What does an arranger’s job consist of? What do you need to know to become an arranger? If you are asking yourself similar questions, then this article is for you.
It is fair to say that this specialty, or rather the person who has it, has a direct impact on the future of music composition.
So what qualities and skills does an arranger need in his or her work?
First of all, a good arranger, even at the very beginning of his work, must understand the primary task and purpose of the design of a particular song. He needs to think carefully about what is worth adding to the song. This allows him to understand what tools he will use.
Secondly, a competent arranger should have a good understanding of genres and styles of music and know their characteristics. For example, he must understand the differences between the music of classicism, the Renaissance, Romanism and other eras.
Thirdly, a good arranger should be familiar with modern music and its movements (rock, house, dubstep and so on).
Fourthly, an arranger should be familiar with the instruments used for each specific style and their rhythmic and melodic features, since any source material has its own style, a certain style should appear in it as a result of arranging.
Fifthly, a good arranger should have an extensive knowledge of harmony, because it plays the most important role in music. In his work, he needs to consider various professional means of harmonization, without which the composition will resemble an amateur and quickly get bored. Beautiful harmonies, on the other hand, penetrate to the depths of the soul.
Sixthly, an arranger should know practically all traditional musical instruments and, at least, be proficient in them. In theory. In order to understand the specifics of sound extraction, because each instrument has its own features and its own range of sound.
Seventh, a professional arranger must understand how the register of the instrument’s part and its timbre relate to those of other instruments. He needs to be able to select the right set of instruments, because different instruments have different technical capabilities. In this case, you can be guided by the style of the piece, but you need to feel it.
Eighth, the arranger must know the basics of acoustics and be able to arrange the instruments on stage correctly.
All of this knowledge and skills a specialist must have on a mandatory basis.