What will you do when come to Piano Arrangement?
- Thread starter mingguan
- Start date
Cheez
Moderator
All of the above - depending on the piece, the purpose etc.
If the piece is to showcase the pianist, then the composition will be technically difficult. Actually to make ME (the composer) look good, I would actually tailor the piece to bring out the strength of a particular pianist depending on that pianist's style - and of course get that pianist to play it. If I write it for myself, I know my stengths and limitations and therefore the piece will make ME (the player this time) look good.
If the piano part is an accompaniment, then it will serve to complement and not to confuse the piece. Again, it will depend on the piece.
I did a musical with some piano parts. The main focus is the singing, so all the music is to complement the singers. The piano part is therefore arranged to complement the rest of the orchestra as a whole. But the orchestration is still quite thick with drum kits, e bass etc - but never to drown the singers.
I also did a number of pieces for wedding processionals. The piano parts are in these cases, simple and usually as the main instrument with the rest of the orchestra serving to bring out the melody.
The key is still theory and harmony. Complicated pieces may not make it sound "rich" - it may make it sound messy. My piano arrangements are usually in 3 parts, very much like Bach's 3-part invention concept. That means, the piano will actually play 3 different simultaneous voices/parts at the same time. If it is a solo piece with no accompaniment from other instruments, the piano will start to emulate different instruments. Tympani rolls, fleeting strings, harp, even brass can be "emulated". The piano is indeed a most amazing instrument - the possibilites are endless.
If the piece is to showcase the pianist, then the composition will be technically difficult. Actually to make ME (the composer) look good, I would actually tailor the piece to bring out the strength of a particular pianist depending on that pianist's style - and of course get that pianist to play it. If I write it for myself, I know my stengths and limitations and therefore the piece will make ME (the player this time) look good.
If the piano part is an accompaniment, then it will serve to complement and not to confuse the piece. Again, it will depend on the piece.
I did a musical with some piano parts. The main focus is the singing, so all the music is to complement the singers. The piano part is therefore arranged to complement the rest of the orchestra as a whole. But the orchestration is still quite thick with drum kits, e bass etc - but never to drown the singers.
I also did a number of pieces for wedding processionals. The piano parts are in these cases, simple and usually as the main instrument with the rest of the orchestra serving to bring out the melody.
The key is still theory and harmony. Complicated pieces may not make it sound "rich" - it may make it sound messy. My piano arrangements are usually in 3 parts, very much like Bach's 3-part invention concept. That means, the piano will actually play 3 different simultaneous voices/parts at the same time. If it is a solo piece with no accompaniment from other instruments, the piano will start to emulate different instruments. Tympani rolls, fleeting strings, harp, even brass can be "emulated". The piano is indeed a most amazing instrument - the possibilites are endless.
Hm… Quite impressed with the idea of “emulated”. (or maybe I sua gu?). As I never think of it before…
When I doing piano solo arrangement, eh… headache (especially I wanna make it a bit complicated to sound rich…but always unsuccesful)…Normally after I arranged few piano pieces, I will realize that they end up having the same style arrangement. I seem to have mental block when doing it….
(Hm…Can anyone recommend any books for me to improve on this area?)
For piano arrangement together with other instruments, it seems like it will be easier (for me, I think) as even the piano part is arranged simple, it still sounds good when it goes harmonies with other instruments.
Sometime I was wondering how people can arrange a complicated piano piece from simple or orchestra piece, but end up sounds very nice.
Example: FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX Piano Collections albums arranged by Shiro hamaguchi; Piano Stories, Encore album composed/arranged by Joe Hisaishi.
Of course, there are some piano solo arrangements which are simple, but still sounds nice.
Example: FFIV, FFV, FFVI Piano Collections album ; “White Tower~ Sublime”, “Waltz of the evening glow” composed/arranged by Joe hisaishi.
There are also some piano collection album which is complicated arranged, but I feel it is rather “extra” as compare to the original pieces.
Example: FFX & FFX2 Piano Collections album.
Sigh…
Still a far way for me to go…
You?
How you all do it?
When I doing piano solo arrangement, eh… headache (especially I wanna make it a bit complicated to sound rich…but always unsuccesful)…Normally after I arranged few piano pieces, I will realize that they end up having the same style arrangement. I seem to have mental block when doing it….
(Hm…Can anyone recommend any books for me to improve on this area?)
For piano arrangement together with other instruments, it seems like it will be easier (for me, I think) as even the piano part is arranged simple, it still sounds good when it goes harmonies with other instruments.
Sometime I was wondering how people can arrange a complicated piano piece from simple or orchestra piece, but end up sounds very nice.
Example: FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX Piano Collections albums arranged by Shiro hamaguchi; Piano Stories, Encore album composed/arranged by Joe Hisaishi.
Of course, there are some piano solo arrangements which are simple, but still sounds nice.
Example: FFIV, FFV, FFVI Piano Collections album ; “White Tower~ Sublime”, “Waltz of the evening glow” composed/arranged by Joe hisaishi.
There are also some piano collection album which is complicated arranged, but I feel it is rather “extra” as compare to the original pieces.
Example: FFX & FFX2 Piano Collections album.
Sigh…
Still a far way for me to go…
You?
How you all do it?
iansoh
Moderator
rhythm and voicings are very important. try to discover some nice phrases and chords. 'emulation' is a key factor too. a solo piano can even be played to sound rhythmic, as if a drummer was playing and creating a groove.
certain chords and notes can create 'illusions'. e.g, the gospel style of piano sounds as if notes are constantly being bent here and there like on a guitar, when they really are not.
certain chords and notes can create 'illusions'. e.g, the gospel style of piano sounds as if notes are constantly being bent here and there like on a guitar, when they really are not.
Cheez
Moderator
mingguan said:
Do you play the piece yourself? If so, write the music to suit your technical ability and style.
Not necessary! When involving more than one instrument, one will have to worry about more things. Of course, easy to make it "sound good" generally by having pads etc. But those music usually gets tiring to listen after a while - ear fatigue. Good arrangements are not easy to find.
Perhaps, the best way to learn how to write complicated piano pieces, is to analyse and play complicated pieces written by the masters.
Cheez
Moderator
OK, if this is the case, stay away from writing complicated pieces. Keep it simple. You can only write music for an instrument if you know that instrument fairly well. By that, I don't mean play well, but know well.
For piano, the best way to know the piano is to play it. That's because it is very versatile. For other instruments, you don't have to know how to play them to know them farily well. For example, you don't write tremelo between 2 notes at an interval of more than a major third for violins - that's just not possible to play. Major third apart is already very tough and not usually used.
So the safest way for you is to write not too complicated pieces. You can still write good music for simple pieces. How well a piece is composed is not measured by the technical difficulty or even complexity. You will, however, benefit a lot if you learn more theory and do more music analysis. Both of them are inter-related.
For piano, the best way to know the piano is to play it. That's because it is very versatile. For other instruments, you don't have to know how to play them to know them farily well. For example, you don't write tremelo between 2 notes at an interval of more than a major third for violins - that's just not possible to play. Major third apart is already very tough and not usually used.
So the safest way for you is to write not too complicated pieces. You can still write good music for simple pieces. How well a piece is composed is not measured by the technical difficulty or even complexity. You will, however, benefit a lot if you learn more theory and do more music analysis. Both of them are inter-related.
DoubleBlade
New member
iansoh said:
The diminished chords?
iansoh
Moderator
mingguan: not necessarily jazz chords. there are many other chords which are not jazz-like but sound nice. well, grey region.. also depends on how u define 'jazz chords'.
doubleblade: actually i wasn't thinking of diminished chords. it's really much simpler than that. it's a typical 1-3-5 chord. except in minor. maybe throw in a 7th. a lot of it in gospel and blues piano.
doubleblade: actually i wasn't thinking of diminished chords. it's really much simpler than that. it's a typical 1-3-5 chord. except in minor. maybe throw in a 7th. a lot of it in gospel and blues piano.
angelixangel
New member
hmm...for me, I tend to keep the accompaniment short and sweet. Mainly I use chords to emphasize on the harmony and keep the rhythm in track. Some short running notes will be used to. But of course, at the end of the day, it still depend on what genre of piano piece I am working on.
