Smack That Thang-A 12 Bar Blues

Hey there! This is the first complete work I'm posting on this forum. I was inspired by jazz big bands, and especially the tune "Night Train" composed by Jimmy Forest. Smack That Thang (Big Band Arrangement)-Score_and_Parts.pdfThis isn't the final rendition, but for now I am satisfied with it. I would love any feedback that anyone can provide. Thanks!

Hey @AlexL!

I'm not sure I have very much to add to what I have already said regarding this piece.  There seem to be some problems with the score sometimes being cut off at the bottom which hopefully can be solved by using a bigger page size or changing the spacing in the page settings.  The piano in the rendition is also a bit too loud in relation to the rest of the instruments.  You might need to write out the piano chords manually instead of just putting the chord symbols if you want more control over the volume the piano is played at.  Unless of course you don't deem the rendition itself that important since you probably will get this performed live.  And I didn't notice the Trombones playing their additional notes the 2nd and 3rd time the main theme plays.  Also, did you figure out the shout chorus for this piece?  I don't see it notated anywhere.  Thanks for sharing!

Hey there!
The playback is a bit funky and I'm not sure how to fix it on Musescore, but I'm not too concerned because I'm hoping for a live performance/recording. My musescore file was fine with the score, so i wonder why it did that on the pdf. As for the shout chorus I did notate it. It's on page 8 of the score! Thank you for the response!

On 11/21/2024 at 9:30 PM, AlexL said:

I'm hoping for a live performance/recording.

very cool! It'll be interesting to hear how soloists handle this, you could possibly extend sections for them too. Also, I'd let the drummer do their thing on it, as your notes could just be viewed as a place holder. It's always hard to notate solos, especially drums. The ending is gritty and great 🙂

This is a very fun and interesting sound! I think it's a little difficult to give feedback on jazz because of its improvisational nature - I have seen proficient players in jam sessions just decide on a song, play impromptu, then throw the solo to each other so that each instrument gets their moment to shine.

If your intention is to provide players with a basic outline and let them do their thing, then this is really nice! However, if you want something more concrete and write a stronger outline for those solo sections (or the development of the piece in general), then I think you can develop the individual sections more (regarding this, I especially like how the bass is an independent character and yet still works well with the others). 

A note on the piano and drums, since I play one and am learning the other: I think since you are including them, these are the instruments that have the most scope for development. Maybe you can have a section in the middle, after the main theme is played the first or second time, where the other instruments take a backseat and provide basic accompaniment to the piano! Develop the melody with the piano and the rhythym with the drums. Perhaps you can have one section with the piano expanding the chord progressions, and another section where the drums go wild (I love looking through Drumeo's videos on YouTube to understand the drums) with the piano and the rest of the band providing little accompaniment with those developed progressions.

Good job! I myself have never written a jazz piece because I find it incredibly daunting, so to me this is impressive already!

9 minutes ago, piajo said:

A note on the piano and drums, since I play one and am learning the other: I think since you are including them, these are the instruments that have the most scope for development. Maybe you can have a section in the middle, after the main theme is played the first or second time, where the other instruments take a backseat and provide basic accompaniment to the piano! Develop the melody with the piano and the rhythym with the drums. Perhaps you can have one section with the piano expanding the chord progressions, and another section where the drums go wild (I love looking through Drumeo's videos on YouTube to understand the drums) with the piano and the rest of the band providing little accompaniment with those developed progressions.

Thanks for the feedback! This in particular is helpful to me because I am not really a piano/drum player (I can improvise and mess around on them, but when it comes to sheet music, espeically in the jazz scene, I am useless). I will attempt to play around with the piano more and maybe have a specific section feautring the piano. As for the drums, there is a "solo" section right before the d.s. that I intended for the drums to go nuts through, I just don't have the notation expertise for that. Thank you for your valuable input!