The Basics of Arran

Reference Sheet

Introduction
If writing music is an art, then arranging for pop acapella i
Relinquish any misguided preconceptions you may have a
talent or inspiration in this pursuit. You are a technician, n
time to internalize a few simple rules, and soon you'll be a
quality arrangement in the same way that you could put to
Disclaimer: This document is intended as a primer, so I've
(especially in places where the theory can get gritty). If yo
versed in this material and notice an exaggeration, omissi
quietly massage your temples until the cognitive dissonan
getting very sleepy as I write this, so if the quality of the fin
that of the first, it's not because the final section is less im

The Basics of Harmonic Theory

The term 'harmonic theory' refers to our understanding of
pitches played in association can be greater than the sum
pitch played on its own sounds fairly bland, yet somehow
together can cause us to feel. A few of these collections p
can make us feel a lot. This section will explain how pitche
99.9% of the music you will ever hear.
The Western Chromatic Scale
The pitch content of today's popular music is drawn
chromatic collection. There are only twelve pitches in
A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, F, F
 Key and Scale
Popular songs almost never use the entire chromatic
they draw upon a defined subset of the chromatic co
scale. The word 'key' refers to the particular scale us
specified at the beginning of a line of music with a sy
signature'. Most of these scales are very familiar, an
parts according to their 'tonic' note1 and to the pattern
half steps2 describing which other notes are present.
patterns are called 'major' and 'minor'.
The Major Scale
The 'major' pattern is by far the most common p
Western music in the last four hundred years –
the 'do, a deer, a fe-male deer' song. People ge
happy. The pattern goes whole-whole-half-who
your tonic note is C, then the major scale would
A-B-C. This scale is known as 'C-major', and ca
playing from C to C on the piano on all white no
would be D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D, and
1 The 'tonic' note is the note in a scale which sounds like home. It is also
Don't question why our brains establish that a particular note should soun
than the others. Just accept it and move on.
2 A 'half' step is the distance between two adjacent notes in the chromatic s
a half step, or E to F. A 'whole' step is the distance between three adjacen
to D (C-C#-D) or E to F# (E-F-F#). In other words, two half steps make a w

so forth.
The Minor Scale
The 'minor' pattern is the second most common
th
think Beethoven's 5th Symphony. People often t
sounds sad or dark. The pattern goes whole-ha
whole-whole3. If your tonic note is C, then the m
proceed C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C. This scale is kn
D-minor scale would be D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C-D, an
Relative Major and Minor
You may have noticed that a major scale in one
same notes with the minor scale in another key
major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C) contains the sa
minor scale (A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A). The only differ
establish the tonic note. The phenomenon of re
like this is not something you need to really thin
to explain how you can go from a minor key are
within a song (and vice versa) without it soundi
modulated.5
Other Common Scales
The major and minor scales are by no mean
exist – they're just by far the most common. A
can be a scale, and it's worth knowing a
occasionally used in pop music.
Dorian
The pattern is whole-half-whole-whole-wh
dorian scale is C- D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb-C.This
minor scale, but a little more stoic. Think o
soundtrack.
Phrygian
The pattern is half-whole-whole-whole-ha
phrygian scale is C-Db-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C.
 the minor scale, but a little more sinister. T
happens between the tonic and the note w
step up. You'll often hear this scale in hip-
aggressive EDM.
Mixolydian
The pattern is whole-whole-half-whole-wh
mixolydian scale is C-D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C. T
major scale, but a little more rock n' roll. T
music. Which I guess just means think of

Chords
A 'chord' is a collection of notes played together (or i
As with scales, any collection of notes played togeth
there are a few kinds which you hear over and over a
song are derived from the scale of the song, so the c
major song will be made from the notes C, D, E, F, G
review, chords are derived from scales, which are de
Western chromatic collection.
3 There are other ways to construct the minor scale, but this is the most com
the 'natural' minor scale. 4 Other differences come about when you start artic
the scales, but that's not super important here.
5 'Modulating' just means moving to another key.

We're getting more and more specific as we go.

The Triad
The triad is by far the most common type of cho
It has three parts: the root, the third, and the fift
triad defines the triad. The third is the note two
the root (root[1] – [2] – third[3]). The fifth is the
above the third (root[1] – [2] – third[3] – [4] – fift
confused, don't be. It's easy to visualize if you g
C, E, and G. This is the C- major triad. C is the
and G is the fifth. If you sing a note and ask two
with you, the first person will almost always sin
other will almost always follow up with the fifth.
is the most important note in the triad – in fact,
are sufficient to get the gist of the chord across
helps to fill it out. From now on, the triad is the
need to be concerned with, so the words 'chord
used interchangeably.

Major and Minor Triads

Like scales, triads can also be 'major' or 'm
whether the third is closer or further from
steps. In a major triad, the third is four hal
In a minor triad, the third is only three half
Again, this is very easy to visualize on the
triad, again, is C-E-G. The C-minor triad is
their scalar counterparts, major triads are
sound 'happy', 'bright', 'open', 'majestic', e
are generally said to sound 'sad' or 'dark'.
Inversions
The root almost always goes on the botto
to. Imagine if you took the C-major triad (C
played the C an octave up so that the cho
G-C from bottom to top. Now the chord is
inversion', and sounds a bit different. If yo
flip the G over to the higher octave so tha
G-C-E from bottom to top, you've put it in
you do it again, you're back to root positio
higher. Chords are almost always played
sometimes an inversion will have a place
Alterations
In addition to the root, third, and fifth, cert
to the triad to achieve various stylistic effe
effects are so strong that they are necess
convey a song's affect, and sometimes th
additions. The following are the four most
see added to the standard triad:
The Seventh
The seventh is three half-steps abov
triad, the seventh would be Bb. This
the triad, causes the chord to feel un
The effect is difficult to describe, but
familiar with it.
The Major Seventh
The major seventh is four half-steps
triad, the

major seventh would be B. This note

triad, causes the chord to feel ethere
The Ninth
 The ninth is two half-steps above the
triad, the ninth would be a D. This no
triad, causes the chord to feel lush, r
Think of your favorite 80's synthpop
The Sixth
The sixth is two half-steps above the
triad, the sixth would be an A. This n
triad, causes the chord to feel bluesy
Chord Progression
A chord progression is exactly what it sounds like – a
played one after the other. So scales are derived fro
collection, chords are built out of scales, and chord p
with chords. When talking about chords, it's helpful t
numbers according to their root note. For example, in
the C- major triad would be the 'one' chord (hereafte
we use roman numerals when we're talking about ch
you have to do to understand this is label each note
number, then think of the chords according to their ro
the third and the fifth move up along the scale with th
major, the I chord is the C-major triad (C-E-G). The i
triad (D-F-A), the iii chord is the E-minor triad (E-G-B
F-major triad (F-A-C), etc.

Qualities of Each Chord

Every chord in a key has a particular quality to
groupings of color evoke particular emotions in
on out, I will only work within the context of the
it is by far the most common. That said, remem
structural principles apply to other scale types.
 I
The I chord, like the tonic note which is its
and secure. Songs almost always start an
ii
The ii chord tends to sound a little sad, an
somewhere else. Think of it as a transition
or IV.
iii
The iii chord tends to sound sad and sent
always leads to the IV or vi chord.
IV
The IV chord can be many things. It can b
bittersweet, sentimental, or casual. It can
prominent statement, or just a transition to
(usually I, V, vi, or ii)
V
6 Upper-case roman numerals are used when the chord is major, lower-case

The V chord is the pivotal opposite of the

of years, chord progressions consisted alm
series of I and V chords which oscillated b
days, the V chord can be thought of as th
brother of the IV chord. It is a little more p
overstated. It can also just be used as a tr
somewhere else (usually I, IV, or vi).
vi
The vi chord is to the I chord what the min
relative major. The two chords can often b
interchangeably from a technical standpo
which they evoke are extremely different.
sad, dark, or dramatic. It is often used to t
chords (usually IV, V, or I), but its emotion
difficult to obscure.
vii
The vii chord is pretty much useless in tod
gross-sounding version of V, and you don
yourself with it.
Other Chords
Sometimes chord progressions will draw u
don't naturally derive from the key of the s
bit of flavor. Here are a few of them.
bVII
The bVII chord is a major chord built
seventh scale degree. So in C-major
scale degree is B, the bVII chord wo
F). This chord has a cool sound, and
exclusively as a transition to IV.
II
The II chord is just the normal ii cho
to make a major triad. It tends to so
and almost always leads to IV or V.

III
 The III chord is just the normal iii cho
raised to make a major triad. It has a
classical sound and almost always le
Common Chord Progressions
As with scales and chords, any series of chords
progression. That said, some are far more com
just a few examples of common chord progress
I – IV – V (or any order thereof)
I – V – vi – IV (or any order thereof
I – bVII – IV
I – II – IV – V
I – III – vi - IV

Realizing Chords in the Choir

Once you know the notes which must be represented in a
group of measures in order to realize a chord, you must d
those notes among the choir. Unless the chord under con
in an inversion, the basses should sing the root of the cho
sing any part of the chord, but you must keep in mind that
almost always the most audible – so avoid giving the sopr
awkward-sounding line unless you mean to. The alto and
to sound good on their own, as they will be hidden in the m
That said, unnecessary disjunctness will stick out even in
voice-leading is not observed, as explained in the followin
 Spacing
Proper spacing of notes between the sections of a ch
easiest and most important things to learn. There are
1) The spacing of notes should be roughly
symmetrical, except for with regards to
bass, which can be more distant.
2) The lower the notes, the more spac
which must exist between them t
avoid muddiness.
These two rules are sufficient to inform good practice
chord among the ensemble. Wide spacing and close
textures, but close spacing becomes less pleasing in
playing a C-major triad low on the piano to get a sen
which results when intervals are too small in the lowe

Voice Leading
The term 'voice leading' refers to the method by which an
one chord to the next. If the guidelines of proper voice-lea
transitions between chords will sound smooth, and will be
ensemble to sing.
Guidelines
Generally speaking, parallel octaves and fifths shoul
example, if two sections are on a C, they should not
the same time. Likewise, if one section is on a C, an
a G, they should not move to D and A at the same tim

Generally speaking, parts should not cross one anot

tenors should not sing higher than the altos, etc. Tha
when other considerations make this an acceptable
Generally speaking, the entire choir should not move
direction at once. There should usually be at least on
or moving in the opposite direction.
Parts should leap around as little as possible. If a pa
a note which is not nearby, it should not have to do s
successively. The basses are excepted from this rule
almost always have to sing the root note.
Because there are four voice parts but only three com
one of the

triad components will usually have to be doubled.

be the root note. For example, when articulating a
basses should have a C, and an E, G and addi
distributed about the tenors, altos, and sopranos.
Easy rule of thumb
The easiest way to follow the guidelines and achieve
is to follow an easy rule of thumb: the bass should m
the next chord, and the other voice parts should eith
or move to the nearest chord tone in the next chord i
direction of the bass. For example, if the basses mov
every other part should move downward to the neare
they are already on one of those notes. This rule will
sometimes other considerations will make following i
you should abide by it if you can.
Non-Chord Tones
'Non-Chord Tones' are notes which don't belong to t
realized, but which can nonetheless be a pleasing ad
texture. The following are a few of the most common
tones:
Passing tone
A passing tone is a note which is 'passed throu
notes. For example, in a C-major triad, if the so
then the D is a passing tone. It is being passed
the E.
Neighbor tone
A neighbor tone is a note which is sung and
For example, in a C- major triad, in the sopran
the D is a neighbor tone. It is sung and then ret
Suspension
A note is 'suspended' when it is held over from
kind of non-chord tone is tricky to understand, b
beautiful when well executed. For example, ima
moving from a C-major chord to a G-major cho
chord, the basses have the root C, the tenors h
the altos have an E, and the sopranos have a G
moves to G-major, the basses move to a G, the
sopranos stay on their G, and the tenors stay o
a suspended tone, because it is carried over fro
Usually, suspended chords will 'resolve' when t
eventually moves to the proper chord tone. In t
suspended chord would resolve if the tenors m
 Anticipation
An anticipation is the opposite of a suspension.
a note which has moved to the next chord befo
have. In the same example, if the tenors were t
B early, rather than late, then the B would be a

Features of each voice part

Each voice part has a particular set of features of which a
aware. Ranges vary extremely widely, so know the ensem
writing and be careful when approaching

the edges of standard ranges. Also keep endurance in mi

to sing at the edge of one's range for an entire song.
Soprano
Quality
Light, brilliant
Range
Around C4 - Bb5
Alto
Quality
Hearty, dark, smooth
Range
Around G3 - E5
Tenor
Quality
Smooth, light
 Range
Around A2 - G4
Bass
Quality
Rich, heavy, edgy
Range
Around Eb2 – E5
Splitting Parts
Each voice part can be split in order to accommodat
or lines. Sopranos and basses tend to be more accu
splitting than altos and tenors, but most altos and ten
it just fine. Keep in mind that there is a trade off whe
get more notes, but less power and security per note
requires a greater amount of rehearsal time and pers
among singers, so stick to one note per part unless y
reason to split.

Know your ensemble

Remember that you are almost always going to be arrang
group of people. Each ensemble has its own strengths, w
peculiarities of which to be mindful when making an arran
section of the choir is strong, you have more flexibility whe
a particular section is weak, don't give them something ex
Feel free to specify that a particular individual should sing
know that it would fit well with their voice or their capabiliti
the group doesn't have much time to learn the arrangeme
performance, make it easier and more repetitive than you

Texture
'Texture' refers to the particular timbrel quality of an ensem
Generally, an acapella arrangement will utilize up to three
textures:
Vamping
A 'vamping' texture is one in which a chord progress
sake of it,

without anything really special going on. Think of all

random doos and dahs and whatever while the soloi
usually happens in the verses.
Choral Texture
A choral texture is one in which the ensemble starts
choir. Longer tones, more rigorous voice-leading, an
homogeneity tend to characterize this texture.
Gospel/Backup-Singer Texture
There will often be opportunities in a song for memb
sing words along with the soloist, either in unison or
texture is usually the most pleasing one to perform a
difficult to incorporate because it leaves fewer resou
realizing the chord structure or maintaining rhythmic

Melodic Construction
While the primary melody of an arrangement will be delive
you will sometimes have to invent melodic lines to flesh ou
texture. The following are a few things to keep in mind wh
 Steps vs. Leaps
A good melody will have a balance between stepw
etc.) and disjunct, or 'leaping' motion (ex. C-G). A
only of stepwise motion will sound boring, while a
only leaps will sound disorganized and incohesive.
Narrative
A good melody, even a short one, should have a beg
Embellishments
A melody can be embellished with articulations like g
as well as with added notes from outside of the scale
Eb-E-C can sound pretty good in the key of C-major
style) even though F# and Eb are not part of the C-m

Syllables
Acapella syllables are a necessary evil. There are two par
consonant beginning (or lack thereof), and the vowel whic
The consonant should be chosen according to the desired
note – for example, a 'ch' sound will draw more attention t
'w' sound. The vowel should be chosen according to the d
timbre of the notes duration. For example, 'ah' will sound l
than 'ooh'. These differences can be used for special effec
chord can be made gradually louder and more prominent
than dynamics alone would allow) if the ensemble change
the duration of the chord. Ooh-ah and ooh-oh are effective
Be careful to consider how syllables will interact between
of the ensemble, and make sure that the syllables in all pa
sung at the full speed of the song. When necessary, notat
first part of a syllable should transition to the second part.
word 'owl', though technically monosyllabic, has two distin

Generally speaking, the voice parts should not all have wi

syllables at the same time, because this will result in a me
sound.

Articulation
The word 'articulation' refers to the particular way in which
general, you only need to specify articulations in your arra
particularly important – otherwise, the syllable and duratio
determine the articulation for you. The two most common
accent, which indicates that a note should be emphasized
and the staccato marking, which indicates that a note sho
light, or bouncy way.

Rhythm
There's not a whole lot to say about rhythm. Just be cogni
between syncopated and unsyncopated rhythms ( i.e. tho
beat' or 'off the beat'), and always check your rhythms by
them to yourself to make sure that they aren't awkward. B
significant differences between rhythmic figures, and alwa
each part's rhythm will sound with each other part's rhythm
accidentally have the whole choir bopping quarter notes a
you want that. Oh, and make sure you know what the time
is. It's almost always 4/4, but you'll occasionally see 3/4 o
thing – the rhythms sung by the basses and sopranos will
most, so don't make them weird or crazy or awkward.

Analyzing the production

Here is the beautiful secret of writing arrangements – all o
already been done for you. A lot of people spent a lot of ti
out how to make their song sound as cool as possible – s
shamelessly! Listen for the characteristic textural, rhythmi
harmonic details that bring the song to life, and listen espe
to incorporate choral and gospel textures into the arrange
always be places in the song where backup singers (or a
the soloist herself) enrich the melody – details like this can
into your arrangement.

Song Structure
'Song structure' refers to the way in which a song's section
same way that almost all songs utilize one of a few standa
progressions, almost all songs will also utilize one of a few
It is helpful as an arranger to be aware of these common s
can more easily recognize and accommodate them in an
following are standard components of a song:

Intro
An intro sets up the key of the song, usually by realiz
running through the song's primary chord progressio
draw the audience into the performance somehow.
Verse
The verse is where the bulk of a song's narrative is g
should be a little
 more reserved in the verse so that the soloist can cle
lyrics, and so that the choruses are more impactful.
Chorus
The chorus is where the choir should be the loudest
usually with the greatest degree of gospel-style textu
should usually have the most impact, which can be d
volume, textural change, added detail, and in other w
Bridge
The bridge is usually the most unique part of a song,
contrast and make the chorus material which follows
bridge will entail a significant textural change.
Outro
An outro is not always necessary. However, a good
the energy of the crowd and signal the closing of the
resemble the intro, but does not need to.

Notation software
Thank God we don't have to write all of this out by han
music notation programs offer us a new and special kin
and accept that you will hate using them, and get use
Google how to do things.
Finale vs. Sibelius
There are basically two programs that people use –
doesn't really matter which one you use, they're both
and bad at others. If you need an analogy, then Fina
is a Mac. Finale will be cumbersome and complicate
allow you to do whatever you need to do. Sibelius wi
and easy to use 99% of the time, but that one situati
 do something that the designers didn't prioritize will p
spiritual anxiety.
Professionalism
After you've spent tortured hours getting the arrange
ahead and take a few minutes to make it look good.
well-formatted, include a tempo marking before the f
sure your dynamics are lined up, see if you can incre
page count by reducing system size, delete the copy
(because technically making an arrangement like thi
illegal, and there's no reason to draw attention to tha
Extracting audio
Sometimes people like to have audio files of their pa
Depending on the version you buy, your software ma
extract audio files straight from the score.

The Basics of Arran

Standard Procedur

1. Listen to the original version many t

note of style, texture, significant detail
opportunities for chorale transcription
2. Determine the key, structure, and c
of the song.

3. Set up a document in your notat

with the proper time and key signature
4. Transcribe the solo(s) into your nota

5. Demarcate sections (verse, chorus,

6. Realize chord progressions for ea

with proper voice- leading technique.
7. Re-notate your progressions with
chorale, and gospel textures.
8. Write in lyrics/syllables.

9. Add in special
melodic/harmonic/stylistic/rhythmic/te
to make the arrangement more interes
careful not to compromise the effectiv
voice-leading.
10. Add in dynamics, articulations,
changes, stylistic instructions, etc.
11. Make your arrangement look clean

12. Wait at least 6 months before tryin

again.