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    Big Band Arranging

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    The standard big band consists of 3 sections: sax section, brass section, and rhythm section. The sax section typically includes 4 saxophones that can be any combination of soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes. The brass section also usually has 4 instruments, commonly trumpets and trombones. The rhythm section includes piano/guitar, bass, and drums. Arrangements for big bands feature different combinations of these sections playing melody, harmony, countermelody, and rhythmic figures. There are many possibilities for rich arrangements utilizing the sections in various ensemble and solo voicings.

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    Big Band Arranging

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    uq2
    2K views4 pages
    The standard big band consists of 3 sections: sax section, brass section, and rhythm section. The sax section typically includes 4 saxophones that can be any combination of soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes. The brass section also usually has 4 instruments, commonly trumpets and trombones. The rhythm section includes piano/guitar, bass, and drums. Arrangements for big bands feature different combinations of these sections playing melody, harmony, countermelody, and rhythmic figures. There are many possibilities for rich arrangements utilizing the sections in various ensemble and solo voicings.

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    Big Band Arranging

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    The standard big band consists of 3 sections: sax section, brass section, and rhythm section. The sax section typically includes 4 saxophones that can be any combination of soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes. The brass section also usually has 4 instruments, commonly trumpets and trombones. The rhythm section includes piano/guitar, bass, and drums. Arrangements for big bands feature different combinations of these sections playing melody, harmony, countermelody, and rhythmic figures. There are many possibilities for rich arrangements utilizing the sections in various ensemble and solo voicings.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    2K views4 pages

    Big Band Arranging

    Uploaded by

    uq2
    The standard big band consists of 3 sections: sax section, brass section, and rhythm section. The sax section typically includes 4 saxophones that can be any combination of soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes. The brass section also usually has 4 instruments, commonly trumpets and trombones. The rhythm section includes piano/guitar, bass, and drums. Arrangements for big bands feature different combinations of these sections playing melody, harmony, countermelody, and rhythmic figures. There are many possibilities for rich arrangements utilizing the sections in various ensemble and solo voicings.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
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    At a glance
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    The key takeaways are about the standard instrumentation and arrangement techniques for big bands.

    The standard big band has three sections - sax section, brass section, and rhythm section.

    The melody can be played by different sections in unison or blocks, and other sections can provide accompaniment with chords, countermelodies, or rhythmic figures.

    Big Band Arranging

    Alberto Betancourt (Albetan)


    The Standard big band has 3 sections:
    Sax section
    Brass section
    Rhythm section.

    Sax section may be:


    1)Soprano, 2)Alto, 3)Tenor, 4) Baritone
    1)Alto, 2)Alto, 3)Tenor, 4)Tenor
    Or any combination of 4 or 5 Saxes

    Brass section may be:


    1)Trumpet, 2)Trumpet, 3)Trombone, 4) Trombone
    1)Trumpet, 2)Trumpet, 3)French horn, 4)Trombone
    1)Trumpet, 2)French horn, 3)Trombone, 4)Trombone
    Or any combination of 4 or 5 brass.

    Rhythm section:
    Piano/Guitar, bass, drums.

    Melody may be performed by brass section, or by sax section, or


    by a solo horn.
    Melody line may be played by a section in unison, or in melodic
    blocks as in file Melodic Voicing 2 (closed & open blocks). (See
    it at Albetan’s area).
    If you have 5 instruments, 1st and 5th voices play melody in
    octave.

    The other section plays chords in background or in rhythmic


    figures in harmonic blocks, or counterpoints or countermelodies
    in blocks or unison.
    For a more contemporary sound in this section use A & B Forms
    of Voicing. See file at Albetan’s Area.

    There are also big bands with two brass sections and one sax
    section:
    4 trumpets,
    4 trombones.
    4 saxes.

    In this great big band you have multiple possibilities for rich
    arrangements. Some suggestions:

    1)Trumpets in blocks with Melody, Saxes in harmony, Trombones


    in fill-ins and breaks.

    2)Trumpets and Trombones ensemble with melody in blocks,


    Saxes in harmony.

    3) Saxes in unison in Melody, trombones in harmony, trumpets in


    fill-ins and breaks.

    4) Trumpets and Saxes ensemble in blocks in Melody, Trombones


    in harmony.

    5)Trombones in unison in Melody, saxes in harmony, trumpets in


    fill-ins and breaks.

    6) Axis of 7th & 3rd: Trumpets 1st voice, Saxes 2nd voice, 2
    trombones 3rd voice, 2 trombones & Baritone 4th voice.
    This is a classical choral sound.
    You have thousands of combinations and styles.

    You may add some solo instruments as Clarinet, Flute, Oboe,


    English horn… Many musicians play several wind instruments.
    Remember Glenn Miller and his Clarinet.

    Transposed Instruments:
    Bb Trumpet must be transposed 1 tone upwards in treble clef.
    Trombone is written in bass clef without transposition.
    F Horn is written a perfect fifth upwards in both clefs.
    Bb Soprano is written 1 tone upwards in treble clef.
    Eb Alto is written a major sixth upwards in treble clef.
    BbTenor is written a ninth upwards in treble clef.
    Eb Baritone is written a 13th upwards in treble clef.

    You may write blocks as in piano lead sheet, and then transpose
    parts for each instrument.
    An easy way to write big band arrangements is in Finale:
    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.

    In Rhythmic section we must write chords, and some obbligato


    figures and breaks and accents.
    Also we may write bass line with chord symbols. So piano left
    hand and bass play bass line, while right hand plays chords in A &
    B Forms of Voicing.
    For a nice style of arranging for big bands please study these
    files at Albetan’s area:

    Melodic Voicings 1, 2, 3, 4
    A & B Forms of Voicings
    Performing Jazz Lead Sheets.

    A small band sounding as a big band:


    With any combination of 4 horns, piano/guitar, bass and drums,
    you may sound as a big band by writing voices in open or closed
    blocks.
    Also you may do a duet of 2 horns in melody and 2 in harmony.
    Or 1 solo horn in melody and 3 horns in harmony.
    Or 3 horns in blocks in Melody and 1 horn in counterpoint…

    Good luck and enjoy big band sound.

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