Instrumentation & Arrangement

An instrumentation is the allocation of existing musical material to a range of instruments sounding in combination. You are to create an instrumentation of an existing piece of music, of at least 48 bars length, for an ensemble of at least four independent parts.  An independent part is an instrumental or vocal line of music. A piano/keyboard, if used, counts as ONE part.

You will take a piano piece and score it for a small ensemble. 

Your teacher will advise you regarding a piece to use as source material for your instrumentation and provide you with a workbook or resources. 

Your instrumentation should be for one of these ensembles:

• A small ensemble of single woodwinds and strings

• Brass quartet

• Woodwind quartet

• Jazz or rock ensemble

• Vocal quartet(male/female or mixed voices)

• String quartet

• A combination of four or more instruments/voices of your own choice (ensure you check with your teacher that your choice is appropriate)

Where the source material repeats, the instrumentation must be scored differently, for example, showing changes in texture/textural density and/or instruments/timbre.

You are not expected to compose new material for the instrumentation, but: 

• you may add a part for drums/percussion, if appropriate.

• you may wish to change or create an idiomatic accompaniment figure for the instrument(s) you choose.

Please note that this material must be in keeping with the original style of the instrument.

The instrumentation should show your knowledge and understanding of:

• instrumental ranges of instruments chosen;

• playing techniques of instruments chosen;

• effective instrumental/vocal combinations and ensemble writing;

• imaginative and idiomatic writing for instruments chosen

• variety in textural density

• appropriate choice of key

Instrumental techniques can include:

• pizzicato, arco,con sordini and col legno for strings

• mutes for brass

• articulation for all instruments (e.g. legato, staccato)

• appropriate space in the music for breathing and/or technical changes

• recreating piano effects (e.g. sustained pedal) with instruments techniques (e.g. overlapping sustained notes)

You must submit your instrumentation as a clear, accurate and detailed notated score with an MP3 of exported audio or recording, and the original source material.

This assessment is worth 4 NCEA L2 Credits

An arrangement means a free and creative adaptation of an existing work or melody line. It should not be interpreted as a transcription which implies a re-instrumentation from a complete existing score. For example, a Bach three part invention for keyboard transcribed for violin 1, 2 and cello is not an arrangement. New material may be combined with the given material in an original manner. 

• You are to arrange TWO pieces of music.

• An arrangement, for this achievement standard, is not a transcription, instrumentation, orchestration or a reduction of a larger score.

• Your arrangements will consist of at least three independent parts. An ‘independent part’ is an instrumental or vocal line of music. A piano or keyboard part counts as a single musical line.

• You must consider the technical capabilities, ranges and registers of the instruments for which you are writing. 

• You may wish to consider adding your own material – perhaps an accompaniment, or a counter melody, or descant, harmonic feature, introduction, coda or other modification/addition to, the original form – combining it with the existing material in a manner that shows your own original musical contribution.

• Your arrangements must show evidence of character and the ability to combine and structure musical ideas.

• Your arrangements must be accurately presented as written scores and must include appropriate performance directions. Computer generated notation and editing must be entirely your own work.

• You are to acknowledge on your scores the original source material on which you base each of your arrangements.

• For assessment purposes, you must submit: (i) the completed scores of your two arrangements, (ii) the original source material for each arrangement and (iii) an audio recording of each arrangement. This may be a recording of real instruments or electronically generated (sequenced).

• If improvisation is included in the arrangements, sufficient details must be supplied to give a clear idea of your intentions to the improviser. 

• All workings and drafts will be available to the teacher for reference, feedback and authentication purposes.

Create arrangements involves creatively reworking or adapting existing musical material.  For example, an arrangement for four-part choir could be developed from an existing folk melody.  New material (e.g. accompaniments, counter-melodies) may be combined with the given material in an original manner.

Create effective arrangements involves:

• using instrument ranges and playing techniques for expressive effect

• applying instrumental combinations and timbres creatively

• showing skill in combining and structuring musical ideas

• controlling textural density.

Create convincing arrangements involves showing:

• skilful, imaginative, and idiomatic writing for specific instruments and/or voices

• musical character and imagination.

A good place to start for arrangements is to change the style of the piece. This will likely give you some possibly typcial instrumental groups or ensembles to write for. It will also give you a range of other musical conventions to follow. Writing for a school group or a group you play in is a great way to get to understand it better. 

Sometimes less is more - perhaps don't aim to write for a whole orchestra to begin with, start with a smaller ensemble. 

Present your arrangement as a fully notated score.  Take care that the performance matches the written notation and that all parts are clearly readable. Focus on ideas and style. Concentrate on originality and creative portrayal of extra-musical idea, idiomatic writing for the instruments or voices, a clear development and structure as well as harmonic progression or a modified tonality (or use of modes). Ensure that your instrumentation and musical style maintains and enhances the integrity of the original piece.

This assessment is worth 4 NCEA L3 Credits