Overview

Alright, welcome to Module 3. Now I’m going to walk you through my process for arranging a piece of music. Whether it’s big band or small group, the steps are always the same. First, I’ll walk you through my pre-composition and arranging process. This essential phase makes the writing part much easier. We’ll begin with strategies for learning and analyzing a song. Here I’m balancing what I call the macro and micro levels and shaping my goal and plan for the piece. After that, I’ll show you my approach to planning my arrangement of “Have You Met Miss Jones?” Plus, I’ll walk you through my decision process for each section of the song using the three fundamental textures and rhythm section notation techniques.

I’ll go step by step, applying each texture and finding the sound that aligns with my mission statement and roadmap. And last, we’ll listen to the full arrangement performed by live musicians based here in New York City. And as a bonus, I’m including the full arrangement of “Just Friends” from Module 2. Now you’ll have access to scores and recordings for both arrangements, and you can play them on the piano and study them while you listen. By the end of Module 3, you should have a clear understanding of how each fundamental texture sounds, how to choose the right rhythm section notation, and a process for planning and mapping out your arrangement.

Alright let’s jump in!