Handout – Week 1
Welcome to the Band Arranging Course!
Comparing Different Types of Bands
Concert Band
A Concert Band is an ensemble of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments that performs a wide range of music in indoor settings.
Symphonic Band
A Symphonic Band is a larger and more advanced version of a concert band, often featuring expanded instrumentation and a more complex repertoire.
Marching Band
A Marching Band performs while marching, combining music with coordinated movement at outdoor events like parades and sports games.
Today, however, the terms concert band, symphonic band, and wind ensemble are often used interchangeably. These groups primarily focus on musical performance in a concert hall or similar indoor settings. In contrast, a marching band combines music with movement and is typically performed outdoors at sports events or parades.
Instrumentation
The concert band or symphonic band a school might have can vary depending on different circumstances.
3 Flutes (Flute 3 doubling Piccolo)
2 Oboes
2 Bassoons
1 Contrabassoon
3 Clarinets in B-flat
1 Bass Clarinet in B-flat
2 Alto Saxophones
1 Tenor Saxophone
1 Baritone Saxophone
3 Trumpets in B-flat
4 Horn
3 Trombone
1 Bass Trombone
2 Euphonium Tuba
1 Timpani
4 Percussions
This is the recommended instrumentation for high school bands, as outlined in Chapter 3 of the textbook, Arranging for the Concert Band by Frank Erickson.
8 Flutes (1 Flute doubling Piccolo)
1 Oboe
1 Bassoon
12 Clarinets in B-flat
1 Alto Clarinet
2 Bass Clarinets in B-flat
1 Contrabass Clarinet
4 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
1 Baritone Saxophone
9 Trumpets in B-flat
4 Horn
6 Trombone
4 Tuba
2 Euphonium Tuba
1 String Bass
1 Electronic Bass
1 Timpani
4 Percussions
Instruments in a Band and Their Playing Techniques
The learning resources are available on the Vienna Symphonic Library’s Academy page at https://www.vsl.co.at/academy#instrument-families.
Exploring Timbres: Listening to the Following Recordings
Note: Click the YouTube title to open the video!
It’s recommended to listen to each piece for at least 45 minutes to get a sense of the timbre of each instrument.
Eugène Damaré: Le Bouquet de Roses, Op. 408
for Piccolo and Piano
(1919)
Franz Schubert:
Sonatine in D Major, Op. 137, No. 1 (D. 384), for Violin and Piano (Adaptation for Flute and Piano)
(1816)
W. A. Mozart:
Oboe Quartet in F Major, KV 370, for Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello
(1781)
Antonín Dvořák:
Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, B. 178 “From the New World”
for Orchestra
(1893)
Johannes Brahms:
Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2, for Clarinet and Piano
(1894)
Ruth Gipps:
Prelude for Bass Clarinet Solo, Op. 101, for Solo Bass Clarinet
(1976)
Gabriel Fauré: Pavane, Op. 50
for Orchestra and Optional Chorus
(1887)
(Arranged for Bassoon and Strings by Hanno Dönneweg)
David Bedford:
Harlequin Sonata, for Contrabassoon and Piano
(1977)
Louis Armstrong:
What a Wonderful World
(1967)
(Arranged for Trumpet and Piano)
Scott Leger:
Sombrero, from Six Songs, for Horn and Piano
Transcribed by Cécile Chaminade
Paul Hindemith:
Sonata for Trombone and Piano
(1941)
J. S. Bach:
Air and Bourrée, for Tuba and Piano (Originally from Suite in E minor, BWV 996)
(1716)
Arranged by William Bell
Adaptation
Adaptation involves modifying a piece of music to suit a different instrument, voice, or ensemble while retaining the original’s style and structure. The goal is to maintain the essence of the original piece, making only necessary adjustments for the new medium.
Arrangement
Arrangement refers to reworking a piece of music more creatively, often involving changes to harmonies, form, texture, or even style. The aim is to create a new version of the piece that might reinterpret or expand upon the original material.
Exploring the Differences Between Original and Arranged Versions
Note: Click the YouTube title to open the video!
✱ John Denver, original songwriter: Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971)
► Matt Conaway, arranger: Take Me Home, Country Roads for Concert Band
✱ John Denver, original songwriter: Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971)
► Pervious Version
✱ James Lord Pierpont, original songwriter: One Horse Open Sleigh (1857)
► John Wasson, arranger: Jingle Bells Fantasy for Concert Band
✱ James Lord Pierpont, original songwriter: One Horse Open Sleigh (1857)
► Tyler Arcari, arranger: Amazing Grace for Concert Band
✱ John Newton, original songwriter: Amazing Grace (1772)
► Tyler Arcari, arranger: Amazing Grace for Concert Band
✱ John Newton, original songwriter: Amazing Grace (1772)
✱ Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, original songwriters: Let It Go (from Frozen) (2013)
► Michael Brown, arranger: Let It Go, for Concert Band
✱ Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, original songwriters: Let It Go (from Frozen) (2013)
► James Kazik, arranger: Let It Go, for Concert Band
✱ Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, original songwriters: Let It Go (from Frozen) (2013)
► Paul Murtha, arranger: Let It Go, for Concert Band
✱ Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, original songwriters: Let It Go (from Frozen) (2013)
►Draft 1: Take Me Home, Country Roads for Concert Band
✱ John Denver, original songwriter: Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971)
► Arranger: Take Me Home, Country Roads for Concert Band
✱ John Denver, original songwriter: Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971)
John Mackey: The Frozen Cathedral
Julie Giroux: One Life Beautiful
Yi-De Chen, Composer 