Vocal Arranging Tips & Tricks

Ian Brekke – ECCO 2016

Why Arrange? Want vs. Need

• Want – “I can visualize this song being successful in an alternative setting”

o Are you adding to this and/or making it better?
o If it’s worse than the original, what does this accomplish?
o Artistic focus/project

• Need – “My ensemble has specific requirements to make this song work”
o Is this helping my choir?
o Whether it’s artistically “better” or not is much less relevant, as this is fulfilling a need.
o Practical focus/project

Why Else?

• To improve at arranging and composition

• To explore a new musical style
• To cross or combine musical genres
• To honor another composer/arranger and/or learn their tendencies

Picking A Song – Some Considerations

• Can you “hear” a song in an alternate setting?

• Is it musically, stylistically, and contextually appropriate for your ensemble?
• Has someone already done this? Research and listening required.
• Who owns the copyright? (Hint: It’s probably Hal Leonard)
• Using your knowledge of vocal music, can it be performed well by this instrument? Often this is
a matter of preference or taste.

Different Styles of Arranging

• Notational/Written
• Improvisational/Circle-Singing
• Recording/Looping/Layering
• Gray Areas:
o Adaptation (Online Example #1)
o Transcription (Online Example #2)

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Foundational Changes & Easy Arranging Starters

• Style/Feel
o Primarily an Aesthetic Change (Postmodern Jukebox)
o Easy to try – Record different “grooves” to test quickly
o Careful of creating a parody

• Major to minor, minor to Major, and Modal Writing

o Sometimes this actually supports the lyric better
o Modes often work really well with pedal tones and drones

Autumn In New York

• Time Signature
o Odd meters (5/8, 7/8, etc.) are cool
o A great exercise to adapt melodic content accounting for appropriate lyric setting
Medium (Online Example #3)
o Swing Vernon Duke

b6
j
D 7 b9
j œ œ œ œ œ ˙.
G min7 A min7 B C7 F Maj7 G min7 A min7
& b 45 .. œ œ œ œj Œ
œ J
˙ ∑ Œ
˙
A
Aut - umn in New York, why does it seem so in - vit - ing?

b6
j
A min7 b5
˙.
G min7 A min7 B C7 D7
& b œ œ œ œj Œ j œ œJ œ œJ ˙ ∑ Œ
˙ œ œ J
5
Aut - umn in New York, it spells the thrill of first - night - ing
• Tempo
b min7 b b
j b œj œ
oG min7 BE 7 A Maj7 G 7 b9
œ œ
Faster = Simplify

B• & b
Form J œ . œ . œ œ . b œ . b œj b œ . n œ œj ˙ ˙. ˙
9 o It’s okay to add, subtract, and re-arrange
o gli-tterall
Not - ing crowdsof and
sections form shim
need-merto- be
ing the
clouds
same in can - yons of steel, they're

C min7 A min7 b5 D min7 b5 G 7 b 9 C Maj7 C7 C 7#5

j overdone
Instrumentation/Density

& ob œDensity n˙
•
. œis often
bœ ˙ . is more
–˙less ˙. ˙ ˙. #˙
o Re-voice for need OR aesthetic appeal (sometimes requires change of key)

13 o Do not fear unison and 2-part writing

mak - ing me feel I'm home. It's

• Words/Syllables b b7
j œ ˙.
oG min7 A min7 B 6 ExampleC#4) F Maj7 G min7 A min7 D7 D
œ œJfrom
–œuse effectively
7

& b œ N§œ Used œ toœjenhance ‰ notœ detract ∑ Œ

No words? Write some! (Online

œ J J ˙
˙
o Syllables are a vocalist’s tool for articulation
A melody, it
17 § (Online Example #5)
o Aut - umn in New York that brings the pro-mise of new love

b min6 b min6 b min7 b7

Again, careful of parody

C 7 b9
j j bœ bœ œ b˙. ˙.
C min7 D min7 E F7 B A G
& b œJ œ œ œ ˙ œ . b œ œ œ2 J J
˙ Ó
21
aut-umn in New York is oft - en ming - led with pain
 • Re-harmonization
Shenandoah Examples
o Change the underlying chord so the melody note has a different function
§ Ex: If the melody note is the 3rd, change chord so it functions as the 5th.
o Trial and error is crucial – don’t settle too early
b b b
b 4 E
œ œ œ Œ œœ ˙
A
œœ œ œ œœ œ Œ œ
E
&bb 4 œ œ œœ œœ œ œ
Oh, Shen- an- doah, I long to hear you A - way you rol- lin' riv - er Oh,
b b b b
A B C mi B E G mi
b b œ œ œ œ œ j œœ œ Œ
& b œ œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ œ ˙ œœ œ œ œ
5 Shen- an-doah, I long to hear you 'way, I'm bound a - way, 'cross the
b b
C mi B E
b
&bb ˙ œ œ œ w
9 wide Mis - sour - i.
b
E Ma6
bb Ó Œ œ œ œ
&• b Use œ œ œ Œ
Effective Starter “Tricks”

œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
pedal tones/drones
o Pedal tones create stability, simplicity, and naturally enhance melodic content
o 5ths in men add further stability, or shift œit to women
œ œ œ œ
Shen - an - doah, I long to hear you A -
œ exercise
œœ œœ – œœfull choirœœ drone, œœ œ to closest
œœ shifting œ correct
œ œ note on chord changesœ
for men’s melody
? b b oÓ Choral
Œ Œ
b
• Ostinatos = Motor that drives an arrangement
13 o Similar(CLOSED VOICINGS)
to style/feel in their function
b b
A Ma7More Unisons E Ma7
b
& b b ˙˙ œœ œœ
Write
œœ œœ œœ œœ Œ œ
•
o Incredibly effective for teaching blend, balance, style, and listening
o Allows the ensemble to feel successful right away œœ

˙˙ œœ œœ œ
way Writing you rol - lin' riv - er Oh,
œœ œœ œœ œœ œ
• 2-part
? bb œ
rd th

Œ
o Prioritize using 3 and 6 intervals combined with good voice leading
b o Study Phil Mattson – he’s the master œ
16 • (DROP
Write 2 the
FOR VOICINGS)
lyrics, not against them
b the melody around B 7
b b7
A Ma7 C mi7 B
b j
Pass

& b b œœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ Œ
•
o (Online Example #6 & #7)
œ œ œœ œ œ ‰ œ
•
˙
Have a section or sections drop out for effect
œ J
œœ
Shen - an - doah, I long to hear you 'way,

? bb œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ
b œ œ œ ˙ 3 œ œ œ ‰ J
18
 b b b
b 4 E
œ œœ ˙
A
œ œ œ œ œœ œ Œ œ
E
&bb 4 œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ Œ
Oh, Approaches
Process – Different Shen- an- doah, I long to hear you A - way you rol- lin' riv- er Oh,
b b b b
A B differentlyC mibased on natural
B E Here are a fewG mi
b
& b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ œj ˙ œ œ œ Œ
Everyone arranges a little preference. considerations as you
figure out your own:
œœ œ œ œ
5 • Arranging from a lead
Shen- an - doah, I longsheet
to hear you 'way, I'm bound a - way, 'cross the
b
o (Online Examples #8 & #9) b
C mi B E
• b7b Chord Voicings
& b o˙ Closed œ œ œ w
th

o Drop 2
9 wide Mis - sour - i.
b
o Open/Spread
E Ma6
b œœ œœ œœ œ œ
&bb Ó Œ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ
œ Œ
œ œ
œ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ
Shen - an - doah, I long to hear you A -

? b Ó œ œœ œœ œœ
bb Œ Œ
13 (CLOSED VOICINGS)
b b
A Ma7 E Ma7
b
& b b ˙˙ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ Œ œ

˙˙ œœ œœ œœ
way you rol - lin' riv - er Oh,

? b œœ œœ œ œœ œ
bb œ Œ œ
16 (DROP 2 VOICINGS)
b b7 b7
A Ma7 B C mi7 B
b b œ œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ j
& b œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ
J
œœ
Shen - an - doah, I long to hear you 'way,

? bb œ œ
(Shen - an - doah,
œ ˙ œ
hear
œ
you)
œ
b œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ‰ J
18
(SPREAD/OPEN VOICINGS)
©

4
2 Shenandoah Examples
b b7 b
E Ma7 G mi7 C mi7 B E Ma6
b bb œœ œœ œœ Œ
& ˙˙ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ ˙˙ œœ œ œœ ww
œ
I'm bound a - way, 'cross the wide Mis- sour - i.
˙ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
? bb ˙ Œ œ œœ ˙˙ œœ œœ œœ ww
b
20
(CLOSED/DROP 2 COMBO)

• Accompanied vs. Un-accompanied

o Accompanied works = Voices are functioning as a melodic “section”
§ Often primarily homorhythmic
§ Accompaniment is able to supply harmony, rhythm, counter-melody, and motor.
Voices are the featured instrument.
o Un-accompanied works = Voices fulfill ALL roles
§ Melody, harmony, rhythm, counter-melody, motor
§ Often polyrhythmic
§ Use of vocal bass, vocal percussion common
§ (Online Example #10)

• Writing Vertically vs. Horizontally

o Vertical = Great voice leading, good for homorhythmic
o Horizontal = Very “Sing-able” lines, good for polyrhythmic
o Often influenced by instrumental background

• Finding your writing space and tools

o Where? With what? When?

• Record yourself
o Raw ideas, scratch tracks, etc.
o Allows you to experience externally vs. internally
o Sibelius/Finale playback is okay, but it’s not vocal

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General Words of Wisdom

• Start your arrangement at the first part you can “hear”

o Hint: This is often not the beginning

• Be ready to set aside several sections/revisions of your work

o Do not throw away or delete – You will probably miss it!

• Good piano voicings are generally good vocal, horn, and string voicings
o Start practicing piano!

• Consciously direct your audience’s focus

o In any given section, which part do you believe is the most important? The least
important? Does your arrangement emphasize what you want it to emphasize?
o Hint: If it doesn’t, this almost always involves simplifying something too dense
o Remember: Your audience is hearing this for the first time

• Prioritize good voice leading unless going for a specific effect

o Counterpoint rules, while helpful, are not universally applicable in 2016. You WILL get
parallel 5ths. Everyone is doing it!

• Be aware of the effective “life span” of each arranging idea

o i.e. How long can the listener enjoy it before they’re bored or tired of it?
o Sometimes great ideas are under-utilized, others are exhausting
§ Consider audience’s focus, complexity, and context
o If you have a great/interesting idea, bring it back (recall)
o Avoid the “kitchen sink” arrangement – too many ideas confuses the listener (ie. too
many colors mixed together end up brown)

• Golden Arranging Rule – 50% Familiar, 50% Surprise!

• Sing your work often as you are writing

• Seek out the feedback of someone you respect and/or study successful works

• Work with a pianist on written accompaniments

• Arranging is hard. Get used to it!

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 “Do or do not. There is no try.”

Questions?

Additional Resources
• “A Cappella Arranging” by Dylan Bell & Deke Sharon
• “Arranging for Large Jazz Ensemble” by Ken Pullig & Dick Lowell
• “Barbershop Arranging Manual” by the Barbershop Harmony Society
• “Choral Arranging” by Hawley Ades
• “Circlesongs: The Method” by Roger Treece
• “The Complete Guide to Teaching Vocal Jazz” by Steve Zegree
• “Jazz Arranging Techniques” by Gary Lindsay
• “Modern Jazz Voicings” by Ken Pullig & Ted Pease
• “Scatability” iPhone App by Michele Weir
• “The Vocal Jazz Ensemble” by Paris Rutherford
• http://www.acdacal.org/repertoire-standards/jazz-choirs/