Arreglos

1st step: Answer the big questions Who is going to play this chart? Who is going to listen to this chart? What is my goal in writing this chart? What is the band’s goal in commissioning/performing this chart? Where is the chart going to be performed, and in what context? (Outdoor concert, recording, band festival, etc.) Does the group have a defined style? Am I familiar with that style? Do I knowthis song, or have access to accurate lead sheets/recordings? Who are the soloists to be featured? What do they like to do? (What are they able to do?) What can I assume the musicians know how to do? (Allows simpler notation, especially in rhythm section parts) What special strengths/weaknesses are presented by this band? (range, woodwind and brass doubles, special instruments, such as vibes,strings, and percussion, age and experience) Is the chart meant to serve as a teaching tool? 2nd step: Plan the form (Write a mission statement for the chart, e.g. “This chart will show off the band’s virtuosity, give the drummer a great solo spot to perform his specialty in odd meters and leave the audience guessing about the theme until the out chorus,” or “This chart will give our vocalist anuncomplicated setting to her best song. The chart will be an understated modernistic Bossa with chromatic 4th voicings in the bone section behind the vocal theme and will feature a short guitar solo.) By the time I’ve planned the form of my chart, I usually can hear most of it in my head. In addition, I have an architectural design that makes the rest of the job as simple as painting by numbers! Formissues include: What needs to happen in this chart? (Theme, solos, vocal feature, kick butt, humor, drama etc.) How much time do I have to get it done? (Length of the chart) What mood(s) do I want to express? What resources are available to create that mood? Where will the highpoint of the chart happen? What will soloists play over and how will they be accompanied? How do I want to end the chart?(Big, quiet, extended vamp etc.) The entire roadmap, including intro, theme, interludes, solos, solis, tuttis, recap and coda. Look at the form with respect to the flow of energy (dynamics, density, range, tempo, etc) and see that the chart doesn’t “flat line” or stay stagnant (unless that is the point of the chart...) 3rd step: Assess your skills If you have 3 hours to knock out a chart, don’twaste time attempting to use techniques you have not yet developed (extensive reharmonization, solis in 5 part harmony, big, fully orchestrated shout choruses). Write a simple, direct chart using the simplest and most direct techniques. (e.g. unison and octave writing, “lead sheet” harmony, vamps and ostinato bass lines) Practice your skills at another time. If you have well developed skills inharmony, counterpoint and orchestration, you can use these and still keep within your time budget. 4th Step: Find the “thing” of the chart A successful chart should have identity. Even a simple chart can have some characteristic feature, be it a catchy bass line, counter-melody or accompaniment to the theme that is memorable. Often, the “thing” or a “hook’ happens concurrent with the first chorus.Other times the chart’s

identity can be created in an intro that comes back as an interlude or coda. This identity should be created in fulfillment of your intent to create a mood, or identifiable feeling in the chart. 5th Step: Write your first chorus I almost always write the setting of the theme first. Writing an intro first is like introducing a guest you don’t know anything about. Often, theideas I use in my intros and interludes come from part of the theme and how I choose to treat it. The greatest identity you can have in your chart is how you treat the melody itself, so getting that right is most of the battle. Decide on a rhythm section approach that supports the overall mood of your chart. Generic swing notation (chord slashes) can be your quickest option, but if you can create...