What do you think?
Rate this book
The Study of Orchestration
Written by a renowned composer whose works have been performed by major orchestras around the world, The Study of Orchestration is the only text that explores the characteristics of orchestral instruments and shows students how a master composer approaches orchestration. The fourth edition invites students to experience the instruments through online audio and video recordings and now offers more coverage of writing for band.
1024 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2002
88 people are currently reading
1277 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 17, 2019
BE WARNED! Do not buy the International Students Edition of the book. WWNorton are, in my opinion, ripping people off who live outside of the US. I bought the book and that gave me access to the online audio materials for 360 days. After that, you need to purchase further access, but they wont let you if you live outside of the US. I complained to WWNorton today, and they said buy the book again.
Do they expect customers to buy the book each year just to get access to the audio? It is a reference book too!
They do not provide a warning in advance and are in my opinion an unethical company because of this. BE WARNED!
Do they expect customers to buy the book each year just to get access to the audio? It is a reference book too!
They do not provide a warning in advance and are in my opinion an unethical company because of this. BE WARNED!
January 17, 2014
This book is too dense for its own good. The entirety of this book could be summed in a very few short ideas, such as having an instrument play in its most pronounced register if you wish for it to stand out, have instruments you wish to be in the middle or background play in a less pronounced register, have parts sounding at the same time have different rhythms in order for them to be clearly separated, if you wish for an instrument to stand out in an upcoming wall of sound, have that instrument come in on some rests for the audience to become acquainted with its tonal signature, and more
By no means are these bad ideas, or useless ideas, or whatever, but the amount of ideas in this book to not justify over 800 pages. It tends to start repeating itself quite a bit - once you've read one chapter on scoring for a section, you've basically read them all. They all offer the same advice. I was also surprised by the lack of appendix with tonal characteristics of each instrument's register. Seeing as how much the book emphasized the importance of that, an easy chart for seeing where the instruments really shine would have been great
By no means are these bad ideas, or useless ideas, or whatever, but the amount of ideas in this book to not justify over 800 pages. It tends to start repeating itself quite a bit - once you've read one chapter on scoring for a section, you've basically read them all. They all offer the same advice. I was also surprised by the lack of appendix with tonal characteristics of each instrument's register. Seeing as how much the book emphasized the importance of that, an easy chart for seeing where the instruments really shine would have been great
June 21, 2021
This book is comprehensive, but I can’t give it a higher rating because of some disturbing transposition errors. Adler would not make these. It has to be an editors mistake. However, they are present in a book about orchestration. I hop the next edition fixes this.
August 22, 2015
If you've rated this less than 5 stars you are a fool
March 11, 2023
One reason I was willing to pay for this extremely expensive book was that the ad promised that "The Fourth Edition invites students to experience the instruments through online audio and video recordings and now offers more coverage of writing for band." note: NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS!
When the book came, it had a card in it with the web site URL, a password, and instructions for setting up your access -- with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS!
I went through the process in question, with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS!
Then after a year, I found my access blocked, and a message that if I wanted to keep access you better give us some money, bub.
They can of course charge for their web site access if they want to. But to advertise that the extremely high price of this book includes web access with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS! and then to include instructions for access in the book with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS! and then to have you go through the registration process with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS! and then to spring it on you later that to keep access you have to give them still more money than the unconscionably high price they have already charged -- in other words, TO SELL YOU A TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION WHILE ALLOWING YOU TO ASSUME IT IS A PERMANENT SUBSCRIPTION --is very clearly unethical. This company ought to be ashamed of itself.
When the book came, it had a card in it with the web site URL, a password, and instructions for setting up your access -- with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS!
I went through the process in question, with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS!
Then after a year, I found my access blocked, and a message that if I wanted to keep access you better give us some money, bub.
They can of course charge for their web site access if they want to. But to advertise that the extremely high price of this book includes web access with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS! and then to include instructions for access in the book with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS! and then to have you go through the registration process with NO INDICATION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ACCESS! and then to spring it on you later that to keep access you have to give them still more money than the unconscionably high price they have already charged -- in other words, TO SELL YOU A TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION WHILE ALLOWING YOU TO ASSUME IT IS A PERMANENT SUBSCRIPTION --is very clearly unethical. This company ought to be ashamed of itself.
December 19, 2018
Perhaps the best comprehensive guide to instrumentation and orchestration that you will find. It is not so strong on writing for bands and wind orchestra, but is a great foundation for writing for symphony orchestra. I don't agree with how he divides the instruments into chapters, though - I feel it would be more sensible to put the harp and piano together because of how they function in the orchestra, for example. But as a whole, this is a great book.
September 8, 2023
This book is a gamechanger for anyone diving into the art of orchestration. It's like having an orchestra at your fingertips. The book's detailed explanations and visual aids make it easy to grasp complex concepts. If you're into composing or arranging for orchestras, this book is your secret weapon. it's an orchestration bible!
August 28, 2025
A very comprehensive and essential reference book for anyone interested in becoming a music composer. Details are given for the most popular instruments, though experience is the greatest teacher. But this author performs a very thorough effort to bringing a student closer to all of the popular orchestral instruments....
February 9, 2020
A reference book, essential and quite complete.
It references quite often to rare scares that is quite impossibile to find.
A dedicaed anthology with recordings would be ideal.
At the moment one of the best book on the topic.
It references quite often to rare scares that is quite impossibile to find.
A dedicaed anthology with recordings would be ideal.
At the moment one of the best book on the topic.
March 10, 2019
Still the best orchestration manual out there! Samuel Adler is a master teacher!
April 16, 2019
A brilliant introduction to orchestration
February 22, 2022
The best orchestration book I have ever read, and I have read many 🤓
October 15, 2021
Este libro es tan pesado porque abarca en mucho detalle la evolución de la técnica instrumental y orquestal a lo largo de más de 300 años (desde el renacimiento hasta el s. XX) y la manera en que organiza todos los principios de orquestación solo evidencia la evolución desde la primera edición hasta esta cuarta.
La organización de ambas partes de este libro es similar a la de Orchestration, pero Adler, en la primera parte Instrumentación alterna capítulos sobre scoring tips después de los capítulos que hablan sobre la técnica de los instrumentos por secciones. Las ilustraciones de las partituras vienen acompañadas con los audios, y las descripciones de estas de vez en cuando invitan al lector a observar los detalles con cuidado, por lo que a veces uno se queda un tiempo en un ejercicio tratando de anotar con colores lo que se describe para así notarlo más fácilmente en el score.
Los ilustraciones del repertorio abarcan una historia larguísima. Obras de Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Wagner, Britten, Copland, Bernstein... me quedo cortísimo listándolas aquí; al final las obras están indexadas por autores y es una lista de como cinco páginas.
Algunas prácticas son recurrentes en los capítulos sobre scoring tips. Siempre se progresa a través de las texturas más simples y las más modernas y complejas se ilustran al final del capítulo. Casi todos los ítems de las listas numeradas al principio de estos capítulos son desarrollados con las ilustraciones; entonces ubicarse según lo que uno busca se torna un tanto más fácil.
Ante todo, este es un libro de referencia muy moderno. Puedes leerlo de punta a punta pero te vas a tardar alrededor de dos o tres meses, (y con el Workbook: For the Study of Orchestration, Fourth Edition, que tiene "más que suficientes ejercicios" para que desarrolles tu habilidad orquestadora, la lectura se puede volver al menos dos veces más larga!) Ya cuando lo termines vas a tener una visión mucho más amplia de lo que es la práctica orquestal, la técnica instrumental y la orquestación; y si tienes acceso a una orquesta a la que puedes ver ensayando, referirte a él cuando se trabaje algo que no entiendas.
Muy completo. A veces habla de más, pero lo respeto porque imagínate llegar a la cúspide de tu obra y estar full emocionado. Esa emoción es contagiosa, y por eso este libro es bueno.
La organización de ambas partes de este libro es similar a la de Orchestration, pero Adler, en la primera parte Instrumentación alterna capítulos sobre scoring tips después de los capítulos que hablan sobre la técnica de los instrumentos por secciones. Las ilustraciones de las partituras vienen acompañadas con los audios, y las descripciones de estas de vez en cuando invitan al lector a observar los detalles con cuidado, por lo que a veces uno se queda un tiempo en un ejercicio tratando de anotar con colores lo que se describe para así notarlo más fácilmente en el score.
Los ilustraciones del repertorio abarcan una historia larguísima. Obras de Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Wagner, Britten, Copland, Bernstein... me quedo cortísimo listándolas aquí; al final las obras están indexadas por autores y es una lista de como cinco páginas.
Algunas prácticas son recurrentes en los capítulos sobre scoring tips. Siempre se progresa a través de las texturas más simples y las más modernas y complejas se ilustran al final del capítulo. Casi todos los ítems de las listas numeradas al principio de estos capítulos son desarrollados con las ilustraciones; entonces ubicarse según lo que uno busca se torna un tanto más fácil.
Ante todo, este es un libro de referencia muy moderno. Puedes leerlo de punta a punta pero te vas a tardar alrededor de dos o tres meses, (y con el Workbook: For the Study of Orchestration, Fourth Edition, que tiene "más que suficientes ejercicios" para que desarrolles tu habilidad orquestadora, la lectura se puede volver al menos dos veces más larga!) Ya cuando lo termines vas a tener una visión mucho más amplia de lo que es la práctica orquestal, la técnica instrumental y la orquestación; y si tienes acceso a una orquesta a la que puedes ver ensayando, referirte a él cuando se trabaje algo que no entiendas.
Muy completo. A veces habla de más, pero lo respeto porque imagínate llegar a la cúspide de tu obra y estar full emocionado. Esa emoción es contagiosa, y por eso este libro es bueno.
July 22, 2013
Already an oldie-but-goodie, but still the best out there for teaching orchestration. It was one of the first to include audio examples. The examples are generally the individual line, so finding and edit the audio excerpt in context takes time, but once done, makes an even better teaching aid.
The ultimate orchestration book would have multiple re-orchestrations so you could hear what changing the register, articulation, instrument, etc would sound like. Adler does this once in awhile to good effect.
The accompanying DVD videos are good for a laugh.
The ultimate orchestration book would have multiple re-orchestrations so you could hear what changing the register, articulation, instrument, etc would sound like. Adler does this once in awhile to good effect.
The accompanying DVD videos are good for a laugh.
November 27, 2017
Buyer beware - the access to recordings is only available for 3 months - after which you need to pay 40 USD for 180 day access. It is not stated anywhere here and you only know about this after the 3 month expires and you submitted a ticket for clarification.
Which is a shame... the book itself is extremely well written and should be a reference for a lifetime. Without the recordings, you won't benefit as much.
And WW Norton is extremely dishonest and deceptive for pulling such a stunt on us. I would have gladly paid more for a lifetime access or even a CD.
Which is a shame... the book itself is extremely well written and should be a reference for a lifetime. Without the recordings, you won't benefit as much.
And WW Norton is extremely dishonest and deceptive for pulling such a stunt on us. I would have gladly paid more for a lifetime access or even a CD.
December 3, 2011
As a composer, there's only a few books I feel the need to keep within arm's reach of me. Ok, I lied...there's only one, and this is it. I have the classic outdated books by Berlioz and Piston, and they're certainly nice to look up more period practices or odd instruments no longer in use, but this is the book. To put it this way, my keyboard doesn't live on the keyboard shelf, this book does.
June 22, 2010
This book is so a foreign language to me now, it comes with a workbook and a accompanying 6cd set, of which, at least the cds would make the book easier to understand, because you hear what they are clumsily trying to explain in the text
January 3, 2008
This is a must read for any composer (at any experience level), but be sure and pick up the separate cd packet with all of the examples from the book. They are invaluable.
February 23, 2008
This book has been useful. I recommend it for anyone learning the art of orchestration
September 11, 2011
Very good book about Orchestration. So clear and very recommended. This is one of the best!
December 30, 2014
Fantastic!
Read
September 2, 2016781.374 A237s 2016
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews