[Trombone-l] Learning to arrange for Trombones

[john wasson]

I absolutely second what Eliezer has said. I have been composing/ 
arranging.orchestrating for over 35 years now, and yet when I started  
using notation software (I use Finale) my writing process and  
productivity changed dramatically (and, hopefully, for the better). I  
rarely arrange or score using paper and pencil anymore, but instead  
use the open score template as a "scratch pad" of sorts, trying things  
and then playing them back immediately to see how they sound.

This is the method I generally use when writing for any ensemble, and  
I do most of the decision-making on the screen with the assistance of  
playback. Of course, I still sketch out form ideas, chord  
progressions, and melodic fragments that I want to store up for later  
on in the process, but for me the best work of all is just like  
Eliezer said--put a melodic idea in, put another (or accompaniment  
figure, bass line, etc.) and then see how it sounds. If I don't like  
it, there's no reason to subject anyone else to it. :)

One other great advantage of notation programs is that you can play in  
an ensemble tutti passage (e.g., same rhythm, on different notes, like  
a soli) and then the computer can easily "explode" them out to the  
various staves vertically. I do a lot of scoring this way; e.g., when  
writing a sax soli, I'll play in all 5 notes into one 5-note moving  
chord stream. Once I like it, I'll articulate and mark it with  
dynamics (once!) and then explode it out to the 5 sax staves, and  
we're done!

Needless to say, the software has revolutionized my productivity.

My $0.02. YMMV.

Regards,

JOHN WASSON
composer - producer
www.johnwasson.com


On Sep 30, 2008, at 12:00 PM, trombone-l-request at samford.edu wrote:

> From: Eliezer Aharoni <eanogmus at netvision.net.il>
> Date: September 29, 2008 7:06:39 PM CDT
> To: trombone-l at server5.samford.edu
> Cc: John Burton <John.Burton at JohnBurton.org>
> Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Learning to arrange for Trombones
>
>
> Of cource you can take an arranging course, but  have you tried  
> working with a notation software? Encore/music time, Finale or  
> Sibelius. If you never tried, Encore (or Music Time is its lighter  
> version) would be the easier to start.
> You can stsrt with simple tunes and try to write first a duet, then  
> a trio, up to few voices.
> Is any of the vouces you here is the bass voice? If you can come up  
> with a bass line filling the inside voices would be easy.
> As the sofware display the notation, plays it back for you, and is  
> very easy to edit, it will be great to work with. Experiment on  
> trial & Error bassis, and you can work with an arranging book, too.
> Best wishes
> Eliezer Aharoni