Arranging Tips and Secrets, Part 2

Last month I began a discussion of the topic of arranging by sharing some of my “secrets.”  Below are a few more ideas to consider.

Know Your Instruments

First, it is absolutely essential to understand the unique qualities of each instrument, what it can and cannot do well, what is idiomatic to that instrument, and what the instrument sounds like in its lower, mid, and upper ranges.  This is really a lifelong study that comes through experience of conducting various ensembles, talking with players, and even learning to play an instrument that may be new to you (or at least, learning the basics).

Early in my career I bought a viola and took lessons from a local symphony player for a couple of years.  It came to a point where I knew that, if I really wanted to be a good player, I’d have to practice a lot more, so I stopped taking lessons.  However, my “hands-on” time with the instrument taught me much about string technique, and helped me greatly in my approach to writing for strings. 

In another case, I was teaching piano at a church music school and had a half hour slot in my schedule I was unable to fill.  It just so happened that the harp teacher had the same time slot open, so I became her student for the semester, and learned more about the harp than I ever could from just reading an orchestration textbook.

An example of not understanding the range of an instrument occurs often in writing for French horn.  When scoring in concert pitch, it’s easy to forget that the horn lines are transposed up a fifth.  A third space C on the treble clef staff transposes to a high G for horn, which is at the very top of the range for the average horn player. 

The opposite problem relates to the lower range of the flute.  Anything lower than a third space C has a lovely but very soft sound that can easily be covered up unless the texture of the arrangement is very sparse.

Score With Flexibility in Mind

One thing I like to do is build elements of flexibility in my writing.  Doubling (or perhaps even better, cueing) melody lines or other essential parts can be very helpful in situations where there may be some gaps in the instrumentation of an ensemble. 

I’ve found that sometimes, even in writing for a group at my church, when we play the same piece several years later, the personnel of the group may have changed slightly, so the cued lines can come in really handy.

Too Much/Too Little

An issue in writing for non-professional players could be summed up in the phrase, “too much, or too little.”  Too much for some parts to play, particularly the brass, can lead to endurance problems.  Brass players need at least a few rests here and there to reset the embouchure, especially if they have been playing in the upper range of their instrument.  Too little for a part to play creates what I call “the neglected player syndrome.”  Most volunteer musicians would not be excited about making an effort to come to rehearsal only to see a page of music filled mostly with rests.  Of course, sometimes the nature of a piece calls for a lighter treatment, but in general, try to write something meaningful for each part. 

Here’s a checkpoint: after extracting parts, look over each part, and if one consists primarily of rests, go back and see if there might be a little something more you could add for that player.

Voice Leading

Remember those rules you learned in elementary harmony classes?  They still work well, even in the 21st century.  Generally, I try to use good voice leading, especially in the inner voices.  It makes for a smoother sound, and is helpful to the players.  A good rule of thumb: if it’s awkward to sing, it is probably going to be awkward to play.

Douglas Smith, retired professor of music from the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, used to say that the test of a good arrangement is that it makes the players “sound good and feel good.”