Tune Req: Band arrangements

Subject: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jun 14 - 07:44 AM

We have a trio (banjo, guitar, fiddle). We play our individual instruments fairly well but are not at the level where we can arrange our own tunes. Does anyone have suggestions for finding arrangements of tunes (celtic, old-time, folk) either online or books which would have parts for various instruments? Thanks.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jun 14 - 10:54 PM

Welll....

It will actually work best to discover as a band how to do this. Start by listening to music by folks you admire and listen to the way they divvy up the parts. A lot of bands simply introduce the basic tune in unison playing and then take turns by instrument on ornsmenting upon that tune or harmonizing on it or around it (or both). Just listen for that for starters. THEN when u look at others' arrangements you will be able to see that all they really did was write down what they arrived it having fun trying different approaches.

Ed Hetzler's online fake book should have HIS transcriptions but no one's are meantvto be followed to a T.

I had a neat book I liked, The Kitchen Musicians O'Carolan. Melody plus chords. There arexa lot of book like that at music stores catering to folkies. Browse many, buy the simplest one to play out of, and try for books that come with CDs and listen into the tunes with your band mates till u can all see what tricks and patterns they used. Then decide how YOUR group wants to have fun with those tunes and make 'em yours.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jun 14 - 10:58 PM

Sorry for tge yptos. M on fone w tiny compose screen and not friendly for prufreding.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 11 Jul 14 - 05:44 PM

Thanks Susan, for your comments. As somewhat of a beginner, one thing that I struggle with when listening to other bands play, is separating out one instrument from the other and hearing what they are each doing, but I guess that sort of thing comes with practice. Videos make it easier if you can get one with nice close ups of the players' fingers!

Anyway, your point is well taken. We have the individual parts for a number of songs so now we just have to take some time to figure out how to do some interesting back up while one person does lead. As the banjo player, I'm starting to get the hang of this. I have a couple of great books with a variety of alternate licks to put into songs.

Thanks again.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 05:23 AM

Hey Dave, see if you can fight your way through this thread:

Arrangements

I asked a similar question and many people are intrested in telling me why I shouldn't do what we do. But a few offered useful suggestions.

When I have time I will extract the useful advice

Best of luck

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 06:32 AM

'I asked a similar question and many people are intrested in telling me why I shouldn't do what we do'

In all fairness Les, I think some of us were trying to make suggestions with regard to developing musical a musical skill set and expansion of repertoire that would seem essential if you're going to develop from a group of people playing the same tune roughly at the same time to a group playing music truly together.

You didn't really seem interested in those suggestions, and mind you it's fine if you're happy playing music the way you are, but I don't think it's really fair to have a swipe at 'people telling me why I shouldn't do what we do' if you're only interested in doing just that: doing what you do.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 08:41 AM

Maybe you are right Peter and I was just being unnecessarly prickly - for which I appolgise.

I am not going to re-read and quote the bits that bothered me. But I did make a simple request and with out counting, many of the responses did not did not respond to that request.

That's often the way on here and maybe that's a strength as well as a weakness

Best wishes

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 09:26 AM

Can you read music?

Do you have (or are willing to buy) MIDI software? If so, check out the beautiful arrangements here:

http://www.contemplator.com/folk.html

Other ideas:

One simple idea for arranging is to use a Question and Answer format. Let one player play one phrase (which seems to be a question) and let another play the next, which seems to be the answer.

For variety, figure out a one-note drone which goes with all or part of a piece. Fiddle could play it steadily; others could pluck it. This is good for pieces which go up and down the scale a lot.

Figure out harmonies in "thirds" for part of a piece. (not every note is actually a third - harmonize with the chords being used.)

Use variety in accompaniments. So many guitarists just strum "blang blangety blang." Add fingerpicking and bass runs - vary your playing. Also, move up and down the fingerboard. For example, there are low G chords and high G chords.

Here's a tip I got from choir director. If you have a 4-part piece, take the tenor line, raise it an octave or two and turn it into a descant. (probably the fiddle would play it) Fancy it up a bit with little runs and dotted timings.

I hope you have fun. My band does this stuff all the time.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 09:56 AM

Don't go away, Guest.   I'm going to send two MIDI's in to be posted here. One will be the tune 'Haste to the Wedding.' The next will show some of the easy techniques I mentioned. Check this thread from time to time for the MIDI's.

Sometimes MIDI's appear almost instantly. Sometimes it takes a while because the Mudcat elves have vacations, work deadlines, family pressures, etc. which delay posting.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,JohnMc
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 09:57 AM

I wonder if extracting some of the lines in the right hand part of a piano arrangement (presumably a well known tune) might help in creating a harmony part.
Also, the bass part could be converted and added to.
One thing I find very appealing is when a band leads into a tune with an intro which is itself a different but complementary melody.
If your banjo is 5 string, the fast rolls are in themselves quite an attraction.
The guitar could employ drop D to get a good bass sound or be capo'd high to get a mandolin effect.
A key change could add interest too, the half-tone raise being particularly interesting if appropriate.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 10:05 AM

Not to worry Les.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 03:26 PM

Those are good ideas, John Mc. Public libraries should have books of folk songs with piano accompaniment. Jigs and reels, now, they are another story.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Jul 14 - 01:13 AM

Here are two midi files from Leeneia. She says the first is a tune (Haste to the Wedding), the second is the tune with simple embellishments.

Click to play (joeweb) [hastetune.mid]

Click to play (joeweb) [hastesample.mid]

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Jul 14 - 01:29 AM

How well can you improve or jam together?..Take you basic song, then in the middle, go for it....you can 'go out' doing the same. The 'Golden Rule' in jamming, is keeping the groove and getting to 'one'* on time.

* 'One' is the root of the tune(in case you aren't familiar with the expression). It is a standard expression for studio session players.
inquire further in need be.

Regards!

GfS

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Band arrangements
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Jul 14 - 01:29 AM

How well can you improve or jam together?..Take you basic song, then in the middle, go for it....you can 'go out' doing the same. The 'Golden Rule' in jamming, is keeping the groove and getting to 'one'* on time.

* 'One' is the root of the tune(in case you aren't familiar with the expression. It is a standard expression for studio session players.
inquire further in need be.

Regards!

GfS