Orchestrating a four trumpet section DEMONSTRATION - Big Band Arranging SECRETS REVEALED

In this lesson I show you how I orchestrate for a four trumpet section This is actually how I do it... in real time. This 8-bar melody took about 20 minutes to orchestrate. I am only slightly faster than that when I am writing on my own (without narration).
Watch as I harmonize the melody using closed voicing. Then hear me talk through my considerations for choosing a particular voicing.
Elliot Deutsch is a composer and arranger of big band music in Los Angeles, CA. His arrangements and orchestrations have been performed and recorded by Arturo Sandoval, Martina McBride, Big Phat Band, Take 6, and many others. Deutsch's collaborations with electro swing producer Atom Smith have been streamed over a million times on Spotify. As a freelance trumpeter, Deutsch has toured with Solomon Burke and The Mutaytor, and he performs regularly with the polka band Die Sauerkrauts and the party band That Vibe.
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Watch all of the other lessons in the series: • Big Band Arranging SEC...
If you are interested in private arranging lessons over Zoom, send an email to: [e-mail]
All of the background music was recorded by the Pandemonium Big Band.
#trumpet #jazzband #composing

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

The tune is Blue Bossa... despite what I called the Sibelius file. When I sat down to record I had Blue Bossa in my head, but called it Afro Blue. I'm sure many of you have has "brain farts" like this too.

[@jenniferkim4890]

It was the first thing I noticed when I watched this video but I thought you were being funny to test us jazz kids 😝

[@BLJazzman]

You were right the first time, that really was a Bb going into bar 6. No need to change it. 😊

[@ChristopherSiu]

Loving these longer, in-depth demonstrations Elliot! Please keep them coming!

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

So glad to hear that. These are fun to record... and I'm definitely looking for that kind of inspiration these days.

[@pepperT358]

Near the end, where you harmonised the D melody note as a non chord tone, even though it was the root - that was great!! If I was ever taught that, I had forgotten lol Great video, glad I watched it!! Going to watch the sax one next 😀

[@devaughnte-tajeiproduction7145]

Man!! That’s awesome!! I’m learning so much from your videos. Love your approach to harmonization.

[@gilevansinsideout]

Thanks Elliot and awesome trumpet playing! 🙂 Its always great to hear the real thing. There were some interesting choices here, and its always great to see someone do it in their way.

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

Glad to hear it. We definitely make very different choices than each other (regarding internal part writing). But that is what makes jazz so wonderful.

[@matt-darwin]

Loving this series, and, having had a lesson with Elliot today, really recommend this for anyone looking to improve their arranging. Have a huge list of to-dos after it!

[@iangoldby5898]

Really informative. (I won't write drop-2 for the trumpets again, I promise!) Fascinating to see you encounter that problem with the root descending to the 7th and how you solved it.

[@jakeandco7]

I love your complex and intricate harmonies!

[@art.tarakanow]

Hi, Elliot! Great harmonization as always! By the way I love your smooth vibrato at the end of the long notes. If you were implying "Blue Bossa", then Bb in the melody (bar 6) was correct. You could definetly go G7#9, or maybe even G7#9#5 for more tension.

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

Yep. I definitely 2nd guessed my memory of the melody.

[@art.tarakanow]

@@PandemoniumBigBand I was wondering, do you consider making a video about writing for the trombone section?

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

I will!

[@URAZKIVANER]

I was definitely gonna say the same thing and really wondered how he was going the harmonize the altered scale with that B natural it sounds wrong and corny ;) But anyways great video and as a pianist I am learning a lot about arranging because of these videos :)

[@alanhowell3646]

Love these lessons Elliot, so useful. I just have to keep pausing them because you’re so quick.

[@thomaslaferriere8529]

your videos are a blessing

[@tooter1able]

Thanks Elliot.

[@richardwilliamsmusic]

Great explanations, and I loved the live trumpet at the end

[@MegaPiano2010]

Great demo, Elliot. You always make it look easy.

[@joeabbo8113]

Really enjoying your channel..wish I had this years ago..learning so much .....how would I go about writing the guitar part? WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW YOU WRITE THIS DOWN...

[@omarreroch]

Great!!!! Love it

[@bmprrr]

Thank you so much for your videos!!!

[@etowahjazz]

your approach is great and your talent is wonderful. thanks for your time!!

[@ПавелАлексашин-к9л]

Hello! Thank you for your lessons! What trumpet instruments you use in logic in this video? It sounds so really

[@jimjimcirillo5206]

Great stuff. Thanks for posting.

[@douglasbradley7244]

Another excellent video, Elliot! Keep up the great work. It is amazing to watch you go through the process. You mentioned that you sometimes support the trumpets with saxophones. Demonstrating that might make for a fun video.

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

Good idea. I talk about that a bunch and I haven’t done a video on that technique in a year and a half!

[@Caimanwendt]

Wish there was a trombone feature video. Sax bass drums trumpet...no bonr

[@MikeJamesMedia]

Nice (and interesting) work, Elliot. Thanks! :)

[@decidedlyDusty]

Love this longer form of demonstration. Have you tried straight up live streaming while you arrange? These demonstration/orchestration seem pretty close and it might be a way to generate videos while doing the work you’d be doing anyway. Bravo, and thanks again for all the great insights.

[@walterharley6049]

Now that was Nice! Great Harmony. 🎼🎶

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

Thank you kindly!

[@liriosanz]

Buenísimo

[@lightyear26]

Another great vid, Elliot. I'm always learning something new. I'd love to see a video on how to choose which chords to use for a melody, or when reharmonising a tune.

[@wouterrobers224]

Hi Elliot, thanks for your videos. Can you make one about when and how to add flute and clarinet parts to sax parts?

[@luizcadu]

Hi Elliot! Thanks for this amazing content! I have a couple questions, that could also be suggestions for future videos: - How would you harmonize a 3 trumpet section (for example, how you write a B.G. when one of the trumpets is improvising)? - If you want a quartal sound in a trumpet section what would you do with trumpet 4, (in order for the voicing not to exceed 1 octave)? Double the melody or just not use it at all? The Bb in bar 6 is actually correct, as it is supposed to be a #9 over G7. It's a real problem when it's played by a low instrument, though.

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

That explains it! I should have checked the melody with a recording. I never harmonize sections with a quartile sound specifically. I know Tom Kubis likes to voice the trumpets that way... it sounds great when he does it! My guess is you'd want to double the melody down an octave.

[@luizcadu]

@@PandemoniumBigBand Thanks for the explanation, I've been doing this lately, since I watched your video about trumpet voicing! You're amazing, thanks!

[@billcoe154]

very nice! The "realness" of the real horns makes up for any of the places I might have questioned the harmony. Also - it is much fuller than I had anticipated. What about 1st trombone an octave under the lead trumpet?

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

For a melody in this range, I would usually write the trombone section exactly 1 octave below the trumpets (just like I do in my Closed Voicing tutorial)

[@billcoe154]

@@PandemoniumBigBand I meant as a "fifth" trumpet. It doesn't sound the same, but can add a fullness.

[@viennagroove]

How do you set minor pentatonic licks for wings? Mine don't sound very goog 😞

[@Johnnygtr312]

Love this series man, thanks for posting this stuff! Have a (likely stupid) question for ya: what do ya do with a melody that’s either out of range on the high end (which would leave room for closed voicing underneath) or too low if ya drop it an octave which wouldn’t leave room for any harmony? 🥴 e.g. There Will Never Be another You 🤷‍♂️(and yup, I’ve subscribed! lol) Cheers!

[@stephenkhalid2252]

No dirty thing I encouraged came out of your mouth, but rather that which is good for the development of the need so that it may be bestowed upon the hearers. (Ephesians 1: 3)

[@freddybello8724]

Elliot, can you work on a Video with the smallest combination to a big band? lets said 2Tb-3Tp-4Sax(TAAB), Or even Smaller? 1Tb-2Tpt-3Sax(ATB)? Just to see your approach. You can use this same phrase for Blue Bossa. :) Keep this coming

[@benjaminricemusic7628]

Great vid! Question- for the dilemma at 15:22, could you also switch the inner voices so that it’s the same voicing but notes don’t repeat? I’ve also noticed Neal Hefti will write a second occasionally at the top of a tpt voicing, just wondering if you do see that occasionally

[@alanhowell3646]

Elliot can I ask why you chose G7 to harmonise the missed note on the C-7 chord. I realise it’s the V of I but could you just as easily use any other diatonic chord such as the III chord or the VI.

[@alanhowell3646]

I think I’ve just realised why. It’s because there is a G in the melody so you’ve harmonised the V chord based on that! 🤯 I assume if it had been a D in the melody you have harmonised a D-7b5? Is that correct?

[@tbonealex]

Why change melody note at end of bar 6 to B natural? The actual melody is Bb and you could harmonize as G7#9

[@Mikejkcjla]

Thank you so much for these videos. I would be interested by more examples of harmonizing melodies, bloc chords and passing chords. You go rather fast on these without really explaining your choices. You are talking a little bit fast for your foreign followers (like me) especially when you use technical terms or even spell the notes which we call differently. I need some time to translate it. Sorry for that.

[@zionfortuna]

Why do you use Sibelius' General midi instead of a better set of sounds like Noteperformer?

[@alanhowell3646]

I’ve tried using Noteperformer but it sounds a bit straight & classical for Jazz big band charts.

[@MarkMorganTrumpet]

Really appreciate these videos! Do you just think of voicings as a formula? Meaning, if you have a dominant chord, for example, and you have the fifth in the melody. Do you typically find yourself using the same voicing because you know it will work and saves time? Or do you approach each voicing independently based on the line of the melody?

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

I think of it as more of a recipe than a formula. I have a few different choices for each situation and I choose which one to use. This approach saves time AND it makes my orchestration more consistent.

[@URAZKIVANER]

Can I ask if it is a rule to use the minor or major 9th chord voicings when there is 2nd degree on the melody at the top. Can't we use diminished or minor7b5 for that particular note ???

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

If it sounds good to your ears, you can use what ever harmony you like. This is the way I do it. But other writers have their own preferences. That’s part of what makes my arrangements sound the way they do, and why other writer’s work sounds the way it does. These choices is what makes music both varied and beautiful.

[@URAZKIVANER]

@@PandemoniumBigBand The only reason I asked is, I do not have a Composition or arrangement degree like yourself just Jazz Piano Performance degree ;) so maybe you might know if there are some certain technics which might be called something taught by your professors and I might look it up if I learn the name. I am also curious if you are going to do some videos about modal Big band jazz writing. I really would like to see how you would harmonize an Altered dominant line or Lydian b7. I understand how you voice the chords but how do you harmonize it when the melody keeps moving on those kind of scales 🙄🙄

[@GGibert]

You work on score in UT?

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

UT?

[@Davidsomuyiwa112]

Trombone next please (totally not bias)

[@PandemoniumBigBand]

You read my mind.

[@raulcarrillo4467]

@@PandemoniumBigBand along with this, do you have any plans for the trombone mute video? You made one for trumpet a while back and mentioned doing the same for trombone.