Arrangement on LearnJazzPiano.com

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Arrangement

hi all
are any of you guys making arrangements for big bands ?
or having knowledge on arrangements ?

i'm trying to do so actually, but really difficult and (like playing piano) needs a lot of practice.

would be nice to have a discussion on that activity that many jazz pianists are interested in.

by groyann on 06/28/2006, 04:51

There are 24 comments, leave a comment.

try
https://www.jazzarranging.com/publications/books/jazztech.html
or
https://www.melbay.com/creativekeyboard/articles.html
https://www.petethomas.co.uk/composition.html
https://www.practicespot.com/

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by Kai on 06/28/2006, 14:40

thanks, kai.

who is practicing arrangement here in ljp ?

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by groyann on 06/29/2006, 03:48

no probs. thought of another one that might be of use. https://chordmaps.com. i presume you have searched right here. :-)

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by Kai on 06/29/2006, 04:26

what i'm really interested in discussing, is how to voice chords when you write for a big band (4 trumpets, 4 trombone, 5 saxes, + a rythmic section).
and to know, if someone her is experimented in doing that.
i met many musicians who are writing arrangements, but particularly many pianists. it seems to be another face of the jazz pianist.

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by groyann on 06/29/2006, 06:47

ryan cullen is a forum member who does big band arrangements, don't know if he's been around for a while.

i'll look for his website url and post it here.

the most i've ever written for in this department is for 4 horns.

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by 7 on 06/29/2006, 12:26

good luck and enjoy big band sound.

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by albetan on 06/29/2006, 14:18

thanks, albetan. your pdf is good, i love the idea of arranging with same voicings as on piano.
our teacher do not explain like this, because all students are not pianists.
the big band in which i play, is exactely one of the config you explain : 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes (2 altos, 2 tenors, 1 baryton).
i know how to arrange in 4 or 5 voices. but how to arrange for all thoses instruments ??

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by groyann on 06/30/2006, 10:15

by mickey baker. i bought it in 70's and it is my bible for my arrangements.
amsco publishing company,
33 west 60th street, new york 10023
music sales limited
78 newman street w1e 4jz london

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by albetan on 06/30/2006, 13:48

what drives me nuts is having to write the different parts in different keys for different instruments, like the ab saxophone or the bb trumpet.

oh my head.

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by CynBad on 06/30/2006, 14:48

.

select staves for your big band instruments. each one appears in its own transposed clef.
click on "options", "display in concert pitch".
so you may write all wind instruments as a piano score... once you have finished, go again to disable "display in concert pitch" and all wind instruments appear in their corresponding transposed keys.

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by albetan on 06/30/2006, 14:55

that is so cool, albetan.

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by CynBad on 06/30/2006, 14:56

sure cynbad, to write for winds is a hard job.

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by albetan on 06/30/2006, 15:00

albetan, you are so good with finale, i'll ask a question about it. is there any way to "transpose" the chord symbols. the transposing works great the all the symbols must be done "by hand" as far as i can tell. i'm using notepad by the way. thanks

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by sdm on 06/30/2006, 15:15

as for how to write *for* each of the instruments you may desire, sammy nestico's book (and probably many if not most others) is extremely clear as far as basic ranges and tonal considerations go. i'm no orchestrator, but his book made a positive impression upon me.

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by on 06/30/2006, 15:45

hi sdm:
finalenotepad is an elemental program. there you write chord symbols as "text". so that program can not transpose chords.

in finale is very easy. once you have written your chord symbols, when you transpose melody, everything goes to the new key.

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by albetan on 06/30/2006, 16:35

sorry for bugs in my english:
i wrote "brake" for "break".

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by albetan on 06/30/2006, 18:12

hmm, i guess i'm about ready to check price. that sounds great. the text is sooooo tedious.

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by sdm on 07/01/2006, 15:42

hello all...

the nestico book is good, but i'd also highly recommend the first link kai mentioned: https://jazzarranging.com. gary lindsay's book "jazz arranging techniques" is really a great resource that is systematic and well put together. it comes with a hybrid cd that plays examples of the included samples and allows you to print pdf exercises to try.

check out his site and listen and sample the book for yourself and read the reviews from some other big band guru's...maria schneider, bob mintzer...

at any rate, that's my 2 cents :)

ryan

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by Ryan on 07/01/2006, 19:57

thanks albetan.
i use sybelius, and it has the same function : you write the score in c, and after that you can print each individual sheet in the correct tonality.

i knew this subject would interest many people here.

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by groyann on 07/03/2006, 03:26

on last saturday, the big band in which i play, played my first little arrangement : i made an 8 bars arrangement of the "marche nuptiale", for my best friend's wedding.
it was not the most swinging arrangement never written, but i was quite happy of it (no wrong notes, no big mistake), and i think i will work on some little arrangements of jazz standards this summer.
some ideas ?

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by groyann on 07/03/2006, 06:45

how about jazzing up come together?

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by SolArt on 07/03/2006, 14:44

why not, yes, good idea. certainly a good exercise.
i makes me think that count basie did a great job on beatles songs on the album called "basie's beatle bag". but come together does not appear on this album if i remember well.

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by groyann on 07/03/2006, 16:51

hey, i'll have to check that album out, never heard of it. come together now strikes me as a sort of mofified blues. i'm amazed how many bass players can't play that cm line. easy to sing too, even if the words make no sense at all...

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by SolArt on 07/04/2006, 06:40

doesn't matter, lyrics are not sung in a big band configuration :-)

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by groyann on 07/05/2006, 06:32

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Arrangement

There are 24 comments, leave a comment.

by Kai on 06/28/2006, 14:40

by groyann on 06/29/2006, 03:48

by Kai on 06/29/2006, 04:26

by groyann on 06/29/2006, 06:47

by 7 on 06/29/2006, 12:26

by albetan on 06/29/2006, 14:18

by groyann on 06/30/2006, 10:15

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 13:48

by CynBad on 06/30/2006, 14:48

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 14:55

by CynBad on 06/30/2006, 14:56

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 15:00

by sdm on 06/30/2006, 15:15

by on 06/30/2006, 15:45

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 16:35

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 18:12

by sdm on 07/01/2006, 15:42

by Ryan on 07/01/2006, 19:57

by groyann on 07/03/2006, 03:26

by groyann on 07/03/2006, 06:45

by SolArt on 07/03/2006, 14:44

by groyann on 07/03/2006, 16:51

by SolArt on 07/04/2006, 06:40

by groyann on 07/05/2006, 06:32

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Arrangement

There are 24 comments, leave a comment.

by Kai on 06/28/2006, 14:40

by groyann on 06/29/2006, 03:48

by Kai on 06/29/2006, 04:26

by groyann on 06/29/2006, 06:47

by 7 on 06/29/2006, 12:26

by albetan on 06/29/2006, 14:18

by groyann on 06/30/2006, 10:15

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 13:48

by CynBad on 06/30/2006, 14:48

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 14:55

by CynBad on 06/30/2006, 14:56

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 15:00

by sdm on 06/30/2006, 15:15

by on 06/30/2006, 15:45

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 16:35

by albetan on 06/30/2006, 18:12

by sdm on 07/01/2006, 15:42

by Ryan on 07/01/2006, 19:57

by groyann on 07/03/2006, 03:26

by groyann on 07/03/2006, 06:45

by SolArt on 07/03/2006, 14:44

by groyann on 07/03/2006, 16:51

by SolArt on 07/04/2006, 06:40

by groyann on 07/05/2006, 06:32

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In