Principles of Orchestration, with Musical Examples Drawn from His Own Works

by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

The normal order of sounds or the natural harmonic scale:

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may serve as a guide to the orchestral arrangement of chords. It will be seen that the widely-spaced intervals lie in the lower part of the scale, gradually becoming closer as the upper register is approached:

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The bass should rarely lie at a greater distance than an octave from the part directly above it (tenor harmony). It is necessary to make sure that the harmonic notes are not lacking in the upper parts:

To be avoided:
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The use of sixths in the upper parts, and the practice of doubling the upper note in octaves are sometimes effective methods:

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