transcribing for arrangers: (was Re: Arranging Workshops

reed ( (no email) )
Sat, 11 Jan 1997 03:42:37 +0000

At 09:21 AM 1/10/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>I'm new to this list. I'm a jazz music major/saxophonist at a small state
>college in New England. I'm one of those adult students, 39 years old, many
>years of rock and roll bar bands under my belt, now finally studying the
>music I've always liked most.
>
>So much for the intro. I'm looking for a challenging arranging workshop, 1
>to 2 weeks in length, to attend next summer. I'm studying arranging right
>now using the Berklee book (Bob Doezema) and Rayburn Wright's "Inside the
>Score". By summer I'll only have maybe 3 big band arrangements under my
>belt, and a handful of smaller combo arrangements. Still, I'm looking for a
>challenge and information I don't already have at my fingertips. Or maybe
>what I really want is an experience of working with someone extraordinary.
>
>Any ideas?
>
John,

Think about transcribing.

John Clayton told me that he believes that's the way to learn
arranging.

Of course, you have to see transcribing in a larger scale if you are
arranging than if you are say transcribing a solo.

(Of course there are those perfect pitch folks that can write out
all the parts no matter how intricate).

What you want to do is put on an album and write out a sketch of
what is going on.

For example:

8 bar intro , sax background with trumpets unsion.
sax background, trumpet lead for 16 bars.
sax background, trumpets unision for 16 bars, trombones unision counter
melody
....

You can write yourself as detailed a desription as your ears can
fathom.

Remember to record crescendos, etc...

I would consider writing it out in English of even on score paper
but of course the description of what is going on will be English
unless you can really hear all the voices clearly.

reed

>
>

Reed Kotler
reed@justjazz.com
http://www.justjazz.com