Ackward concert

jicetp · Heavyweight Member Joined: 30 Mar 2004 Posts: 987

Hi

I have been hired for a gig ! Great.
Instruments will be :

Trombone
Cello
Harp
Soprano singer
Classical guitar
Amplified guitar or bass

I have just been specified I should bring material for the single rehearsal !

What can we play with such an ecclectic instrumentation ?

Trio Bone/ Tp/Cello ?

Jazzy duets with one guitar comping ?

I am a little confused with this...

any help greatly appreciated

JiCe

HERMOKIWI · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Dec 2008 Posts: 2581

Well, there is a composition entitled "Rhamphorhynchus" by Dr. Randall Snyder that includes trumpet, trombone, bass, guitar and electric cello. It certainly could be augmented by a soprano singer and harp to cover the saxophone parts. However, when you see the trumpet part you'll have a heart attack. Here's the score:

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=musicsnyder

Good luck!!
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zaferis · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:10 am Post subject:

You were told the instrumentation but not what music..

I'd first reply by saying that you need to ask more questions when taking a gig..

What, where, when, how much? And then if it's new more details about what you'll be playing, not only to be prepared but also to be sure you're capable. "This sounds like something iteresting and new to me, can you send me a copy of my part(s)?"

One of my pet peeves in the area where I am, several of the guys that call for musicians don't provide any of this info unless you ask, and get huffy when I don't accept jobs without them.
The calls/emails sound or read like: "Hey man, are you available for next Friday night for a Joe Blow gig?" Then I have to reply by saying "I might" be what are the details to include "how much is the offer"?

Good Luck
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boog · Veteran Member Joined: 04 Jun 2014 Posts: 247

Well, my man, looks like you are in for exercising your arranging chops!

You can work with this instrumentation. Of course, you will need to know the styles/setting of this gig. Wedding, church gig, dinner party, whatever. In other words, what is the occasion?

Two things:
I hope they are paying you well. You are definitely in for some serious work here. Either manually, or with Finale, Sibelius, etc., and with some expense to print out parts.

Secondly, I hope these players are readers and quite experienced, with only one rehearsal! Especially the guitarists! It has been my experience that MOST guitarists are "Iffy" readers, or only read chord symbols, if that. If they are "by ear" players, well...you have a problem!

With this instrumentation, I would have the harp and guitar/bass players act as the "rhythm" section, comping for the melody, harmony parts in the trombone/cello/trumpet (I assume that you are playing)/vocalist. Pop and Jazz standards would work fairly well with this instrumentation.

As an alternative to doing the arrangements yourself, there ARE several series of "combo" books out there, with parts published for B flat instruments, C instruments, E flat instruments, keyboard/guitar/ vocals. Check the major publishing houses.

If these players are pros or very experienced amateur players, you can do this with one of the many "fakebooks" available, and have the players play directly out of it. Looks like, with the exception of trumpet (if you are playing a B flat horn), everybody is in the key of "C". Of course, the trombone will be in bass clef. If the trombonist is an experienced pro, or at least a serious amateur, this will not be an issue.

If the players are high school level, average college students, or adult hobby players, you will have to write out parts that are for the specific instrument being used, or at least parts in the key/range for the specific instrument. Fakebooks generally include lyrics for the vocalist.

At any rate, if you are the one responsible for getting material for this gig, I hope you are getting paid well! If you are a true professional musician, you will adapt and improvise a repertoire for this instrumentation, no problem.

Best of luck!

JoseLindE4 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 791

If you are really going to write for harp, I'd take the time to learn what a harp player expects to see on the page. It's different than pretty much every other instrument. I'd consult a few orchestration books (Alder, Kennan), check out some videos, and most importantly talk to harpists.

These also look like good resources:
http://www.jpharp.com/a-short-guide-to-the-harp
http://composingforharp.com/

The rest of the instruments are much more straightforward.

boog · Veteran Member Joined: 04 Jun 2014 Posts: 247

A professional, competent harpist can "comp" from a lead sheet with chord symbols, just like guitarists. At least, the few harpists that I have known have these skills. For a gig like this, writing out orchestral-style parts for the harpist is a waste of time.

snichols · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:06 am Post subject:

OldHorn · Regular Member Joined: 26 Dec 2017 Posts: 90

Besides trumpet, I play harp. I play a lever harp which is different from a pedal harp. My advice is to find out as much information ahead of time so you can give the musicians music they're comfortable with. Most jobbing harpists can read off of leadsheets.

I would not read a chapter in an orchestration book about harp and then proceed to write something specifically for that instrument. And don't worry about things like including pedal diagrams. Harpists will add those themselves if needed.

It's similar to writing for drums. If you're not a drummer don't try to write out an involved part telling them what drum to hit when. Just give a drummer a groove, a layout and important hits to make. They'll do the rest. Same thing with harp. Give them something as simple as possible and let them figure out what to play.

Good luck.

cheiden · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:01 am Post subject:

Being hired to play is entirely different than being hired to write/arrange, or otherwise provide music. No way in heck I'd take that burden on without very specific discussions and planning.

When I was in high school I responded to a call for musicians to play a musical, Cabaret if I recall correctly. Only when I got there did I learn that they expected the musician to make up the parts. Yeah,...I decided not to go to the second rehearsal.
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