Arrangement & Orchestration: Book & CD

Methodical and thorough. The 320-page scope refuses to cut corners; you move from instrument fundamentals through orchestration principles to complete arrangement conception. It feels like sitting with an experienced arranger who explains not just what to do, but why.

Jazz educators looking for a textbook that covers both foundations and professional-level arranging technique; music students committed to composition and arranging who already read fluently; working arrangers seeking a structured approach to writing for big band, winds, strings, and vocals.

• Study the instrumentation chapter before assigning arrangements; understanding ranges and voice leading constraints prevents frustration during rehearsal
• Use the CD examples alongside the text as models for voicing decisions and articulation choices; hearing the concepts makes them stick
• Have arrangers complete simple homophonic exercises before attempting polyphonic work; the progression builds confidence

Assign this as the core text for an arranging course at the high school or college level. Direct students to specific chapters as they work through their own arrangements, moving from instrumental ranges and combinations to full form and texture work. The sections on big band, winds, and strings writing will serve any director moving beyond jazz into concert band or orchestral contexts.

• Writing idiomatic parts across jazz and contemporary instruments (ranges, playability, tone color)
• Voice leading and harmonic texture in homophonic and polyphonic contexts
• Orchestration for jazz combos, big band, concert band, and string sections
• Form design and musical pacing within an arrangement
• Articulation, dynamic shaping, and phrasing choices that serve the style
• Rhythmic and melodic adaptation across jazz, rock, pop, soul, fusion, and Latin idioms
• Score preparation and notation conventions for professional arranging