Marching Bands

Marching Bands will entertain you!

Tips for successful Marching Band Arrangements

Marching bands have always attracted big audiences at parades, athletic events and competitions. They are a source of excitement to the musicians and spectators alike. Often the difference between a good band and a great band is the arrangement. Here are some useful tips for creating successful marching band arrangements.

Most directors will do a great job when arranging marching bands in their efforts of making them exceptionally entertaining to everyone. They will incorporate some of the most popular pieces in their marching band repertoire. While the truth of the matter is that not all those popular pieces are always available in the best arrangements, by investing some energy and time, you will be able to arrange nearly any kind of music for the marching band.

Preparations for the arrangements

Being well prepared is an essential aspect of creating successful marching band arrangements. This helps ensure that you are in full control of everything you are doing right from the word go. You will need to know exactly which theme you will be focusing on in your arrangement and have everything you will need, such as a music software program and staff paper. Get sheet music for a music piece you want to use in your arrangement by either transcribing it aurally or getting a hard copy. Analyze the music carefully and focus more on identifying the harmonic progression and the melody. Note all the additional elements in the piece you are arranging like counter melodies, important rhythms, tempo changes and dynamics.

You also need to list all the instruments you will require for your arrangements.Typically, marching bands tend to consist of brass, percussion instruments and woodwinds, but you need to have an idea of what sections are in the particular band you are arranging for. Outline the melodic progression of the music as well and focus particularly on the instruments you intend to have for your melody and at which point you will have them in the arrangement. Next, in your preparation for your arrangements,outline your harmonic progression by identifying the instruments you will be using for the harmony and at which point they will be used in the arrangement.

Arranging the music

First, you will need to set the score up, either on the computer music program or on the staff paper. Some of the best arrangementsare made usingavailablesoftware programs like Sibelius and Finale. Then, notate the music time signature and key signature and write the melody out. Also, write the harmony out and include phrasing and dynamics as you find necessary. Carefully scan the music piece as you look for melodic errors, transposition errors, rhythmic errors and harmonic errors. Make sure that you check if there are holes in the piece, i.e., certain parts that have been overlooked or left out.

Make several copies of your music manuscript and save it. Write the individual parts out based on your score as you distribute them to your musicians. To review your marching band arrangements, rehearse the music as you check if any corrections need to be made to make it the best it can be.