Composition and Orchestration Courses

From piano sketch to orchestra. Clear orchestration without muddiness. Learn by writing.

We help composers learn composition and orchestration online—clear, playable writing from day one.

Portrait of composer and tutor George Marshall
George Marshall — Composer & Tutor • Instructor and creator of “Music Composition and Orchestration: Learning from Grieg”

Composition and Orchestration Online Course — Learn by Writing

If you’re looking for a music composition and orchestration programme that unites melody, harmony, form/structure, orchestration and arranging, you’re in the right place. This short, focused course studies Grieg’s Morning Mood from the inside—so you understand how lyrical ideas breathe, how textures stay clear, and how to turn a modest musical thought into a complete piece. It’s score study for composers who want techniques they can actually reuse, in notation or a DAW.

What composers say

Real results from online composition and orchestration students.

★★★★★
Udemy

“Super interesting, VERY well explained… with brilliant annotated scores.”

“This course by Dr Marshall is super interesting, very well explained, and contains very instructive musical analysis… Highly recommended!”

Read full review

This course by Dr Marshall is super interesting, VERY well explained, and contains very instructive musical analysis of some of the most imaginative and beloved music… [full text you provided goes here; keep as one or two paragraphs].

★★★★★
Udemy

“Valuable. Clear. Engaging. Helpful. Accurate. Knowledgeable.”

✓ Valuable information • ✓ Clear explanations • ✓ Engaging delivery • ✓ Helpful activities • ✓ Accurate description • ✓ Knowledgeable instructor.

★★★★★
Thinkific

“Very well structured and full of interesting compositional concepts.”

“I highly recommend this course to composers of all levels. Thanks again!”

★★★★★
Thinkific

“I couldn’t be happier… beauty is not complex.”

“I started the course with only rudimentary composition skills… I highly recommend it.”

Learn Composition and Orchestration — From Piano Sketch to Orchestra

We start at the piano-sketch level and track decisions into the ensemble. You’ll see how a solo line opens space, how strings create warmth without masking, and how winds carry and trade colour. We compare a melody in different octaves (flute up vs. oboe down) to understand texture and register, the role of voice-leading in shaping line, and the dramatic work done by dynamic contour and thematic development. It’s guided, practical analysis you can apply the same day.