MUSIC

WORLD
ARRANGING
FOR INSTRUM
of worldmusicthatstriveto befaithfulto indigenous
Arrangements performances
to thesoundsof othercultures.
givestudentsvaluableintroductions

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ne of the greateststrengthsof or advanced instrumental students.

an instrumental music pro- Moreover,of the world music arrange-
gram is that students can ments that do exist, few can claim
experience the inner work- more than a tenuous connection to an
ings of a musical composi- actual indigenous performance. An
tion firsthand through performance. arrangementof a piece of world music
As active participants in the music- can claim some degree of authenticity
making process, they can consider
The mostauthentic- if it adheres closely to the original in
musical elements and concepts such as terms of pitch, harmony, texture,
soundingarrangements
dynamics, tempo, intonation, form, counterpoint, and rhythm, giving
expression, and-finally-the aesthet- use instrumentsof both the performer and the listener a
ic value of a piece. reasonablyaccurate sense of the origi-
Educators have long recognized
relatedtimbres. nal music. Having arranged works
that a well-rounded music curriculum from China, Bali, Bolivia, and Central
should include non-Western music. Africa for solo flute, percussion
But what is the best method of teach- . .. .. ensemble, concert band, and string
ing instrumentalmusic students about orchestra, I can testify that creating
world music? Certainly, listening to such arrangements is challenging but
recordings of indigenous music mak- feasible.1 Although such music may
ties to study indigenous instruments
ing and-better still-attending live sound strange at first, students soon
such as the Indian sitar or Chinese
concerts are invaluable ways for stu- to hear its beauty and depth as
erhu, having them perform arrange- begin
dents to increase their understanding ments of world music on their own they perform it. Moreover, simple
and appreciationof such music. How- can help directors create
instruments provides a viable alterna- guidelines
ever, there is no substitute for perfor- "authentic" world music
tive. Working with such arrangements reasonably
mance to make the music come alive for their students in
can give students valuable opportuni- arrangements
for student musicians. While having band, orchestra,or other instrumental
ties to explore similarities and differ-
students perform world music on ensembles.
ences in rhythm, pitch, timbre, tex-
indigenous instruments might be ture, and structurebetween their per-
ideal, doing so is usually impractical.formance and a live or recorded per- Cultural Context
Since most band and orchestra stu- formanceof the actual composition on In many non-Western cultures,
dents don't have extensive opportuni- music serves purposes vastly different
indigenous instruments.
Although a wide array of classical, from those of Western concert music.
jazz, and popular performance litera- For example, Balinese gamelan music
ture is readily available, band and is performed primarily within a reli-
B. Bieber
Arnold andfinearts orchestradirectorswill quickly discov- gious context, and the Pygmies of the
is musicdirector
de er that there is only a small selection Uturi rainforest perform a gathering
headattheColegioInternacional
department
Venezuela.
inCaracas,
Caracas of world music arrangedfor beginning song in an environment far removed

MARCH 1999 17
 Westerninstrumentation,harmony,or
structure. For example, an Indian
- SelectedDiscographyof WorldMusic- composition using a complex micro-
tonal scale would not be a practical
CDTitle Catalog Number choice for arrangers with student
African Mbira: Music of the Nonesuch ExplorerSeries musicians in mind. Some perfor-
ShonaPeopleofRhodesia H- 72043 mances are so unique to the individual
AfricanRhythms and Instruments Lyrichord 7339 performers that the music would be
Bescol 328 very difficult to transcribe accurately
African TribalMusicand Dances
or arrangein a way that would do jus-
All the Bestfom India MadacyRecords54 tice to the original. On the other
All the BestfromJapan MadacyRecords55 hand, some Chinese orchestral
BuddhistDrums, Bells,and Chants Lyrichord7200 arrangementsof traditional music, as
ChinasInstrumentalHeritage Lyrichord792 well as some traditional Chinese
ClassicalMusicofIndia Nonesuch ExplorerSeries instrumentalmusic itself, bear striking
H-72014 similaritiesto Western counterpartsin
CloudDance Songsof SanJuan Pueblo Indian House 1102 terms of instrumentationand configu-
ration. For example, the erhu shares
Echoesof the Forest:Musicof the EllipsisArts 4020
characteristicswith the violin, as does
CentralAfricanPygmies the di with the transverse flute, the
FourCornersof the World Rykodisc 10103-06 qin or zheng with the harp, and the
Gagaku:TheImperialCourtMusicofJap,an Lyrichord7126 pipa with the guitar or mandolin. By
The GamelanMusic ofBali King RecordCo. choosing to arrangeChinese music of
KICC 5126 these types, composed for these instru-
GlobalCelebration EllipsisArts 3230 ments, you may avoid some difficul-
ties.
GlobalMeditation EllipsisArts 3210
A few rules of thumb can be help-
JapaneseKotoMusic Lyrichord7131 ful. In general, world music composi-
JapaneseMastersof the Shakuhachi Lyrichord7176 tions suitablefor arranging
TheSecretMuseumofMankind, Vol.I Yazoo7004 * are well recorded (all parts, voic-
TheSecretMuseumofMankind, Vol.II Yazoo7005 es, or instrumentsare clear and easy to
The SecretMuseumofMankind, Vol.II r Yazoo7006 hear)
TraditionalMusicof Peru Folkways4456 * use tunings that approximate
Western intonation
Voicesof ForgottenWorlds EllipsisArts 4040
* use instruments that bear some
relationship to Western instrumenta-
tion (i.e., Chinese erhu to violin, Boli-
vian panpipe to flute).
from the Western concert stage. producing an arrangement that can
Nonetheless, the arranger's most claim some degreeof authenticity. By contrast, world music composi-
tions are less suitable for arranging
important task is to capture, as accu- when
rately as possible, the rhythms, har- Choosing World Music they
monies, and expressionof the original Hundreds of recordings of world * are poorly recorded
music are commercially available, * contain tunings with almost no
performance. Try to accept the
modes or
idiomatic limitations of Western many of which are ethnographic field relationship to Western
music and instrumentation,and work recordingsof actualindigenous perfor- scales (i.e., microtonal scales)
patiently with them. Don't expect the mances (see the Selected Discography * feature a virtuosic performance
piano to reproduce the timbre of the of World Music sidebar). In order to that only a handful of players could
Jamaican steel drum, the guitar to choose a piece of world music to reproduce
replacethe sound of the Japanesekoto, arrange,listen to as many of these per- * are rhythmically or harmonically
or the vibraphone or glockenspiel to formances as possible. When one complex.
replicate the unique and splendid seems particularlyenjoyable, listen to
sound of the Javanese saron. The it many more times. Once the piece Transcribing
process of creating a world music becomes familiar, consider whether it After becoming thoroughly ac-
arrangement requires a number of is a practical choice for an arrange- quainted with a world music composi-
musical choices and compromises. ment. tion, you will be readyto take the next
The more thoroughly you understand Music that bears almost no rela- step-transcribing the performance.
a piece of world music and the more tionship to Western music is consider- In this case, transcriptionrefersto the
familiaryou are with its cultural con- ably more difficult to arrange than process of representinga musical per-
text, the greaterwill be your chance of music that shares some aspects of formance through notation-the

18 MUSIC EDUCATORS JOURNAL

"reduction of music from live or
recordedsound to written notation."2
The purpose of transcribinga per- Figure1. Excerpt froma transcription bytheauthorof "The
formance is to give the arranger an Farewell," based on a performance of the pieceon China's Instru-
accurate and complete framework mental Heritage (Lyrichord 792)
within which to work. Listen to the
music repeatedly,and do not attempt
to complete a transcriptionin one sit- 7

ting.3 Using a good sound system and

headphones will prove invaluable in
this endeavor.Come back to a piece on
different occasions for different per-
10
spectivesand kinds of musicalinforma-
tion. Novice transcriberswill do well to .
r K, $ F , ;.n.
begin with comparativelysimple mater-
ial, such as a solo performanceon a sin-
gle-line instrument.Forexample,figure
1 shows an excerptof a transcriptionof
an early Chinese composition, "The
Farewell,"performedsolo on the xun,
an ancient ocarina. Although the per-
formance contains somewhat complex
rhythms,it is still relativelyeasy to fol-
low, confronting the transcriberwith Figure2. Pentatonic scale of "TheFarewell," withgracenotesin
only one line. Notice that the transcrip- parentheses, as derived by the author
tion does not indicate a time signature,
since the meter in this performance
continuallyshifts.
While it is useful to have Western (
O"

?
instrumentation in mind while tran- ( O) O

scribing, it is not a good idea to

arrangeand transcribesimultaneously.
Combining these processes will
inevitablycreatea distractionfrom the
task of notating the world music per-
tain pitches. Be willing to rely on per- is very difficult. Taping the perfor-
formance accurately.Even though it is
sonal perceptions and judgments. For mance on a variable-speed tape deck
not necessaryto produce an exact eth-
example, if a pitch falls between F and and slowing the tape down to half
nomusicological transcription that F-sharp, decide on an approximate speed on playback can be very useful.
takes note of every nuance, no matter
tuning based on the musical context Hearing the music at half the tempo
how subtle, it is important to be as of the
pitch. It is often helpful to and an octave lower can help the lis-
accurate as possible. The process of determine a scale or mode that the tener discern individual parts. This
arrangingworld music may ultimately piece appears to be based on, while technique can also help in transcribing
involve eliminating some material in
remaining flexible about possible complex rhythms, since they too will
order to accommodate certain per- "deviations"from it. Figure 2 shows play back at half speed. Listen to the
formersor groups. On the other hand, the pentatonic scale with ornamental music
through speakers and head-
it is never proper to delete or alter notes derived from the compact-disc phones, at half speed and normal
techniques in the original performance performanceof "The Farewell." speed and at high and low volumes,
that are crucial to the composition- Textureand rhythm. Music that is for a varietyof auralperspectives.
that constitute its essence-if student harmonicallyrich or has a polyphonic
performerscould master them with a texture can be difficult to transcribe, Arranging
reasonableamount of work. especially if the harmonies are close After transcribinga piece satisfacto-
Tuning.Transcribingoften requires and rhythmicallycomplex. If a perfor- rily, you will be ready to develop a
approximating the intonation of a mance has two or more voices, tran- score for an arrangement. The tran-
world music piece with Western scribe each voice on a separate staff. scription serves as a framework. If it
tuning. Unless you happen to have Work on the outer lines first, since includes a different staff for each
perfect pitch, you will probably find they are generally easiest to pick out, voice, the task of preparing a blank
that a piano or keyboardcan be a use- and then turn to the inner ones. score with the correct number of mea-
ful tool. Transcribingcalls for subjec- Sometimes the harmonies are so close sures and staves for each instrument
tive decisions about the tuning of cer- that perceiving separate musical lines will be fairlyeasy.

MARCH 1999 19
Figure3. Excerptfroma concertbandarrangementbythe authorof "Kantusde Apacheta,"based on
a performanceof the piece on Voicesof ForgottenWorlds(EllipsisArts4040)
21

Flute/Oboe
*_Ul; L t-fw r 7Lr LW J' n , '

B-flatClarinet

Alto Saxophone , ~7-

.~ ~ ~ ~ -

D-wLr cu ?C U L c-n D-
Tenor Saxophone

Trumpet

f[ _,- . bI C? --O L N 0 7 0' 9

Trombone
7' (b C I I I i I I I I

Tuba
I L , .
I a
II _
I _ _ _
II _
I i

Triangle

BassDrum

Instrumentation. In choosing the harmonies and rhythms are accu- stay close to the original key, since a
instrumentation, consider the instru- rate. dramatic departure can change the
mental implications of the original Technicalplaying level. Always con- overallcharacterof the composition.
performance. The most authentic- sider the ages and technical abilities of Tempo,dynamics,and other mark-
sounding arrangements use instru- the student performersfor whom you ings. Use markings very sparingly to
ments of related timbres (i.e., substi- intend your arrangement. You may indicate tempo, dynamics, and fea-
tute Western woodwind instruments simplify your transcriptionto suit the tures such as accents or staccato notes.
for non-Western woodwind instru- needs of particular performers or Add them only to the extent that they
ments). When world music is ensembles as long as your arrangement embody the essence of the original
arrangedfor instruments not directly preservesthe essential characterof the composition. It is appropriate to
related to those used in the original original performance. How and what employ accelerandos and ritardandos
performance, timbral aspects of the to simplify are subjective decisions when the original performance has
piece will inevitably change. However, that will differ from piece to piece. such tempo changes. Changes in
if the music does not take on Western Key and range.Always be aware of dynamics often occur naturallywith a
harmonies or new parts, the result can the instrumental range or tessitura of change of instrumental texture, so
still sound reasonably authentic and each line. The key of the original per- marking these fluctuations is not
be a meaningful learning experience formance may not always be a practi- alwaysnecessary.The question of time
for the student. For example, I cal choice for an arrangement,but stay signature calls for careful considera-
arrangeda Bolivian piece titled "Kan- as close to it as possible. If, for exam- tion, as well. In "Kantusde Apacheta"
tus de Apacheta,"originallyperformed ple, your transcription falls on a key (figure 3), for example, I chose a 1/4
by a large panpipe ensemble, for mid- signature with two or more sharps, meter in order to avoid the strong or
dle school concert band (see figure 3). you might shift an arrangement for weak beats that 4/4 time would have
Even though the instrumentation of middle school band to a flat key in introduced into the music.
my arrangement is quite different order to adapt the piece to the average
from that of the original performance, band student. It is better, however, to continuedonpage 38

20 MUSIC EDUCATORS JOURNAL

 World
Arranging Music
forInstrumental
Students
What if
there continuedfrompage 20
were a MIDI and computer software. arranged piece, and to many other
teacher... Although arranging a world music
performance does not require any-
performancesby members of the cul-
ture under study.
thing more than paper, pencil, and If students are to begin to under-
audio equipment, a variety of other stand a musical culture holistically,
tools, such as a synthesizerand MIDI they should explore the society, art,
(Musical InstrumentDigital Interface) religion, geography,and history of the
equipment and software, can prove people. Often the customs and musi-
very useful. A notation program such cal culture of non-Western societies
as Finale or Encorecan help you pro- are quite differentfrom those that stu-
duce a professional score and parts dents have previously encountered.
quickly and make changes easily. In Students need to understand and
addition, with a sequencing program appreciate why, when, and how a
such as Performer, Vision, or Cake particular music is performed. Many
'KiAte^;K teqcher Walk,you can hear a facsimile perfor- music teachers take this opportunity
Whocouldinspire and mance of your arrangement without to work with teachersin other subject
delightchildrenwith having to muster an entire orchestra
or band.
areas,such as art, science, and history,
in order to develop an integrated
the gift of music?Who
dreamsof usingtheir Copyright. Remember that an study of a particularculture.
talentsandtrainingto arrangementof any composition that Rehearsing arrangements of world
is not in the public domain always music and performing them in con-
createa fulfilling,
limitless career? requires permission from the copy- cert can have great educational and
right holder. To determine if a piece is aesthetic value. In effect, student per-
What if this teacher wereyou? protected by copyright, contact the formers put themselves "in the shoes"
Kindermusiktrains and company that produced the compact of the indigenous musicians. To the
disc or cassetteon which it appears. extent that the arrangementfaithfully
provides supportto educators
who wantto nurturechildren's reproduces the original music, stu-
Considerations
Pedagogical dents contend with some of the same
cognitive, social, emotional, Students should clearly understand musical issues that indigenous per-
physicaland musical
that an arrangement of a piece of formers of the piece also face. Per-
development.
world music is not the same thing as forming a world music arrangement
KindermusikEducatorTraining an authentic performance by indige- that strives for authenticity can give
Seminars are coming to cities nous musicians on indigenous instru- the musicians and the audience alike a
nationwidethroughout1999. ments. Never attempt to represent it
We invite you to explore one of unique perspective on and apprecia-
as such. Although instrumentalteach- tion for a particular composition-
the most exciting opportunities ers can achieve many pedagogical and enhance their understanding of
in music education and early
childhood development. objectivesthrough the performanceof the culture that produced the music,
reasonably faithful world music as well.
SomeKindermusikeducators arrangements,they and their students
run independentprograms, should view the rehearsaland perfor-
othersteach without business mance of such arrangements as just Notes
responsibilities.Ask us about one component of a largerexploration 1. ArnoldBieber,"Adapting,Transcribing
these options! of the music of non-Western cultures. and Arranging World Music for Western
Limiting students to the performance Instrumental Performance" (Ph.D. diss.,
of one isolated piece of world music, Teachers College, Columbia University,

eermun without further examination of that

musical culture,will weaken their abil-
1997).
2. Don Michael Randel, ed., The New
ity to grasp the expressive language Harvard Dictionary of Music (Cambridge,
a good beginning and the social context of the music. In MA:HarvardUniversityPress,1986), 866.
neverends order for students to have an accurate 3. T. Ellingson,in H. Myers,ed., Ethno-
frame of reference,expose them to the musicology:An Introduction (New York: W.
original performance, as well as the W. Norton & Company,1992), 146. ?

38 MUSIC EDUCATORS JOURNAL