I would like to show you something I have been working on over the last few days. I'm going to show you step by step how you could take a simple 8 bar melody and orchestrate it in the style of the End Credits from 'Edward Scissorhands' by Danny Elfman. Here's a link to the track which I used as inspiration:

First of all here is my own melody in Green, with the chords shown in purple:

Below is my 10 point step-by-step method. You'll see that it is by no means a thick orchestration - I do not use Brass, only one Woodwind instrument - an Oboe, a Female choir, Harp, Celeste, Glockenspiel and Triangle, along with the Strings.

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Woodwinds

1.Oboe - Start by assigning your melody to either a solo Flute, Clarinet or Oboe. I've given mine to the Oboe. Make sure it is not too high or low for your chosen instrument.

Strings

2.Basses - Start by assigning the root note of each chord you've chosen as a single Pizzicato note to the beginning of each bar. Consider changing the frequency to every half bar during the 2nd half, to increase intensity. If you're feeling confident, try to connect the root notes between bar 4 and 5 with a descending or ascending run.

3.Violas and Cellos - Load up an ensemble Pizz sound (whole string section) and starting in the octave below middle C, play a triad, in root position of your first chord. Make it last a quarter note/crotchet. (I have mine coming in on beat 2). For the next quarter note, change the inversion to a 1st inversion, so the root note is now on the top of your 3 notes. Repeat this for the 3rd quarter note, where you should have your chord in a 2nd inversion. (In the score and Cubase project, I’ve given the top voice to the Violas and bottom 2 voices to the Celli).

4.Violins - Load up a sustained or even tremolo Violin sound. Again, have them come in on the 2nd beat of each bar, but this time as longer sustained notes (mine enter on the 2nd beat, lasting for the rest of each bar). I have chosen two notes from each chord (split between 1st and 2nd Violins), but crucially have them positioned in a range just above the stave, so they don't clash with the main melody. During the 2nd half, I then divide into 3 (giving the 1st Violins 2 notes each).

5.Harp - Give the Harp arpeggios (using notes from each chord), playing only during the first half of each bar.

Choir

A choir is an important component in this Edward Scissorhands-inspired orchestration - I'm using just a female choir only (Sopranos and Altos).

6.Sopranos - Assign the melody to the Sopranos (which will double your Solo Woodwind Instrument). Be careful of the range!

7.Altos - Then divide the Altos in two, singing two notes from each chord, placed around the middle of the treble clef stave and coming in during the 2nd half of the melody. This again will help to increase the intensity slightly as the melody progresses.

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Percussion

8.Celeste - Perhaps the instrument that will have the biggest effect on achieving the sound similar to that of Edward Scissorhands, is the Celeste. Try to write a pattern that rises and falls over a bar or two, utilising two notes at a time. I have them playing eighth notes or quavers in my example, with the notes made up only of pitches from each triad. So for example with the chord of E minor, I have B and E, followed by E and G, and then G and B above that.

9.Glockenspiel - Give the Glockenspiel a descending pattern of half notes/minims, using notes only found in each chord. This will help add further to the twinkly or magical sound that we're after.

10.Triangle - Use the Triangle and/or windchimes from some extra sonic sparkle. I have the Windchimes playing in bars 3-4 and the Triangle playing the 1st beat of each bar, from the 5th bar onwards.

There's my 10 step process for orchestrating a melody and chords in the style of 'Edward Scissorhands' by Danny Elfman. I would probably not use this in a commercial capacity as it might sound a little too close to the original, but none the less it was fun for me to dissect Danny Elfman's original orchestration, discovering it's components and then applying it to my own melody!