Writing parts for a horn section

frobisher

I'm about to do some tunes on which I'll be putting a real tuba, trumpet & trombone. Anyone got any favourite or inspiring horn parts on songs worth listening to or thoughts on writing parts for horns?

PaulBrewer

mmm.

Writing for Horns and Strings to my mind is a craft akin to Dentistry and Air Traffic Control.

I'd want a pro at it ...

DamagedTrax

check out anything from this album:

dexy's - searching for the young soul rebels
http://www.discogs.com/release/400456

best horn section ive ever heard recorded.

PaulBrewer

DamagedTrax wrote: »

check out anything from this album:

dexy's - searching for the young soul rebels
http://www.discogs.com/release/400456

best horn section ive ever heard recorded.

Wha? Jackie Wilson, Reet Petite!

DamagedTrax

no man, this album is dexy's before they went all strange and hillbilly/dungarees.

this was back when they wore black and wrote real soul music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSp689CyNvk

ogy

allen toussaints work with the band would be an obvious choice for me, the last waltz, rock of ages and a few later studio albums.

PaulBrewer

Actually, the man for you could be Rupert at www.LogicToolbox.com. He'll record it for you too if needs be...

tell him I sent you.

tweeky

ogy wrote: »

allen toussaints work with the band would be an obvious choice for me, the last waltz, rock of ages and a few later studio albums.

+1
Also Allen's currently making a few bob on the "Sugababes" new single "Here come the girls"

PaulBrewer

Did I see him on Jools a couple of weeks ago? Wrote for Glen Campbell too?

frobisher

Thanks guys. My own favourite horn parts are some of Stevie Wonder's. Amazing.

Paul: What makes you think I'm not working with a pro on writing them?!

PaulBrewer

frobisher wrote: »

Paul: What makes you think I'm not working with a pro on writing them?!

Oh, just the way you do be goin' on ....:cool:

JJV

Trumpet, trombone & tuba is a bit of an odd line up imo & leaves a gap between the ranges of the trumpet & trombone (unless you like the sound of a trumpet in its lowest register & the trombone in its highest with the obvious volume inconsistencies.) You would get a better blend & the option for much more interesting harmonies with a 4th player. I would suggest a french horn or flugel horn - this would fill the gap nicely. or go for a more traditional brass line up of Tpt, sax & tbn.

PaulBrewer

JJV wrote: »

or go for a more traditional brass line up of Tpt, sax & tbn.

Good point ...

frobisher

JJV wrote: »

Trumpet, trombone & tuba is a bit of an odd line up imo & leaves a gap between the ranges of the trumpet & trombone (unless you like the sound of a trumpet in its lowest register & the trombone in its highest with the obvious volume inconsistencies.) You would get a better blend & the option for much more interesting harmonies with a 4th player. I would suggest a french horn or flugel horn - this would fill the gap nicely. or go for a more traditional brass line up of Tpt, sax & tbn.

There may well bit a bit of Sax. The guy I'm doing the parts with plays the sax. It's just not an instrument I'm mad about so we'll see to what extent. The tuba will be very simple and it will be taking over the place of a bassline in one song. Possibly not used else where. I like the punch of trumpet and trombone that's why I was thinking them. I happily have access through my dude to any horn type, all good players too so we'll see where it ends up. French horn could be good. My first job is to come up with the basics of the melody and vibe. From there we'll work on creating the harmonic arrangements around that, and the final instrumentation will come then.

Paul; The way I do be going on?! Will ya gerrout o' da garden.

PaulBrewer

frobisher wrote: »

Will ya gerrout o' da garden.

JJV

If you are going for the more orchestral colours rather than the "parpy" rock n roll thing. (Do you detect a bias?) There is a great resource at the Garritan web site. It's basically an online version of Rimsky Korsakov's Principles of Orchestration with lots of examples to listen to. See the chapter on brass harmony. Enjoy.

http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=77

Ian C

JJV wrote: »

If you are going for the more orchestral colours rather than the "parpy" rock n roll thing. (Do you detect a bias?) There is a great resource at the Garritan web site. It's basically an online version of Rimsky Korsakov's Principles of Orchestration with lots of examples to listen to. See the chapter on brass harmony. Enjoy.

http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=77

That looks like a bloody handy resource! Cheers for the link.

studiorat

Glad I got in in time for the auld' horn joke:)

arf-arf!

PaulBrewer

JJV wrote: »

If you are going for the more orchestral colours rather than the "parpy" rock n roll thing. (Do you detect a bias?) There is a great resource at the Garritan web site. It's basically an online version of Rimsky Korsakov's Principles of Orchestration with lots of examples to listen to. See the chapter on brass harmony. Enjoy.

http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=77

Very Interesting!!

johnnylakes

Stevie Wonder...Sir Duke
Gomez