mc-orchestration

Assigns instruments to musical lines using orchestration rules for Western and Chinese folk orchestras.

128|16|Updated Sep 17, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/jtydhr88/music-composition-skills --skill mc-orchestration-jtydhr88
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: mc-orchestration
Source: https://github.com/jtydhr88/music-composition-skills/tree/main/plugins/music-composition/skills/mc-orchestration
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/jtydhr88/music-composition-skills --skill mc-orchestration-jtydhr88

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Deciding which instrument should play which line is a core arranging problem: the wrong choice makes woodwinds vanish, MIDI mockups sound fake, and mixed timbres turn muddy. This Skill provides decision-level orchestration rules distilled from classic treatises (Yang Liqing, Adler, Pejrolo & DeRosa, Yang Chunlin) so every instrument choice is justified rather than guessed. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Timbre Decision Framework: Choose between pure and mixed timbres, then apply unison doubling, octave coupling, or cross-register coloring, with checks for the counterintuitive neutralization effect where stacked woodwinds cancel each other out. - Balance and Register Rules: Balance by actual player count and register-dependent loudness, exploit register-as-character (e.g., violin sul G vs sul E), and apply the three conditions for making a section cut through the texture. - MIDI and Chinese Folk Orchestra Scoring: Adapt acoustic orchestration logic to sampled instruments, and score for the four Chinese folk sections (winds, plucked strings, bowed strings, percussion) with octave-notation tables, section pairing rules, and full-ensemble assignment templates. - Use Case: When filling the roster fields of an ARR-SPEC arrangement document, use this Skill to decide that a melody goes to oboe doubled an octave below by clarinet, verify the balance by headcount, and confirm each instrument sits in a strong register. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to orchestrate a melody and chord progression for a specific ensemble, for example by requesting which instruments should carry the melody, bass, and harmony in a Chinese folk orchestra arrangement.

Frequently Asked Questions about mc-orchestration

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I choose which instrument should play a melody?▼

Start by answering four questions: the line's role, whether you want a pure or blended timbre, the exact register in note names, and the playing technique. These four answers should yield a concrete instrumentation rather than a vague group like strings plus woodwinds.

Why do my woodwind parts disappear in the full orchestra texture?▼

Woodwinds vanish when they lack numbers, use only one doubling technique, or sit in weak registers. The fix combines increased instrument count, mixed unison and octave coupling, and placing the top flute line in its strongest, most brilliant register.

Why does adding more instruments make the timbre sound muddy?▼

Stacking many different woodwinds causes neutralization, where the instruments blunt each other's character and produce a flat background. Check whether you hear a genuinely new blended timbre or a dulled mass with one instrument accidentally sticking out.

How is Chinese folk orchestra scoring different from Western orchestration?▼

Chinese folk orchestra adds a plucked-string section with point-like attacks, and huqin instruments lose volume as pitch rises, reversing Western intuition. Several instruments like bangdi and suona use octave-displaced notation, so orchestration decisions must be based on actual sounding pitch.

Why does my MIDI orchestration sound fake compared to a real orchestra?▼

Sampled instruments lack the automatic corrections real players make for intonation, balance, and articulation. You must explicitly decide dynamics shaping, articulation switching, and register choices rather than leaving them to defaults.

What are the limitations of octave doubling between instruments?▼

Octave coupling fuses less completely than unison doubling, and the upper instrument mainly reinforces the lower one's overtones. The upper placement should follow which instrument is stronger in that register, not the natural score order.