Arrangement (music) facts for kids

A musical arrangement is like giving a song a makeover! It means changing a piece of music so it can be played by different instruments or singers than it was first written for.

Imagine a song made for just one singer and a piano. An arrangement could turn it into a piece for a whole choir to sing. Or, a song for violin could be arranged to be played on a clarinet. The person who makes the arrangement might be the original composer, or it could be someone else.

What is a Musical Arrangement?

Sometimes, composers would publish their music and say it could be played on different instruments. For example, in the late 16th century, English composers wrote madrigals. They often said these songs were "apt for voices as for viols." This meant they could be sung or played on instruments like viols.

During the Classical music period, a composer might publish a sonata. They would say it could be played on the violin, flute, or recorder. This helped them sell more copies of their music. Many different musicians would want to buy it.

However, this isn't always a true arrangement. A true arrangement involves making changes to the music itself. For example, if a song for violin or cello is changed for a viola, some notes might need to be different. This is because the viola might play in a different key. Or, some chords might be too hard to play as they were first written. This is when it becomes an arrangement.

Examples of Arrangements

A very famous piece like The Flight of the Bumble Bee by Rimsky-Korsakov can be played on almost any instrument that plays melodies. You can hear it on a violin, xylophone, or even a tuba! Each of these different versions is an arrangement.

Another common arrangement happens when music for a choir and orchestra is printed. The orchestra's part is often written on two staves. This lets someone play it on a piano for rehearsals. This helps the choir practice their parts.

Why Do Musicians Make Arrangements?

Throughout music history, many composers have arranged music written by others. They did this to learn more about how to compose music. It also allowed them to play the music on different instruments.

For example, Johann Sebastian Bach arranged four concertos by Vivaldi. He changed them so they could be played on the organ.

Arrangements for Specific Instruments

People who play instruments that don't have a lot of music written for them often make arrangements. Musicians who play the viola, guitar, or tuba might arrange other songs. This gives them a bigger repertoire (more music to play).

Updating Older Music

Sometimes, composers change the orchestration of older works. Orchestration means how the instruments are used in an orchestra. They might do this because instruments have changed over time. Or, they might just think they can make it sound better.

For instance, Mozart arranged Handel's Messiah. He added instruments like clarinets, which Handel didn't have when he wrote the piece. Rimsky-Korsakov also arranged the operas by Musorgsky. He believed he was making them better.

Arrangements for Special Needs

Arrangements are sometimes made to help musicians with a disability. For example, Cyril Smith was a pianist who only had one arm. He played piano duets with his wife, Phyllis Sellick. They arranged piano duets so they could be played by three hands instead of four.

Popular and Modern Arrangements

Sometimes, well-known classical pieces are arranged to sound more popular. This might happen for movies or theatre performances. The music might be "jazzed up" or given a modern twist. Some musicians don't like this, but others enjoy it.

Small vocal groups, like the Swingle Singers, also make fun, lighthearted versions of works by Bach and other composers.

• New Groves Dictionary of Music & Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie; London 1980; ISBN: 1-56159-174-2

Images for kids

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  John Philip Sousa's manuscript arrangement of Richard Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman Overture (page 25 of 37).

See also

In Spanish: Arreglo (música) para niños