| Example 4. Harmonized Folk Song |
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| Click on Player to listen to the example above. |
We can use this piano arrangement as the basis for creating an instrumental arrangement for the song. We will create an example using winds and strings. In Examply 5, an arrangement for eight instruments was created from the piano score. Some additional notes were added to create a sense of resonance for the piece, but essentially the arrangement remains faithful to the piano score with a coda added which is based on the melodic material of the song. MIDI was used in this instance to create a sound scratchpad to test the instrumental thinking. The recording here is of the MIDI realization of the piece assigning a different instrument to each channel: Channel 1 to 8 from the bottom up and by selecting patches from an E-Mu Proteus Sound Module that approximates the sound of the instrument. In addition, hidden metronome markings were added in the coda to have the instruments slow down, just as a conductor might do during a performance.
| Example 5. Instrumental Arrangement of Folk Song |
| Click on Player to listen to the arrangement below. Once the recording has started you can scroll down to follow the score. |
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This arrangement was completed using Threader from Nightingale to create musical lines for each instrument. This instrumental setting for winds and strings is a literal use of the piano arrangement without a change of harmony, melody, or the basic ideas in the piano arrangement presented in Example 4. Notice the use of contrast of timbre and the use of different registers.
Also of interest at measure 9 is the figure for the flute and viola which add resonance and animation to the sound.
The treatment of this arrangement is straight forward and conventional. A coda, added on to the piano arrangement, is based on the melody and rhythm of the folk song, and becomes a way of prolonging and extending the mood of the piece (Example 6).
| Example 6. Coda of the Folk Song Instrumental Arrangement |
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| Click on Player to listen to the example above. |
Another approach would be to "recompose" the piano setting by giving the melody a new harmonic setting and adding an introduction and coda based on melodic materials.
Copyright by Prof. John V. Gilbert
Send feedback or questions to john.gilbert@nyu.edu
