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Re: The composers view

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: The composers view
From: Ian Phillipps <deep-brass@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 14:46:27 +0000
In-reply-to: <005201c05a27$506514c0$c0f9e783@lboro.ac.uk>; from "David Gosling" on 29 Nov 2000 at 22:05:18
References: <e0.cf13641.2754d7fb@aol.com> <TEv3dXAYgAJ6MwLu@grove4.demon.co.uk> <1410mu-1NBaMaC@fwd00.sul.t-online.com> <005201c05a27$506514c0$c0f9e783@lboro.ac.uk>
User-agent: Mutt/1.2.5i

On Wed, 29 Nov 2000 at 22:05:18 +0000, David Gosling wrote:

> arrangements of Andrew Lloyd Webber's (my versions of his stuff would be
> alot better!)

Copyright!

> think of some cracking ideas that would sound fantastic for band, or how a
> good arrangement of a piece might go, but any ideas remain stuck in my head.
> I've got now way of gettig then onto paper.

If you can play a keyboard instrument it's a great help, since computers
can effectively take real-time dictation.

> require knowledge of chords. The only chord stuff I know is I, IV and V,
> which doesn't make for interesting harmonies.

As a BBb player I'd go along with that. We're currently playing
Christmas medleys. Need I say more?

> 3. Simple arrangements would be enabled by simple scoring of a few
> instuments. Therefore composing for Small brass ensemble e.g. trio, quartet
> or quintet.

Small ensembles are often more difficult to get right, because you don't
have any margin for error.

> 4. I'm not good at harmonising melodies yet, so use existing melodies for
> which harmonies are known/ have been done by someone else. So we have
> arrangements of existing music for small brass ensemble. Also gaining
> experience of what scoring structures sound good, and what doesn't.

Study scores of pieces you think work - "how did he do that?".

> I don't expect that I'll be able to achieve this all by myself, perhaps take
> tuition for music theory and/or composition. And where I don't have an
> ensemble at my disposal, then use of a (yes cringe you purist musicians)
> computer to try things out.

You'll want to check out the arrangement on a computer, but there's no
substitute for real players who have real opinions on the music.
My first attempt at arranging a well-known Christmas carol was greeted
by the cornetists as "a heck of a blow". The computer didn't tell me
that, and my experience of low brass didn't lead me to believe there was
a difficulty.

The extra beers for your victims will cost less than a computer anyway :-)

Ian

--

References:
- Re: Trombone Quartets
  - From: JDSheard1
- Re: Trombone Quartets
  - From: David Taylor
- The composers view
  - From: Stephen Watkins
- Re: The composers view
  - From: David Gosling

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