The Contemporary Arranger: Comb Bound Book

Sebesky writes from the perspective of someone who has actually arranged for Broadway orchestras, recording sessions, and ensembles across genres. The book avoids theoretical abstraction in favor of practical guidance rooted in professional experience. His voice throughout is direct: here's what works, here's why, here's how to execute it.

The lay-flat comb binding invites you to actually use this book alongside manuscript paper and recordings. Sebesky's writing is conversational and confident, the tone of someone who has spent decades solving the same problems you're facing now.

This is essential reading for arrangers at any level, from high school composers starting their first big band score to college students building systematic knowledge. Music teachers who arrange for their ensembles will find concrete approaches to voicing, orchestration, and score layout that translate immediately to their work.

• Voice leading for jazz and contemporary ensembles
• Orchestration techniques across instrumental families
• Chord reharmonization and substitution
• Score layout and preparation for rehearsal efficiency
• Arranging for specific instrumental combinations and timbral balance