What’s the Difference Between a Composition and an Arrangement?

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.

Thanks for joining me, Robert Estrin: Robert@LivingPianos.com 949-244-3729