[Trombone-l] Learning to arrange for Trombones

[Robert Holland]

John Burton wrote:

> In addition to the voices, I often 'hear' new trombone-like  
> arrangements to tunes in my head.  That is to say, I hear 4-, 5-, 6-  
> or perhaps even 8 similarly pitched voices leading the tune; quite  
> often hymns, but from time to time other tunes.
>
> The 'trombone-content' question is, how does one learn to put these  
> tunes to paper?  Is there a school, are there specific courses?
>
> You arrangers out there, how'd you learn?

Good question. I've been toying with the idea of writing just such a  
treatise for publication the ITA Journal. Haven't done it for a  
variety of reasons. But I'll give you a couple answers to get things  
rolling.

It starts with an artistic vision, or being able to hear something in  
your head, as you say. If there is no inner voice calling for you to  
commit something to paper, then there is no launching point. My inner  
voice emerged in grad school, but it had antecedents in undergrad,  
when I had become convinced that the sheer beauty of sound of a  
trombone choir offers possibilities that go unexploited. So my first  
ambition was to play good music, which was followed by an ambition to  
provide some of the music I wanted to play.

When I got started arranging, I showed my work to my teacher, who gave  
me no feedback. I learned a lot in rehearsal, when I got the  
opportunity to hear how things sounded and what didn't work well. When  
I submitted several works for publication, I was also given no  
feedback (or offers). So I worked on my own and taught myself, and in  
time I think I've acquired some expertise, though I do acknowledge  
some limitations. Oddly, the composers/arrangers who now submit work  
to me for consideration are almost uniformly unwilling to accept  
suggestions.

If you're imagining hymns and tunes from the period of common practice  
(roughly J.S. Bach to Brahms), then clear, accurate understandings of  
harmony and voice leading are indispensable. Most poor arrangements  
fail on those poorly executed attributes alone. Beyond that, it's  
worth knowing that with trombone choir, since all the voices are of  
the same basic sonority, the texture cannot be too complex or  
multivoiced. So for instance, keeping the strings, woodwinds, brass  
division of an orchestral arrangement is barking up the wrong tree.  
Multiple choirs should also be avoided unless a true antiphonal effect  
is required. A class in orchestration is not applicable.

By all means, someone else chime in. There's lots to share on this  
topic.

Robert Holland, Publisher
Briar Music Press
publisher at briarmusic.com
http://www.briarmusic.com