Arrangements

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Nadine on February 9, 2011 at 5:17pm

I've looked all over the web as well - haven't had much luck either.  I had a teacher who also had her own type of shorthand that she taught me (different from TAB) but she gave me her original compositions, (which were great, btw) no "popular" tunes.  I have purchased books of Fingerstyle arrangements, but, as you say, they always sound very much like beginner pieces and have no complexity.  I'd love to have a collection of complex fingerstyle arrangements of, say, Beatles songs, but haven't had the time to do it myself, and haven't found them anywhere.  I guess I'm not helping here, but just chiming in to say "Me too!"  If anyone knows of a resource, I would be glad to know about it as well.

Permalink Reply by Paul on February 9, 2011 at 6:02pm

I have a very nice arrangement of Yesterday, it is in two parts.  I could scan it and email it if you like.

Permalink Reply by Andy Getch on February 23, 2011 at 5:47pm

Don't know if you've seen it but there is a Hal Leonard Fingerpicking Beatles that has 30 songs arranged for solo guitar and the back indicates intermediate level. Most of the songs are still above my level, (started fingerpicking three months ago) and they seem to be geared to playing instrumental melody combined with the guitar parts. Hope that helps.

Permalink Reply by Paul on February 28, 2011 at 4:39pm

I haven't seen the book.  I googled it and found an interesting site The Sheet Music Store.  I only searched a little bit but there seemed to be a pretty broad selection of music for guitar.

http://www.music44.com/

Unfortunately they don't post any examples of the arrangements.  I'll have to try and find one at a local store. 

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

Permalink Reply by Patrick Curley on February 9, 2011 at 5:34pm

I'm in the process of developing a few web applications for guitar players. If I built a site that people could contribute arrangements to would you be interested in paying for them? If so how much? I'd have thought at least $10 for a good one.

Producing sophisticated quality arrangements is no mean feat and contributors would need to be reimbursed well for their skill and effort, there would also be copyright issues to sort out and the web guy would need a cut too.

Permalink Reply by Forrest Anderson on February 9, 2011 at 5:57pm

I had a teacher in Illinois who would help me make arrangements.  My issue was that I could frequently hear what I wanted in my head, but I had no idea how to pull it out of the guitar.  The arrangements we came up with were great for me.  Had my musical vision, and because he and I put them together, they were playable at what was usually a challenging, yet achievable, level.  You might try that approach.  Find a teach whose style matches yours and whose arrangements you like and work with him or her to do your own arrangements.

Permalink Reply by Paul on February 28, 2011 at 4:29pm

I have purchased arrangements from MusicNotes.com and have paid between $5 and $7.25.  Take a look at how they handle it.  I've searched their library extensively and only found about 5 pieces I wanted to buy.  The arrangements vary wildly but there is something for everybody.

Permalink Reply by Andy3Sheds on February 10, 2011 at 12:58pm

I had the bright idea of trying to arrange Michael Nymans ' Chasing Sheep is best left to Shepherds' but I didn't get too far great tune tho' !!

Permalink Reply by Harry Branton on February 28, 2011 at 9:06am

I love doing my own arrangements, thats a big part of the creativity that is removed when playing solo.

Permalink Reply by Paul on February 28, 2011 at 4:25pm

I do more song writing than arranging and I find I want to focus my creative side on that; but I like playing solo arrangements.  My teacher gave me a simple way of starting an arrangement.  He had me write out the melody line then based on each note find all possible chords that could be built with that note on the top end.  A very simple example:

Staying with 1st position chords

If the melody note is C and you are in the key of C maj the 1st fret B string (C) is the melody.  Now find every chord you can in the key of C that has the C on the B string; like Am, F7 and of course C.  Do this for every note in the melody line.  When you are finished you'll have several ways that the melody can be picked.  You can start in the minor key and do the same thing or use alternate chords (beyond the 1st position), move the melody to the bass line, lots of options and a lot of work.  Once you have worked out the chord progression you want to use you start to add embellishments and a bass line.  Does that make sense? 

 

I did find MusicNotes.com

https://www.musicnotes.com/commerce/signin.asp?si=in&eln=1

They have a pretty good selection of solo arrangements in tab and notation for sale.  The prices average $5- $7.25

 

Permalink Reply by Dave Keir on March 21, 2012 at 10:07am

I spent time (many years ago) transcribing Scott Joplin rags from piano scores and later harmonising Scottish and Irish fiddle tunes for fingerstyle guitar. These days are past being purely a singer-songwriter since many years. But I always notate the gutar parts to the songs (not least in case I forget how to play them!) and many will happily exist as guitar pieces in their own right. I've put them up on my website and occassionally people write and tell me they have learned them and play them, sometimes even at gigs! Very flattering!

They are here - most of the songs can be heard via the player on the right.