THOMAS STEELE

Make sure to set up your score from Use a variety of styles in writing. For When writing for rhythm section...
instruments with the highest register to example: - Guitar: either give them melody, BG figures or
the lowest, and then the rhythm - Solo Melody with rhythm section comping chords
section. For example: - Solo melody and countermelody - Piano: Put melody in treble clef, changes in bass
Trumpet -Harmonized melody clef - or write out specific chord voicing
Alto Sax - Melody with backgrounds (BG's) - Bass: Put slashes with notation for chord
Tenor Sax - Block soli melody changes or write specific bass figures
Trombone - Solo section with no BG's - Drums: give melody cues and write in rhythmic
Baritone Sax - Solo section with BG's figures and hits (it is rare to write out a specific,
Rhythm (Guitar, Piano, Bass, Drums) - Band chorus soli notated drum part)

Extensions are a great way to add colour to your arrangements. Also, you can use extensions either in background figures or to
match notes in the melody.
While extensions are great, when using specific extensions in voicing horns, you need to omit some notes to avoid clashes or
muddy voicings

1) No semitone on top of the voicing (this overrides all other rules)

2) If the root is the melody note it replaces the 9th
3) Altered chords ("alt") are dominant chords with #5 & #9 (rule #2 still applies)
4) “6” chords: the major 6th replaces the major 7th
5) “7” chords with 13 in the melody: 13th replaces 5th
6) “mi7” chords with 11 in the melody (mi11): 11th replaces 5th
7) #11 replaces 5th
8) For min7b5 chords always voice this way: Root, 3rd, 5th, 7th (unless the melody is the 9th)
9) For min7b5 chords always include the b5
10) For min7b5 chords, an 11th in the melody replaces the 3rd

- Put the melody in the highest horn, then voice down

For example, if the melody is a B and the chord is an A7, voice this:
Trumpet: B
Alto: G
Tenor: E
Trombone: C#
Baritone: either A or B (depending on if you want super-sax soli (four voices with melody
doubled down the octave) or a five-part harmony

Also, check out the PDF on diminished passing chords!