Skip to content

Course Syllabus

MUSC 4140 Contemporary Orchestration

  • Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
  • Department: Music
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 2; Lecture: 2; Lab: 0
  • Prerequisites: Music Theory IV (MUSC 3120)
  • Semesters Offered: Spring
  • Semester Approved: Fall 2019
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2024
  • End Semester: Summer 2025
  • Optimum Class Size: 12
  • Maximum Class Size: 18

Course Description

This course includes a study of the characteristics of woodwind, brass, percussion, and string instruments and the process of orchestrating for those instruments and their application to contemporary music. Assignments will focus on the practical application of orchestration for popular and jazz music genres.

Justification

Orchestration courses are typical required of music composition majors throughout the state of Utah and are a standard part of music major degrees at most colleges and universities accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Courses in contemporary orchestration are also typically found in commercial music programs throughout the US.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will be able to write clear and correct orchestrations for a variety of instruments and instrument combinations, especially those commonly encountered in contemporary music.
  2. Using a variety of compositional techniques, students will compose short works that are easily understood and playable for other musicians.
  3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of instrument transposition as well as musical terms associated with each family of instruments including strings, woodwinds, brass, keyboards, and percussion.

Course Content

Course topics will include instrument transposition and ranges, bowed string instruments, plucked string instruments, woodwinds, brass, percussion of definite pitch, percussion of indefinite pitch, and keyboard instruments. A focus will also be placed on scoring for both full and string orchestras as well as concert band.