Things I keep forgetting when arranging for brass, as a keyboardist:
- On a keyboard, the higher the notes go, the softer they sound. On a brass instrument (depending on the instrument), the opposite is true. I have to keep mentally reordering the power of the stack based on range of the instrument voicing it.
- Pro players will bend the pitch of the notes based on their harmonic position against the other players. Voicings that sound awful on piano and with brass samples will sometimes be the perfect choice with live players, and good ears.
- Trombones don’t do step-wise glissando rips. If I want that Tower of Power rip sound, I have to put the gliss on the whole section EXCEPT the trombone. One bad slide-glide can pull all the goodness out of a soli gliss.
- Unisons sound HAWT. I avoid them because it feels like lazy arranging, but man, the people wants to hear them some blow-and-go brass unison lines.
- Endurance. Must remember lip endurance. Cannot keep lead trumpet up in the “awesome” range for 64 bars straight.
- I have a bad habit of setting the roadmap (repeats, DS al Coda, etc.) based on the structure of the song for the vocalists and rhythm section, instead of thinking about the aux. instruments. Nothing says reading fun like a chart full of tacit 2nd time, play only 1st time on D.S., play first three notes at pitch then drop everything 8vb for 6 measures. That’s straight pro, baby.
Thanks, Phil, for the arranging gig. Don’t worry too much about your reputation – I’m having students do most of the actual creative work, and they’re much sharper than I am at this stuff. If any of you end up at the Somebody Love You crusade at the LA Convention Center this June, keep an ear on the brass. Especially that lead trumpet. Man, that guy is gonna HATE me!
Jonathan 11:40 pm on 16 May 2008 Permalink
well the way I solve the problem of not being able to have a trumpet play in the “awesome” all the time is get a better trumpet player, or soprano sax. Either one works.
Sharolyn's Husband 9:52 pm on 17 May 2008 Permalink
Mike,
I appreciated your thoughts on brass instruments. Here are some of my thoughts/questions.
Regarding #1:
I heard a great brass musician say that conductors reject tone quality, not volume from brass sections. I think if you are writing for a weekend warrior musician the high note problem is increased.
#2:
I love playing with a group that plays in tune this way. It is the opposite of well tempered. I cant remember what it is called…anyone?
#3:
There are notes that a trombone has trouble glissing between. I dont think that a step is usually a problem. Now this post is really heating up. The people wants blow and go brass and the people wants step wise trombone glissando talk.
#5:
This is why I am a bass trombone player.
#6:
Very funny.
Those are some of my thoughts and questions about your post. (Opened and closed that like a 5th grade hamburger essay baby!)
michael lee 11:13 pm on 17 May 2008 Permalink
I think you’re right, I’m confusing tone with volume on the range issue. Still, I have to keep reminding myself that brass stacks have a default prominence based on where the note lands on the instrument’s range.
On the gliss, I’m think of lines where the whole section moves up a 6th, and does a gliss on the way up where they hit every note. It’s like the difference between a fretted and fretless bass slide. That rip of hearing the notes open and shut on the way between the two end points is one of my favorite brass things, but trombones just have no way of doing it. I guess you could maybe put your big toe on the spit valve and flutter it while you slide. If you’re AWESOME!
Sharolyn's Husband 7:46 am on 18 May 2008 Permalink
Mike, Jason and I have discussed (with a sense of humor) that I think sometimes conductors actually mean what they are saying, and are allowed to object to volume!
(Jason’s thought bubble: “I sound great. Surely he can’t be objecting to my volume! It must be my tone quality…)
:)
Sharolyn 8:03 am on 18 May 2008 Permalink
That was me. :P