#2,273 in Arts & photography books
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Reddit mentions of Exploring Jazz Arranging: An Interactive Guide to the Techniques and Aesthetics
Sentiment score: 2
Reddit mentions: 2
We found 2 Reddit mentions of Exploring Jazz Arranging: An Interactive Guide to the Techniques and Aesthetics. Here are the top ones.
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- 50-pound weight capacity
- Zippered interior pocket and exterior pocket for quick access to smaller items like keys or tickets
- Durable zipper closure; top loop handles for easily lifting and carrying; collapsible for simple storing
- Hand wash only
- Bag Dimensions: Measures 32.5 x 17 x 11.5 Inches (LxWxH)
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| Height | 12 Inches |
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| Number of items | 1 |
| Weight | 1.52 Pounds |
| Width | 0.501 Inches |
I have Exploring Jazz Arranging by Chuck Israels and like it. He does say in the book that not all that much has really changed harmonically since the days of Bach, so you'll definitely want to read up on traditional counterpoint as well. Besides that, maybe transcribing and analyzing full scores of arrangements you love? It'd be a lot of work, but you'd learn a ton.
I've played a decent amound of rock, (mostly into Wilco, Sufjan type stuff) and I feel that playing Bach helped me a lot for writing memorable parts with good voice leading. It's mostly about giving yourself a solid harmonic framework to go off of. Like building a house... you can kinda do whatever you want with the decorations, but the framework and structure has to be there. Bach gives us that framework, even for rock/pop/jazz (to an extent).
Some things of his that might help you for guitar parts: his solo violin (and solo cello) stuff. He was able to coax polyphonic sounds and a sense of harmony out of two instruments which are mostly monophonic, and you really learn how to write a good melody. For two-part structure (bass+melody, the most important voices), check out his Inventions, and for 3-part, check out the French Suites. For heavier stuff, check out the Well-Tempered Clavier or B Minor Mass. It's mostly about being aware of how you're moving the voices, and how your parts are moving melodically... thinking of harmony as melody.
Obviously, there's a huge difference between Bach and something like funk or afrobeat, which are groove-based, but I think studying him is really helpful for writing parts that "just fit" with the rest of the band, or knowing how to keep strong harmonic structure with minimal instrumentation (solo, duo, etc).
Some other books to maybe consider:
Exploring Jazz Arranging (He also talks about Bach)
Contemporary Counterpoint
Tonal Counterpoint for the 21st Century Musician
Voice Leading: The Science Behind a Musical Art