Help with converting a piano score into a brass band score
I would like help with rendering a bass line from the following piano score into a bass arrangement for a brass band score. The available instruments are Bb Bass, Eb Bass, Bass Trombone, Euphonium.
It is a beguine bass rhythm from the Cole Porter song Begin the Beguine. I would like the bass rhythm to be distributed over these instruments.
Thanks,
Ned Kelly
Comments
Hi Ned, for some ideas check out: https://musescore.com/sheetmusic?text=Begin+the+Beguine
In reply to Hi Ned, for some ideas check by Shoichi
Thank you, Shoichi for replying to my query. Thank you for the link. The result looks interesting and I will certainly check it out. Ned.
Add the Instrument(s) (not sure what Bb Bass or Eb Bass is supposed to be, Bb Tuba , Eb Tuba?), copy (or cut) and paste the notes.
In reply to Add the Instrument(s) (not by Jojo-Schmitz
Thank you, Jojo-Schmitz for replying to my query. Bb Bass and Eb Bass refers to Bb Tuba and Eb Tuba. Whilst the piano score as shown is easy to implement on a piano, it is not feasible to assign these notes directly into a brass band score. Two considerations arise: assigning these notes to, say, the Bb Tuba alone would not sound very interesting - some higher tones need to be added to give the sound resonance. Secondly, at least one note in each measure is outside the range of any one of the instruments I have mentioned. It is also desirable to avoid octave jumps with bass tubas and trombones. How to accommodate these complications and produce something that is playable, whilst at the same time retaining the spirit of the original, is the question. Ned.
My cautious assessment of that requirement is that it really can’t satisfactorily be done. The instruments, indeed the instrument families, are simply too-different.
I would leave the piano part (and any other parts such as comp’d chords) as “guide tracks” to shape your composition, but write afresh for each instrument, carefully observing both the range of each instrument and the expectations of their experienced concert players.
In reply to My cautious assessment of by mrobinson
Thank you, mrobinson for replying to my query. I agree that to "....write afresh for each instrument, carefully observing both the range of each instrument...." is the challenge, and with respect to the bass line in Begin the Beguine, it is where I need a bit of help. I have attached below the first three bars of the piano score I am using. The bass line is the problem, the rest of the harmonies fall into place quite readily. If you are an arranger, I would be most interested to see how you would arrange these three bars using the instrumentation available in the MuseScore template for a UK Brass Band. Ned.
In reply to Thank you, mrobinson for by Ned Kelly
For that bass line, use a Bb Tuba, which has a range from E1 to Bb3. For the 'higher notes' you want in your arrangement, double that line an octave higher with a bass trombone.
Note that this is a technical assessment of your question, not a musical one. The original work does not necessarily lend itself well to a brass quintet, IMO, although an experienced arranger might make it work. That bass line needs to support the melody without intruding upon it. Porter's stuff sounds simple, but he was not afraid to make his musicians earn their pay....
In reply to For that bass line, use a Bb by Recorder485
BTW, the original rhythm of that bass line was more like this:
In reply to BTW, the original rhythm of by Recorder485
Thank you, Recorder485 for your helpful comments. I'll see what I can do with the original rhythm along the lines you suggest. I'm fortunate in that I have access to a tolerant brass band that is prepared to try out the arrangements that I come up with, but they soon tell me if they don't like something! Ned.
In reply to Thank you, Recorder485 for by Ned Kelly
Good luck with your project. If you want to hear a very interesting arrangement of that song, transposed to minor and using a bass flute, listen to this version by Sheryl Crow from the movie 'De Lovely'.
Porter's own (rather elaborate) concert version is here .
In reply to Good luck with your project. by Recorder485
Wow! It is hard to imagine two more contrasting interpretations of Begin The Beguine. Thanks for two great links. Ned.
In reply to Wow! It is hard to imagine by Ned Kelly
:) I thought you might appreciate the 'spread' between those two versions.
Arranging and orchestrating are each as much an art form as is composing. In fact, many great composers did not do their own arrangements or orchestrations. Robert Russell Bennet, for instance, was the man who orchestrated most of Richard Rogers' show tunes and helped make them Broadway hits. Jerry Gray arranged many of Glenn Miller's biggest hits, sometimes from songs composed in the 1800s ('American Patrol', for example). It is one thing to come up with a catchy melody and memorable harmonic structure while noodling around on a piano; it is another thing entirely to turn that into a great arrangement for a full orchestra or big band.
Listen to lots of music, and analyse what you're hearing and why it pleases you (or doesn't). That's the best way to learn.
I agree with mrobinson. By trying to make a brass arrangement from something that has already been arranged for the piano you lose the essence of the piece. The beguine in question is a slow dance so I'd have the Euphonuim play the female and take the top part (the melody) and the Bass Trombone play the male and have the first triplet (low notes) and some long notes. Tubas/basses are best at oompah so they can do something such as minim followed by rest-quaver-rest-quaver.
If this were food, then it's a bit like taking a recipe and changing it on paper then changing it again and ending up with different dish when the smart thing to do would be to sample the original and identify the key ingredients by taste. Since this is music I'd suggest an analogous approach by listening to some recordings off YouTube (and there are thousands on there) then placing your notes and listening to it to get that rounded brass sound that you no doubt are after.
In reply to I agree with mrobinson. By by underquark
Thank you, underquark for your stimulating thoughts. Translating what I hear on YouTube to notes on the page of a band score is certainly a desirable skill, but not one I am very good at doing at the moment. A piano score is for me a sort of prop as I attempt to acquire that skill.
I think I follow what you are saying. In addition to the low end of the band, I still have to do something with the baritones, horns and cornets. Is there any possibility of you illustrating your suggestion by drafting an arrangement of the above three measures and pasting it into this thread?
Yes, a rounded brass sound is what I want to hear coming from the kitchen. Ned.
Brass band temnplate i use, Im a percussionist and arranger. IMHO i would leave out the Euph leave it free for the lower twiddly bits