What is an arrangement?
In a few words, arranging is a creative re-organisation of a piece of music.
An arrangement is a “re-writing” of an existing song or piece, to fit a specific ensemble or band format. For example: a singer-songwriter writes a song and plays it on guitar; later, this person decides to form a band to play the same songs. This is where arranging comes in handy: the songs need to be arranged for whichever format the band is going to be so that everyone knows what they’re playing and the final result sounds good. This also works with large-scale classical ensembles, big bands, Latin orchestras etc – because a melody that sounds good on an acoustic guitar might not be quite as nice played by a trumpet section, which in turn sounds different than a trombone section, a string quartet, a Hammond organ, two guitars, etcetera.
Arranging isn’t a fully creative process the way composing is, but there still is a strong creative element. This is why those of us at MusicSolve who take care of arranging have many years of experience as composers as well as arrangers, in a broad range of styles. We have all studied composition and orchestration and are well-versed in the technicalities of arranging; we are prepared to work with any combination of instruments in (almost!) any style.
How does it work?
Songs / songwriters: We want to make the most out of your ideas and make your creations sound at their very best, which is why when you contact us about arranging something for you, we will ask you for information about how you percieve your music, music that influenced your piece or that you would like your music to sound similar to, and any more information you can give us. If you’re not sure or you don’t know where to start, just tell us who you listen to and we can work with that.
Rearrangements – Reductions: Existing arrangements that need to be restructured for a different band format that is smaller than the original are fairly straightforward for us and, if provided in .sib format, can usually be handed back within a few working days.
Rearrangements for larger formats & orchestration: We rearrange / “blow up” existing works with as much or as little creative input as you need from us. We might need some guidance as to the style and/or purpose of the work and, if it is a voluminous work (big band, orchestra etc), we offer a two-page sample for a 30£ fee which, if you decide to continue to work with us, can be reimbursed against the full cost of the work at the time of payment.
Rates
All arrangement work is charged at 35£ or 44€ per hour, except reductions and basic instrumentation changes (such as, for example, a change of line-up in a horn section) which are charged at 30£ or 37€ per hour. For more information, estimates for full works etc please go to our Contact Page or use the drag and drop area below to send us your files directly.
There is an extra fee for urgent work (24-hour turnaround).
We are members of PRS and are happy to discuss writer ownership percentages.
Send us something using the form below…
We accept all music file types + all Sibelius and Finale files. If you have something else, speak to us before sending.
Please remember to tell us what you would like us to do with your files – get back to you with an estimate or get working straight away.