Piano and Music Videos

You’ve probably heard these terms before and there are many differences between them There are also different aspects to each of the terms themselves. In this article, I will discuss the differences between compositions and arrangements and the differences that can lie within each of these two categories. To put it simply:

Compositions are musical pieces that are conceived as a complete work written for a specific instrument or group of instruments. Generally, compositions are to be played as written because it is what the composer intended. The nuance of expression is imparted into the framework of the piece and everything from the notes, rhythm, and all other aspects are as the composer intended. Like an actor in a movie, you will bring your own unique voice to a composition and that will be what separates your performance from others.

Arrangements are pieces of music originally written for one instrument or group of instruments and then transcribed for another instrument. Arrangements can also be a piece of music that is simplified or embellished from its original form without changing the instrumentation. A great example of this would be if a piece of music originally written for the piano is then transcribed for an entire orchestra. There are a number of different reasons for arrangements but generally, the rules are the same – they are interpretations of music which sometimes create entirely new musical aesthetics from the original. In modern pop music, these are referred to as a remix.

Arrangements sometimes encourage the player to embellish, simplify, or improvise with the music in front of them. Some arrangements are not written with strict guidelines in mind so it allows musicians the opportunity to express themselves in ways that compositions might not allow for. While some arrangements are simplified versions of famous pieces, others are highly stylized technical displays.

Transcriptions are a form of arrangement that is generally meant to be played as written. They are musical selections that are taken from one instrument (or group of instruments) and meticulously transcribed for another instrument. A great example of this is “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky. This piece was originally written for solo piano but was later transcribed by Maurice Ravel for Symphony Orchestra. Today, the orchestral version is much more widely played and heard that the original piano version! Some transcriptions are embellishments of original compositions like the Paraphrases of Chopin Etudes by Leopold Godowsky.

You will want to make sure you know whether a piece you are studying is a transcription or an arrangement because there is sometimes a fundamental difference in how you approach the two. An arrangement is generally a fun and new way to share music, while a transcription can be a more serious musical statement.

If you have ever seen a conductor score you know that it looks extremely complex. For a lot of musicians, you simply have one staff of notes to deal with in a piece. As a pianist you have two staffs of music (generally bass and treble) and an organ might have three (bass, treble, and foot pedals). A conductor score is filled with every part – strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion; if it’s a part of the composition, it’s in there!

The string players will double the parts, so you have a number of first violins playing one part and second violins playing another part, and then there are the cellos, violas, and basses playing their parts (and often doubling, tripling, or even more).

The woodwinds and brass generally have their own parts – so the conductor score is often filled from top to bottom with musical staves!

The question is, how do you make sense out of all of this? Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s actually quite a bit more complex than that!

A conductor score has more than just treble and bass clefs – viola has its own clef, there are C clefs which can occur on different lines (and they often change within the piece), and the same thing can be true for other instruments as well. And to make matters even more complex, many of the instruments are not pitched in C – they are transposing instruments. A great example of this is a clarinet or trumpet (which are usually pitched in B flat) or a French horn which can be pitched in nearly any key, often changing keys for each movement of a work!

So this means when a conductor sees a C written for a French horn in F, he needs to know that the absolute pitch is actually an F. In other words, a conductor has the incredibly tough job of transposing music instantly – all the different clefs and keys – and make sense of it.

How is this even possible?

I’ve seen a number of conductors who can look at a score, reduce it down to the piano at sight, and see the absolute pitch of all the parts of the score instantly. They usually become very adept at fixed-do solfeggio so they know absolute pitch on a score and they are able to communicate with the rest of the orchestra. This way they can tell each of the instruments which notes to play and understand when there are wrong notes.

To get fluid with this you will really need to become comfortable with all your clefs and transpositions; this can take years to master.

But for most people, you can approach it like this. If you look at a conductor score you can understand that the string parts are going to be in C, and if you have other instruments they may transpose. This way you can get a general sense of the score without necessarily absorbing all the details.

I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with the score of the piece you are playing; whether they are orchestral works you are playing a part in, chamber music, or pieces with piano. Knowing what is going on with other instruments is essential to be able to play your part in context.

There are many different types of scores – piano scores, violin scores, entire orchestral scores. If you are working on a piece that has multiple instrument parts in it – like chamber music or orchestral music, it can be very helpful to see the whole score to understand how your part fits in.

One of the most important things to do before starting to play a new piece is to figure out the key and check out the time signature. Also make sure to note any changes (key, tempo, time signature, etc.) that occur within the composition. Also, go through to make sure you are aware of any repeats, D.C., D.S. or codas. Some music can be like a puzzle just figuring out what comes next!

If you’re looking at an orchestral score you should note the different groups of instruments and when they start and stop playing (as well as any other major changes that occur).

If you are playing a piece with other musicians you will want to know when they are playing within the composition and know how your part fits in. Some knowledge of the music before rehearsal can be invaluable. Try listening to a recording of the work making notes as you go along. Sometimes when playing a new piece of chamber music or concerto, it can be helpful to play some of the other parts. That way you will be more adept at integrating your part when playing together.

There are occasions you will encounter four “F’s” or four “P’s” in your musical score and you might wonder how loud or soft can things possibly get?

The question today is whether you should major in piano if you want to play in an orchestra. This is an interesting question because while you might see piano in an orchestra every now and then, it’s actually not that common. So would studying piano help your chances to play in an orchestra?

Most of the time when you see a pianist performing with an orchestra they are actually not part of the orchestra. They are typically a guest artist who is touring through and soloing with the orchestra. Very rarely does orchestral repertoire call for a piano part. There is typically one keyboard position – and it’s not always full-time – where they might cover piano, harpsichord, synthesizer, organ and even celeste. Many orchestras without full time seasons will often times utilize subs for these parts.

If it is your absolute passion to play in an orchestra, piano might not be the best choice for you. The great thing about the piano is that its solo repertoire is unmatched. It is larger than all other instruments combined! More than that, nearly all the solo pieces for other instruments such as violin, flute, clarinet, or nearly any other instrument have accompanying piano parts; so the piano is an intrinsic part of playing with other instruments. From piano trio to piano quintet, the piano is an important part of many types of music and it has an immense repertoire.

If you want to play in an orchestra what is the best instrument to study? Orchestras are mostly composed of string players, so that is a great choice. However, with any instrument, the work involved in becoming an accomplished player, much less a professional, is so formidable that you should really choose an instrument you genuinely prefer. You want to play something you love and if you have a passion for it you will be driven to practice more and as such you will be more successful and fulfilled.

Getting a position in an orchestra is incredibly difficult and picking an instrument with more potential job openings is never a safe bet. Landing a position with any orchestra will require massive amounts of practice and some luck.. You are best off finding an instrument that makes you happy and something you love playing.

While there are people who are supposedly tone deaf and have difficulty trying to match pitch, there are people who have an innate problem with even keeping a beat and clapping along with a song. So, is there any way to develop this? Or is it something you are born with?

There is a certain amount of talent that is simply “born” into some people and they are able to keep a beat well on their own, but it’s not a skill that can’t be learned. If you find yourself rhythmically challenged, here are a few exercises that can help you develop a sense of beat.

Traditional methods include clapping along with a beat or a metronome but sometimes these methods simply don’t work. You might encounter students that even with this type of practice still can’t keep a beat. Don’t give up on them, there is hope!

Simply listening to music will help develop a sense of beat a great deal. All sorts of music, rhythmic music, jazz, classical, rock, anything you can listen to will help develop a sense of beat. Beyond listening you should try moving with the music.