Big Band arranging..

Hello hello.

I'm arranging my first big band piece, and I was wondering whether you all think I need to keep my instrument sections all together doing the same thing - I mean like, all the saxes playing the same thing in their various ranges etc.. or can I have one playing rhythm, one incorporating the bass part, one harmonizing the melody etc, or maybe that gets too muddy sounding... ?

Are there any rules for this or is it personal preference?

:w00t:

No rules.

You can keep the sections together (See: Basie/Sammy Nestico/Thad Jones)

Or don't (See: Duke/Bob Brookmeyer/Maria Schneider)

Write what you hear...write what you can...

Hello hello.

I'm arranging my first big band piece, and I was wondering whether you all think I need to keep my instrument sections all together doing the same thing - I mean like, all the saxes playing the same thing in their various ranges etc.. or can I have one playing rhythm, one incorporating the bass part, one harmonizing the melody etc, or maybe that gets too muddy sounding... ?

Are there any rules for this or is it personal preference?

:w00t:

My 2 cents: you can write a melody for a sax which could be doubled from another sax at the lower octave; sometimes, if you write for 5 saxes you can harmonize them from the highest note following the chord notes (with 9th that replaces the fundamental), for ex. you have a F7 chord and an Eb on the melody, the five saxes will play Eb-C-A-G-Eb. And, if you want, you can drop down an octave the second or the third or the second and the fourth (in this case, C or A or C and G). If before your Eb in the melody there's a D, you can harmonize the whole saxes section a semitone lower (for ex. D-B-Ab-Gb-D). Where to harmonized the whole section... it's your choice, it strongly depends on what you have written for the rhythmic section, et cetera.

This is, broadly speaking, the way I arrange a saxes section for a big band arrangement. I hope my english is understandable. :)

Awesome! Two guys describing the same thing (Supersax!!) while ignoring the original question... :thumbsup:

Awesome! Two guys describing the same thing (Supersax!!) while ignoring the original question... :thumbsup:

I think you pretty much answered the original question. I find it interesting to see how other people think about some of these things.

Awesome! Two guys describing the same thing (Supersax!!) while ignoring the original question... :thumbsup:

I read, in the "original question", that he wanted to be explained how saxes should sound. In fact: "all the saxes playing the same thing in their various ranges etc.. or can I have one playing rhythm, one incorporating the bass part, one harmonizing the melody etc, or maybe that gets too muddy sounding... ?"

If I understood incorrectly, I kindly apologize. :blush:

deleted. missed your thread sorry izz