Section 2 (Arranging) - Writing for Small and Large Ensemble Flashcards
unison/octave lower interval limit
none
Minor 2nd major 2nd LIL
m2 F3-E3
M2 F3-Eb3
Minor 7th and Major 7th LIL
inverted m2 and M2
m7 Eb3-F2
M7 E3- F2
minor 9th and Major 9th LIL
Same as M2 and m2 but compounded
m9 F3-E2
M9 F3-Eb2
Minor 3rd and Major 3rd LIL
m3 Eb3-C2
M3 D3-Bb2
Minor 6th and Major 6th LIL
m6 Eb3-G2
M6 D3-F2
similarities between m3 and M3 and m6 and M6
m3 and m6 top note is Eb
M3 and M6 top note is D
what is similar between the P4 Aug4 and Dim4
bottom note is Bb2
perfect 4th LIL
P4 Eb3-Bb2
Aug4th LIL
Aug4 E3-Bb2
Dim5th LIL
Dim5th Fb3-Bb2
the 5th LIL
5th much lower
F2-Bb1
diminished 7th LIL
same top note as m7th and bottom note is half step up
Eb3-F#2
how do you verify that you haven’t surpassed the LIL of inverted chords
imagine the root of the chord as the bass note
assumed bass can tell you what
if youve surpassed lower interval limits
what are mechanical voicings
when an arranger begins with the four part harmonic structure and then redistributes those notes to a predetermined group of instruments
what is the one closed position voicing method
four way close
what are the three semi open voicing methods
drop 2
drop 3
drop 4
what is four way close
when the harmonic structure is written beneath the melody or lead line without skipping any chord tones
what is drop 2
starting in the 4 way close position and dropping the second voice by one octave.
The other notes remain in the same position
what effect does drop 2 have
it creates space between the soprano and alto thus placing the harmonic structure in a semi open position
what is drop 3
starting in the 4 way close position and dropping the third voice by one octave.
the other notes remain in the same position
what is drop 2+4
starting in the 4 way close position and dropping the second and fourth voices by one octave.
the other notes remain in the same position
what is concerted writing
when the musical passage is voiced and the rhythms are identical
what is coupling
writing parts by using supportive unison and octave lines
what is the 1st step for concerted writing?
use a melody or lead line with chord changes and establish that as your lead trumpet part
what is step two for concerted writing
voice the brass section
what are the 4 steps for voicing the brass section
- choose one of the mechanical voicing technique
- ensure all notes of the harmonic structure are present
- be aware of the practical range of instruments and ability of performers
- avoid intervals of a second between the top two lines in order to not interfere with the lead voice
what is the 3rd step for concerted writing
develop the lead alto sax by coupling the second trumpet
step 4 of concerted writing
voice the saxophone section
3 parts of voicing the saxophone sections
- from the lead alto voice the remaining voices by using one of the mechanical voicing techniques
- be aware instrument ranges and low interval limits
- be aware of the practical range of the instruments and the ability of performers
how is a non mechanical voice different from a mechanical voicing
they include spread voicings, voicing in fourth, seconds, and upper interval structures.
how are spread voicings built
from the bottom up beginning with the root, in an open position structure
what are spread voices good for
sustained pads supporting the melody or solo line
how does the number of pitches effect spread voices
the voicing will become increasingly dense as more different pitches are added
how does the spacing effect spread voices
larger intervals create a more open sound; smaller intervals will produce the opposite
how do dissonant intervals and tensions effect spread voices
the greater number of dissonant intervals added to a spread voicing will yield a more tense sound
how does doubling effect spread voices
will yield a strong and full sound
how does the distance from the top and bottom pitches effect spread voices
greater intervallic distance between notes increases the opportunity to use doublings
how does the orchestration effect spread voices
instrument timbre will impact the overall sound of the spread
how does the voicing effect spread voices
whenever possible, voice the chord tones 1, 3, 5, 6 or 7 low in the spread structure
what does it mean to voice in fourths
the predominant interval between each adjacent note in the stack will be a fourth
what do voices in fourths sound like
strong resonant and slightly dissonant effect
modern sound
what are the exceptions to voicing in fourths
a non fourth interval can be included
this is done so chord tones are present in the structure to ensure the basic sound of the chord is present
what can be added to voicing in 4ths to add dissonance
an augmented fourth
creates a major 7th in the chord
what is voicing in seconds also known as
cluster
what does voicing in seconds sound like
very dissonant and dense
can other intervals be included in voicing seconds and why
yes to decrease the density and dissonance
what is an upper structure triad
a voicing where all of the notes of the chord are represented but the top three pitches are a closed position triad
how many tensions do upper structure triads typically contain
at least 1
what do upper structure triads sound like
powerful and an effective way to write a strong sound with great resonance
what do backgrounds do
keep arrangements interesting and provide harmonic and rhythmic support
what is effective for writing backgrounds
call and answer
what are backgrounds often based off of
use guide tones (3rds and 7ths)
what is alternative to just guide tone based backgrounds
chord tones and tension backgrounds.
moving through chord tones and available tensions
what is the 3rd version of writing backgrounds
using a motif
by taking a thematic figure from the piece to develop a background
what is a shout chorus
a climactic section of an arrangement
where is the shout chorus often placed
end of the piece before the final recap of the main theme
what are 10 characteristics of a shout chorus
- percussive lead lines
- repeating riffs
- lead trumpet in the upper register
- louder dynamics
- reharmonizing the melody
- call and response between sections
- concerted writing (all under lead trumpet)
- special effects such as shakes, falls, and doit
- harmonically dense voicings
- open position voicings spread over multiple octaves
what are the two recommended listening’s for shout chorus
- splanky - count basie orchestra - complete atomic basie
2. stompin at the savoy - stan kenton orchestra - stompin at newport
what do solis do
provide a nice contrast in flow within a composition
whats the most common texture in writing solis
concerted writing
