation‬) examines brass articulations in Spitfire Symphony Orchestra, with particular focus on how player count and articulation choice shape musical intent. The session begins with a core orchestration principle: in brass writing, the number of players fundamentally alters colour, impact, and character. Where the original SSO offered solo, a2, and a6 options, the introduction of Motif Brass adds a4, opening a crucial middle ground. Guy explains how voicing decisions change depending on context, why a six-player section can overwhelm a simple triad, and how a4 often provides the right balance for heroic lead lines without excess. Guy then explores Motif Brass’s performance patches, designed for immediacy and clarity. These streamlined patches prioritise bold melodic writing, reducing articulation management in favour of musical flow, with a single primary control alongside dynamics. The lesson continues with the expanded articulation and ensemble line-ups across the brass section. Trumpets now include a3 alongside solo, a2, and a6. Trombones introduce a5, offering a more proportionate ensemble size, while bass trombones provide solo and two-player options, supporting traditional open voicing approaches. Articulations are discussed in a musical context rather than in isolation. French horn techniques range from long and brighter quavering tones to stopped colour, marcato, tenuto, staccato, trills, flutter, and multi-tonguing. Trumpet writing includes open and straight-muted articulations, with attention given to how muted trumpets integrate into the section rather than dominating it. Throughout, the emphasis remains on understanding how real brass players perform. By thinking in terms of ensemble size, physical technique, and articulation behaviour, sketches become more playable, more expressive, and easier to develop into a fully realised orchestration. Get the full course: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/pages/t... Discover Spitfire Symphony Orchestra: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/product... 0:00 Introduction – Brass articulations in SSO 0:20 Brass section sizes (Solo, A2, A4, A6) explained 1:18 Why brass behaves differently from strings 2:02 Choosing player counts for chords vs lead lines 2:29 Motif Brass performance patches overview 3:37 Motif Brass across horns, trumpets, and trombones 4:11 Full articulation list – French horns 5:13 Advanced articulations (trills, multitongue, flutter) 5:49 Motif Horns vs standard articulations 6:14 Trumpet articulations and muted techniques 7:15 Matching sampled articulations to real brass playing 8:02 Low brass writing – trombones, bass trombone, tuba 8:49 Wrap-up and next steps