Learn how to arrange vocal harmony music - books, CDs & DVDs

 
Vocal Group Arranging

If you've ever wanted to learn the difference between transcribing someone else's arrangement and coming up with your own expression of creative genius, look no further for your inspiration. If you've wondered what U.S. copyright laws cover arrangements, we've got that for you, too. Even if you simply wanted to learn proper music notation and the right way to create a music manuscript, it's in here. With these books & videos, absorb the lessons of more than a dozen award-winning arrangers here, covering everything related to the act of setting music down in writing.

Arranging For Vocal Groups

Arranging For Vocal Groups
The Message of the Song
Making Arrangements
"Sing-able"
The Rhythm Section
"Instrumental" Arrangements
Variety
Chord Voicing
Learning to Arrange
Rehearsing Arrangements

In this video, some of the best and most renowned vocal arrangers share their special techniques for developing vocal group charts. You will learn how vocal charts differ from instrumental arrangements, and how to optimize the potential of an a cappella arrangement regardless of the "style." Other featured topics include chord voicings, writing for specific ensembles, how to make charts "sing-able," and the unique requirements of singers. Presented in an informal and conversational tone, "Arranging for Vocal Groups" is a valuable instructional resource for a cappella singers and arrangers, from beginning to advanced. Interviews with: Andrew Chaiken - The House Jacks, Members of The Swingle Singers, Larry Detweiler - High School A Cappella, Derric Johnson - The Liberty Voices, Britt Quentin - M-Pact, Gary Rosen - Sixth Wave, Richard Bob Greene - The Bobs, Deke Sharon - The House Jacks, The CASA Songbooks, Vybe (Walt Disney), Gabe Rutman-Spiralmouth, Michelle Weir. Director: Richard Bob Greene is a Grammy nominated arranger, songwriter, recording artist and producer. As the co-founder and creator of the nu-wave a cappella super group The Bobs, Greene "fractured and reconstructed the rules for popular music." As a composer and songwriter/librettist, Greene has received commissions from Lincoln Center, the Los Angeles Theater Center, ABC and many others. He has written music for the feature films "Breaking the Rules," "For Better or Worse" and "Man in the Moon." He has recently produced CDs for other a cappella groups including "Throat Culture," "Toxic Audio" and "Da Vinci's Notebook." Running Time: 56 minutes

4815 VHS VIDEO $12.98

Hawley Ades: Choral Arranging

Choral Arranging
Principles of Part Writing for Voices
Four Part Writing
Accompaniments
Three Part Writing
Two Part Writing
Unison Writing
Special Techniques
Contrapuntal Techniques
Special Mixed Voice Groupings
Treble Voice Choruses
Male Choruses
Key and Tempo Changes
Introductions and Endings
Resources in Combination
Planning Arrangements
Scoring Arrangements
Chorus with Instrumental Groups
Recent Trends in Choral Writing
Recent Trends in Accompaniment Styles

A unique book that authoritatively discusses how to create effective vocal arrangements and techniques in virtually every major kind of vocal ensemble; sacred, secular and Baroque to Jazz. Contains more than 270 illustrated examples, plus an index, study suggestions and a comprehensive bibliography. Hawley Ades had many years experience arranging for choral groups and is particularly known as the long-time arranger for Fred Waring and his Pennslyvanians. As a standard text in the field, Choral Arranging is a must for home or class study and a valued reference source for every music library.
6517 BOOK $22.95


Anna Callahan: Collegiate A Cappella Arranging Manual

Introduction
Transcribing
Transanging
Arranging
Power
Studying Arrangements
Rehearsing & Performing
Vocal Jazz
Appendix A - Notation
Appendix B - Discography
Appendix C - QuickTricks
Appendix D - All Other Knowledge
About the Author

Anna Callahan is a vocal instructor from Los Angeles. This book was initially published in 1995, and was very popular until supplies ran out. We are pleased to return it to circulation, as the marketplace is bereft of practical guidance for the developing arranger, particularly in the contemporary genre, and this manual is packed with detail. An overview of basic theory is provided, along with examples of stylistic modifications, using the familiar tune "Greensleeves" as a model (with taped demonstrations). Once the fundamental process of arranging is mastered, Anna shows how to improve on the result, with hints for rehearsing and performing, a discussion of jazz, and an appendix of notation, among other practical chapters. Her style is clear and encouraging, and this book will be helpful to arrangers of all levels ? though beginners will may need more theory than is offered here to get up to speed.

2233 BOOK & CD $24.98

Barbershop Society: Barbershop Arranging Manual

Barbershop Arranging Manual
A Bit Of History
Definition Of Barbershop Harmony
The Barbershop Song
Harmonic Rhythm
Barbershop Harmonization approach 1
Barbershop Harmonization approach 2
Barbershop Harmonization approach 3
Chord And Voice Leading
Rhythm And The Barbershop Arrangment
Form And The Barbershop Arrangement
Embellishment And The Barbershop Arrangment
Swipes And The Barbershop Arrangement
Introductions, Interludes And Tags
The Barbershop Medley
The Evolution And Future Of Barbershop
Bibliography
Tags

The 80,000 men and women barbershoppers around the world are the largest consumers and generators of new a cappella arrangements today. To help train arrangers to meet these enormous needs, SPEBSQSA amassed this humongous manual, which likely contains everything you'll need to arrange in the barbershop style. For those interested in other styles, this manual includes many fundamentals and techniques that are critical, like ballet is to a dancer. There's all the basics on harmony theory and many examples of chord progressions and voice leading. The manual details the definition and evolution of the barbershop style, which is elaborated on in sections covering embellishments, tags, swipes and much more.

5848 BOOK $59.95

Sweet Adelines: Arranging Manual

The Basic Language Of Music
Intervals
Chords
Barbershop Chord Voicings
Harmonic Progressions
Alternative Harmonies
Selecting The Song
Writing It Down
Creating The Manuscript
Voice Leading
Embellishments
In Conclusion
The Music Category
Index

This is a great resource for any quartet who would like to have the satisfaction of creating their own arrangements. All the fundamentals are here including sections on barbershop chord voicing, harmonic progressions, alternative harmonies and embellishments (swipes, echos, patter, slides).

5858 CD $29.95

Ken Pullig, Ted Pease: Modern Jazz Voicings

Transposition
Ranges and Sound Characteristics
Fundamentals and Techniques
Basic Voicings
Chord Scales
Voicings in Fourths
Voices in Seconds (Clusters)
Voicing with Upper Structure Triads
Writing fo Six Parts

The definitive text used for the time-honored Chord Scales course at Berklee College of Music, this book concentrates on scoring for every possible ensemble combination and teaches performers and arrangers how to add color, character and sophistication to chord voicings. Topics covered include: selecting appropriate harmonic tensions, understanding jazz harmony, overcoming harmonic ambiguity, experimenting with unusual combinations and non-traditional alignments, and many more. The accompanying CD includes performance examples of several different arranging techniques.

6282 BOOK & CD $24.95

Jimmy Joyce: Scoring For Voice

Philosophy and Approach
Where and How Voices Sound
Children's Voices
What is Good Singing?
Know Your Singers
Doubling
Voice Leading
Intros and Endings
Vocal Background
Rhythmic Concepts
Scoring Techniques
Rehearsal Techniques
Creative Discipline
A Summary
Charts from Basic Harmony and Theory Applied to Improvisation

This is a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide covering all aspects of vocal arranging. The intermediate level instructional manual covers a variety of topics, including voice leading, intros and outros, scoring and rehearsal techniques, and has an accompanying CD featuring 50 examples. Also, an appendix of Dick Groves' Harmony and Theory Charts, which detail which scale is appropriate for each chord in a harmonic progression. This book presupposes a fundamental grasp of notation and harmonic structure and is an excellent way to progress in sophistication after the basics are learned.
4171 BOOK & CD $24.95


Mark McGrain: The Berklee Guide to Music Notation

Sound Envelopes and the Notational Grid
Fundamental Rhythmic Description
Fundamental Pitch Description
The Notational Grid: Conclusion
Time Signatures, Meter, and Tempo
Rhythmic Subdivision of the Pulse
Rhythmic Subdivision of the PulseL Concluded
Holds, Pauses and Repeats
Chords, Voiceings and Divisi Parts
Dynamics
Articulation
Ornaments
Appendix I: Names of Instruments with Abbreviations
Appendix II: Score Layout
Appendix III: Instrumental Transpositions
Appendix IV: Glossary of European Musical Terms

Learn the essentials of music notation, from fundamental pitch and rhythm placement to intricate meter and voicing alignments. This book also covers the correct way to subdivide rhythms and notate complex articulations and dynamics. This guide will teach you how to create professional manuscrpits and is an excellent resource for both written and computer notation software!
6203 BOOK $19.95


Linda Lusk / Tom Gerou: The Essential Dictionary of Music Notation

348 page guide will clearly explain and illustrate notation, for the amateur or professional! This pocket-sized dictionary presents current and correct notation practices in an easy-to-use format. Generously illustrated and concise, this book is essential to any musician looking for a handy reference for the correct notation of music. A most welcome and beneficial source for every musician, whether using a pencil or a computer.

5852 BOOK $6.95

Dan Fox: Write It Right

Designed to give guidance to arrangers, composers, copyists, songwriters and teachers on how to prepare music manuscripts the right way, this book is a definitive, up-to-date summary of the general practice of music notation. Proper drawing and placement of clefs, stems, chords, lyrics, meters, phrase and slur marks, as well as how to notate chord symbols, lead sheets and TAB are all covered in this volume. A companion workbook to the Write It Right! manual is also available.

6048 BOOK $9.95

Dan Fox: Write It Right - Workbook

A companian workbook to the Write It Right manual. By working through the exercises in this workbook in conjunction with the manual, the aspiring arranger, composer, songwriter or music student will learn how to set up a manuscrpit properly. Featuring pages of typical musical exampls to be filled in, problems to be solved, questions to be answered and arrangements to be completed, this workbook offers a unique opportunity for any student of music to learn how to prepare music properly and professionally.

6062 BOOK $7.95

Joel Leach: Music Copyright Basics

Copyright Basics
Copyright Submission Process
Copyright Ownership
Copyright and Earnings Potential
International Copyright
Glossary
Forms
Circulars
Public Domain Information

What is copyright? This seemingly simple question often causes confusion with its complex answers. In Music Copyright Basics, professor and Expert Copyright Witness Joel Leach answers frequent questions in a straightforward, easy-to-use format. Whether you are searching for a simple answer to a common question or want a general knowledge of the copyright procedure, this book will quickly provide you with the information you want! Music Copyright Basics provides - convenient question-and-answer format - Easy-to-understand answers to all your copyright questions - Coverage of copyright basics - copyright submission process, copyright ownership - copyright and earnings potential, and international copyright - Compact and portable design that keeps information easily at hand.

6049 BOOK $5.95

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