Arranged Backgrounds

This is a preview of the educational program A Jazz Improvisation Almanac which is under development for the Outside Shore Music Online School. Feel free to browse this preview and learn what you can from it. For a more completed product, though, check out the original freely browsable jazz textbook, A Jazz Improvisation Primer.

Writing an arrangement is not as difficult as you might think, and it can definitely be worth the effort. Before I go into the specifics of writing background parts, I suggest you go back and review the section on Arrangements in the unit on the Elements Of Jazz, to get an idea of the types of things you can do with an arrangement. The basic elements of arrangements that we will be considered here are harmonization of a melody, background figures for the composed melodies, and background figures for improvisation. You can use these techniques when writing introductions, codas, and shout choruses, as well as during the head and solos of a head arrangement.

Harmonizing a melody is usually just a matter of choosing a voicing and moving it in parallel motion along with the melody. The specific harmony notes are dictated by the underlying chords. Usually, you will want the melody note on the top of the voicing. For example, the following melody is harmonized in thirds:

[EXAMPLE]

The following example is harmonized with quartal voicings:

[EXAMPLE]

This example uses drop voicings:

[EXAMPLE]

You can also use contrary motion on occassion for variety:

[EXAMPLE]

The next element of arranging I will discuss is background figures for composed melodies. This implies splitting the ensemble into distinct sections, although the sections might consist of only one musician each. One section plays the melody, either in unison or in harmony, and the other section or sections play other background parts. There are several possible ways to organize the background parts. You can use the riff approach discussed in the previous section:

[EXAMPLE]

You can also use obbligato:

[EXAMPLE]

Often, jazz melodies suggest a call-and-response approach:

[EXAMPLE]

When arranging background parts for an improvised solo, you obviously cannot harmonize the solo or predict calls to respond to. Riffs are safe:

[EXAMPLE]

Obbligato works too:

[EXAMPLE]

While you cannot respond to the ideas and directions of the soloist, you can create a background that provides inspiration to the soloist. Allow the soloist to respond to the arrangement rather than vice versa:

[EXAMPLE]

The background parts can help establish the overall direction for the performance. If the background parts contain a lot of energy, the solo will have to match that:

[EXAMPLE]

Conversely, if the background parts are subdued, the solo will probably follow suit as well:

[EXAMPLE]

If you do not want to have to predetermine the direction for the performance in this way, one trick is to write a series of background choruses, give them all numbers or letters, then select from them during the performance according to where the soloist seems to be going. In particular, you should have one climactic chorus to use when the soloist appears to be reaching the climax of his solo. You may wish the soloist to cue this himself.

[EXAMPLE]

There is a few practical observations I would like to make about arranging. When writing for a group, you should consider the reading ability of the musicians who will be playing your arrangement. In addition to knowing the theoretical ranges of each instrument, you should know what is practical for your particular ensemble. Also, you should have some idea of whether or not there will be rehearsal. A rehearsal benefits the group, by allowing them to identify trouble spots and get familiar with the overall arrangement, but it can also help you find any problems with your arrangement, such as missing measures, wrong notes, unclear directions (repeats and codas are always potential points of confusion) or simply poor choices of voicings or orchestrations. Of course, you can always try playing parts of your arrangement on the piano while you write it. You might also want to try using a sequencer, which is a computer controlled device capable of playing your arrangements for you during composition.

These hints can help ensure your arrangement works during performance. It can be frustrating to spend a lot of time on an arrangement, only to see it fall apart on the gig. Unless you are completely confident in your own abilities and those of the group that will be playing your arrangement, you should start simply and make sure there is enough rehearsal.

Copyright 2000 Outside Shore Music
Authored by Marc Sabatella

Arranged Backgrounds