How to Study
The Master MIDI Mockup Course is built around two works electronically realized by British composer Andrew Blaney: Debussy's
Jeux de vague from
La Mer and
Jupiter from Holst's
The Planets. Between the two works, you'll find a majority of the most common orchestral devices and combinations (including divisi strings) as illustrated in our
Professional Orchestration Series.
For each work, you get (all digital downloads):
1. The printed score (PDF version)
2. Live Orchestral performance (MP3)
3. Recorded electronic performance (MP3)
4. Links to YouTube for video of live performance
5. MIDI file of each work that enables you to look up each specific orchestral device and combination and see how it was done so you can replicate it in your own music.
6.Thesaurus of Orchestral Devices
7.Excel Spreadsheet which you can open in Excel, iWorks, or Google Docs.
Study Approach
Watch the video and observe string bowings, combinations of instruments, dynamics and so on. Listen to the MP3 of the live orchestral performance. Ideally, you should go through each at least five (5) times. Then, after you've got the piece in your inner ear, listen to the MIDI mockup.
Now watch/listen with the PDF score. Using a highlighter, mark the score using the 8 Keys to Learning Professional Orchestration. For reference, you can use Professional Orchestration Volumes 1, 2A and 2B which provide a majority of the devices and combinations in each score.
Once the score is marked transfer the technique and bar number to the spreadsheets.
On your spreadsheets, the strings have been for you for Jeux de vagues. Your assignment is to look up and log the various devices for woodwinds and brass from the score. Once done, you'll then have a MIDI device catalog so that when you want to use a certain technique in your score, you have it logged down to locate it.
The MIDI file is for score reference only. Assigning instruments to it for playback will not produce the same results as the recorded MIDI mockup.
Once you've located the device you want to implement in your score, look it up in the MIDI file. You should look at:
1. volume
2. velocity
3. the beginning pitch of a phrase
4.note length
5. crescendos and diminuendos
Both scores were originally done in Digital Performer. If the MIDI track names do not immediately appear in your track list, you'll need to go into the Score Editor of your program, get the names, and key them into the arrange list in your track window.
Jeux de vagues was scored with a combination of libraries with the original Vienna Library (pre-Vienna Instruments) on the lead lines. This took two weeks to complete. By comparison, Jupiter was done only with the Vienna Library and took four weeks to complete.
About Andrew Blaney
Andrew Blaney is one of the UK’s most versatile writers who composes, mixes and programs libraries. Andy earned his Masters Degree in film scoring from Bournemouth University. He has since become a popular composer for the BBC for such productions as Dickens, George Eliot: A Scandalous Life, My Life in Film, Twisted Tales, and How We Built Britain (6 episodes).
Materials Included in Your Download
1. Jeux de vagues PDF score
2. DRM-free MP3 of Jeux de vagues from La Mer by Debussy from eClassical
3. MP3 of Andy's mock-up of Jeux de vagues
4. MIDI file of Andy's mock of Jeux de vagues
5. Jupiter PDF score
6. DRM-free MP3 of Jupiter from The Planets, by Holst from eClassical
7. MP3 of Andy's mock-up for Jupiter
8. MP3 of Andy's MIDI file for Jupiter
9. Thesaurus of Orchestral Devices
10. Excel spreadsheet with orchestral devices listed
11. Links to selected YouTube videos