Doubling and Thickening

Doubling thickens a line and can also blur it; register and numbers decide which.

Related

DoublingRegisterSpacingClarinet

The problem

Doubling makes one line sound on two instruments. It can make a melody more prominent, and it can also make the colour muddy. The question is not whether to double, but what with, where, and how many.

Instrument combination

Unison doubling is thickest, octave doubling steadiest, and doubling with a different colour creates a new one. Woodwind doubling strings is common; brass doubling a melody needs careful dynamics. Three or more parts in unison usually add loudness without adding clarity.

Register and masking

Doubling adds energy and masking in equal measure. Low-register doubling turns muddy easily, while middle-high doubling works better. If the line being doubled already sits in a crowded register, simplify it first.

What to listen for

In the Fortieth Symphony, hear woodwind and strings move in the same direction and thicken the melody. In the First Brandenburg Concerto, hear oboes join the violins and recolour the line. In the Fifth Symphony, hear where doubling stops clarifying and starts blurring.

Common misconceptions

More doubling is not automatically better. Ask whether the line needs more volume or a different colour; the two answers lead to different scoring.

Sources

• 通行配器教材所述加倍、音区与平衡原则，用于事实核对，未引用原文
• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., entry "Orchestration", used for fact-checking only, not quoted

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.