--- product_id: 4901759 title: "Essential Dictionary of Orchestration: The Most Practical and Comprehensive Resource for Composers, Arrangers and Orchestrators (Essential Dictionary Series)" price: "₱2221" currency: PHP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.ph/products/4901759-essential-dictionary-of-orchestration-the-most-practical-and-comprehensive-resource store_origin: PH region: Philippines --- # Essential Dictionary of Orchestration: The Most Practical and Comprehensive Resource for Composers, Arrangers and Orchestrators (Essential Dictionary Series) **Price:** ₱2221 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Essential Dictionary of Orchestration: The Most Practical and Comprehensive Resource for Composers, Arrangers and Orchestrators (Essential Dictionary Series) - **How much does it cost?** ₱2221 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ph](https://www.desertcart.ph/products/4901759-essential-dictionary-of-orchestration-the-most-practical-and-comprehensive-resource) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description At last, an orchestration book tailor-made for the classroom musician on a budget. Any teacher, student or professional musician, whether a composer, orchestrator, arranger, performer or enthusiast will find this thoroughly comprehensive dictionary full of the most needed information on over 150 instruments. Designed for quick and easy reference, the Essential Dictionary of Orchestration includes those much-needed instrument ranges, general characteristics, tone quality descriptions, technical pitfalls, useful scoring tips and much more! Review: Everyone should have this book!! - I'd give it ten stars! Anyone interested in writing, arranging, composing, orchestrating, or just a curious musician should own a copy of this book. It covers over 150 instruments giving the general/practical range as written and transposed, plus it gives the tonal/dynamic qualities of each register and where they might be used (e.g.each string on stringed instruments, chalumeau/throat/clarino on clarinet). It covers general information about each instrument (construction, special attachments, general considerations). It covers technical considerations with specific characteristics for each instrument to help you avoid writing something a player would consider stupid (e.g. low B-Bb slide positions on trombone, low C-Db trill on flute). It also has scoring hints for each and within their families. It covers all sorts of articulations/mutes/effects etc, what they sound like, where to use them and how to write them (e.g. velvotone mute/'doit' articulation for trumpet, flutter tonguing on flute, string technics). Also, there is information on harmonics for stringed instruments and pedal tones for trombones, french horns et al. It has an amazing section on percussion instruments. Composers have always looked like idiots to a percussionist because they hadn't the slightest idea how to write for them. You will know how if you use the info in this book (and be admired by the 'battery'). In short, if this book sold for $200, it would be worth it. At $100 it would be a bargain. BUT at 6 bucks, why haven't you bought it already?? p.s. while a bit confusing a first to find an instrument, however, with about five minutes of use you will understand the reasons for the arrangement of material in the book by families (you would not want a coronet at the front and trumpet at the back of a book). The table of contents explains it. Plus there is an alphabetical listing of instruments with page #'s at the back of the book. Review: Very useful reference book! - This is an excellent little book (and I do mean LITTLE... the book has a wealth of information, but it's tiny, like pocket-sized!) to reference when creating film scores or other orchestrations. The instruments are grouped together for ease of navigation (e.g., percussion, stringed instruments, horns, reeds, etc.). The book details the ACTUAL range and the SOUNDED range of each instrument, and it has some really uncommon/bizarre instruments listed! It's really nice that the sounded range is included, as instruments vary in timbre and thus play in a different register, so the same note on the same staff can sound different. I use this book frequently when I'm writing various orchestrated sections of film scores. Use this as a reference book only. It doesn't go much further than that. Quite worth the money! ## Features - Format: Book - Category: Textbook - General - Contributors: By Dave Black and Tom Gerou - Pub Date: 10/1998 - Series: Essential Dictionary Series ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #311,196 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 446 Reviews | ## Images ![Essential Dictionary of Orchestration: The Most Practical and Comprehensive Resource for Composers, Arrangers and Orchestrators (Essential Dictionary Series) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71qCLOsw4hL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Everyone should have this book!! *by B***N on January 22, 2008* I'd give it ten stars! Anyone interested in writing, arranging, composing, orchestrating, or just a curious musician should own a copy of this book. It covers over 150 instruments giving the general/practical range as written and transposed, plus it gives the tonal/dynamic qualities of each register and where they might be used (e.g.each string on stringed instruments, chalumeau/throat/clarino on clarinet). It covers general information about each instrument (construction, special attachments, general considerations). It covers technical considerations with specific characteristics for each instrument to help you avoid writing something a player would consider stupid (e.g. low B-Bb slide positions on trombone, low C-Db trill on flute). It also has scoring hints for each and within their families. It covers all sorts of articulations/mutes/effects etc, what they sound like, where to use them and how to write them (e.g. velvotone mute/'doit' articulation for trumpet, flutter tonguing on flute, string technics). Also, there is information on harmonics for stringed instruments and pedal tones for trombones, french horns et al. It has an amazing section on percussion instruments. Composers have always looked like idiots to a percussionist because they hadn't the slightest idea how to write for them. You will know how if you use the info in this book (and be admired by the 'battery'). In short, if this book sold for $200, it would be worth it. At $100 it would be a bargain. BUT at 6 bucks, why haven't you bought it already?? p.s. while a bit confusing a first to find an instrument, however, with about five minutes of use you will understand the reasons for the arrangement of material in the book by families (you would not want a coronet at the front and trumpet at the back of a book). The table of contents explains it. Plus there is an alphabetical listing of instruments with page #'s at the back of the book. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very useful reference book! *by &***; on December 29, 2010* This is an excellent little book (and I do mean LITTLE... the book has a wealth of information, but it's tiny, like pocket-sized!) to reference when creating film scores or other orchestrations. The instruments are grouped together for ease of navigation (e.g., percussion, stringed instruments, horns, reeds, etc.). The book details the ACTUAL range and the SOUNDED range of each instrument, and it has some really uncommon/bizarre instruments listed! It's really nice that the sounded range is included, as instruments vary in timbre and thus play in a different register, so the same note on the same staff can sound different. I use this book frequently when I'm writing various orchestrated sections of film scores. Use this as a reference book only. It doesn't go much further than that. Quite worth the money! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Way more than the basics. *by I***A on April 7, 2025* This pocket dictionary manages to pack more useful information than some orchestration tomes out there. It covers not only the basics like range and articulations for every possible instrument out there, but it adds idiosyncraties to watch for. I use it to validate scores before sharing with a performer for feedback (I take a composition class). Knowing what register is resonant, and which is not fast (clarinet, bassoon), where the breaks are between registers and what I can and should not do when music runs through those changes -- this information is invaluable -- and much faster to retrieve than googling site after site hoping someone will have a 45 minute video that addresses what makes musicians mad at composers! Small enough to fit in the external pocket of my shaped violin case. It is a treasure! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ph/products/4901759-essential-dictionary-of-orchestration-the-most-practical-and-comprehensive-resource](https://www.desertcart.ph/products/4901759-essential-dictionary-of-orchestration-the-most-practical-and-comprehensive-resource) --- *Product available on Desertcart Philippines* *Store origin: PH* *Last updated: 2026-06-15*