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Special Study: Arranging and Scoring

  • Module code: MU6010
  • Year: 2018/9
  • Level: 6
  • Credits: 30
  • Pre-requisites: Successful completion of Level 5 Modules within Music or Creative Music Technologies
  • Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module will explore the analysis of instrumental music, from a range of genres. Students will develop their creative work, by applying their analytical understanding of a chosen style to creating new arrangements and orchestrations. They will develop skills in arranging a melody, formulating a harmonic support, structural layout, in a manner which is appropriate for the chosen style. They will also develop skills in orchestration with reference to a chosen genre.

Aims

  • to enable students to apply      analytical and theoretical skills in creative practice, namely      orchestration and arrangement;
  • to provide students with advanced      skills in orchestrating music;
  • to provide students with advanced      skills in arranging music.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

  • identify genre specific traits in music and to explain them in written and notated formats;
  • employ appropriate techniques to analyse music, explaining its structure and organisational principles;
  • arrange music in a coherent and sophisticated manner, employing advanced  techniques;
  • orchestrate music in a coherent and sophisticated manner, utilising appropriate stylistic language and instrumental application.

Curriculum content

The module will be project based and will invite students to select a specific genre to work in and to:

  • identify the main features of the genre (e.g. bebop jazz, tango, English madrigal, Haydn string quartet, nineteenth century symphony) and assess their functioning in written and notated exercises;
  • undertake an analysis of a typical piece employing the most appropriate techniques;
  • arrange a pre-existing piece of music in the chosen style (the arrangement may be for conventional instruments or can be a studio arrangement utilising synthetic and/or sampled sound sources);
  • orchestrate a piano piece for orchestra or other instrumental ensemble utilising appropriate stylistic language.

 

Teaching and learning strategy

Lectures will study music of a specific genre and identify the characteristic features of the style and how the instruments and musical elements function. A range of analytical techniques will be explored, including structural, harmonic, motivic and textural approaches to analysis. Some small group tutorial support will be offered on the major assignment.

 

                   Seminars/Workshops and tutorials          44 hours

                   Independent guided study                        256 hours

Seminars will include:

Teaching Block 1

 

Harmony 1 and 2: the importance of the bass; chordal relationships, extended chords, cadences

How to present a piece of musical analysis 1 and 2: structural diagrams, motivic analysis, discussing style

Structure: strophic form, variation, rondo, incorporating solos

Analytical case studies

Instrumentation 1-5: strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, voice

Writing and working with a groove

Interpreting a lead sheet

 

Teaching Block 2

Arranging for small ensemble 1 and 2: using a skeleton score; arranging for a flexible ensemble

Arranging for larger ensemble 1 and 2: big band, choir, orchestra and theatre band

Approaches to orchestration 1 and 2 – what to identify in the piano score, how to voice the score

Case studies 1 and 2: composers orchestrating their own music and orchestrations by others

Orchestration: stylistic parameters

3 Workshops on Arrangements and Orchestrations will support the above seminars in teaching block 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category Indicative Description Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching Seminar Workshops 38 6
Guided independent study 256
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy

Assessment is by a range of applied takes which ensure the skills of arranging and orchestration are first theoretically and analytically understood. The first assignment, an analytical task, requires students to analyse the musical structure, harmonic language and instrumental application (with reference to specific musical elements) in order to establish the significant features of a particular musical style. The second two assignments apply the stylistic, theoretical understanding in practice, by creating an arrangement of a given melody. The arrangement requires students to take a short given melody (chosen from a choice of 2) and to arrange it for a specific ensemble and musical style. The style and ensemble they chose should be consistent with that of their musical analysis. The principals of the analysis are applied via the harmonic, structural and instrumental choices that are made. An orchestration of a given piano piece requires students to produce a piece for a larger ensemble which is voiced in a style appropriate for that of the composer, e.g. if a Debussy piano work is orchestrated, the orchestrated version should be presented in a style consistent with Debussy's orchestral music. These skills are central to students who wish to move into teaching, studio work, composing for TV and Film and for freelance musicians.

 

1) analytical assignment (from a choice of pieces, from different genres);

2) an arrangement (which applies the principals of the analysis) from a choice of two given melodies;

3) an orchestration (which applied the principals of the analysis) from a choice of piano music.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome Assessment Strategy
identify genre specific traits in music and to explain them in written and notated formats Harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, textural analyses of a selected work.
employ appropriate techniques to analyse music, explaining its structure and organisational principles; Structural analysis of the selected work.
arrange music in a coherent and sophisticated manner, employing advanced techniques; An arrangement of a provided melody employing the genre specific traits identified in the analyses.
orchestrate music in a coherent and sophisticated manner, utilising appropriate stylistic language and instrumental application. An orchestration of a provided piano piece employing the genre specific traits (composer traits) identified in the analyses.

Elements of Assessment

Description of Assessment Definitive UNISTATS Categories Percentage
CWK Portfolio 100
Total (to equal 100%) 100%

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module

Bibliography core texts

Adler, S.                      The Study of Orchestration, 3rd edn(New York: Norton, 2002)

Kennan, K.                  The Technique of Orchestration, 6th edn (Upper Saddle River:

                                    Prentice Hall, 2002)

Miller, R.J.                   Contemporary Orchestration: A Practical Guide to Instruments,

                                    Ensembles and Musicians (New York: Routledge, 2015).

Bibliography recommended reading

Adler, S                       Workbook for the Study of Orchestration, 3rd edn (New York: W. W. Norton, 2000).

Baker, D.                     Arranging and Composing for Small Ensemble: Jazz; R&B; Jazz-r  

                                    (Chicago, 1970)

Cook, N.                      A Guide To Musical Analysis (London: Dent, 1987)

Kompanek, S.             From Score to Screen: sequencers, scores and second thoughts (New

                                    York: Schimer Trade Books, 2004)

Lavine, M.                   The Jazz Theory Book (Sher Music Co, 1995)

Lowell, D. and

Mancini, H.                  Sounds and Scores: Practical Guide to Professional Orchestration (London: Music Sales Ltd., 1997).

Miller, M.                     The Complete Idiot's Guide to Arranging and Orchestration (New York: Alpha, 2007). (with accompanying CD)

Morgan, R.P.               Twentieth century music: a history of musical style in modern Europe and America (New York: Norton, 1991)

Meyer, L.B.                  Style and music: theory, history and ideology

            (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996)

Niles, R.                      The Invisible Artist: Arrangers in Popular Music (CreativeSpace,

                                    2014).

Pullig, K.                      Arranging for Large Jazz Ensemble (Boston: Berklee, 2003).

Read, G.                      Music Notation (London: Gollancz, 1978)

Runswick, D                Rock, Jazz and Pop Arranging: All the Facts and All the Know-

                                    how (London: Faber, 1992)

Sarath, E.                    Music Theory Through Improvisation (New York, Routledge,

                                    2010).

Stiller, A.                      Handbook of Instrumentation, 2nd edn.

                                    (Philadelphia : Kallisti Music Press, 1994)

Winterson, J. (Ed)       The new anthology of music (London: Peters, 2000)

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