Arranging for the Ukulele

You sure you wanna do this? It's gonna be hard!

And, kids, listen to me, AI in music is already here. It's already ridiculously good and it's going to put us out of business. You're going to say something like, "Hey Robot, write me an original ukulele song and print out the sheet music with tablature for it." And the robot will comply. We're not far away from that happening.

However, for those of us not smart enough to give up, we love doing this and we love doing it by hand and we love taking songs we've heard and then adding our own pluck and bravado. We find a way to force somebody else's music onto ukulele. AI will do it faster and better, but we'll do it with a sense of heart and whimsy in our souls.

Now, this page is a work in progress. I've been arranging for ukulele for decades now and maybe have done more than most everybody out there, so I kinda know what I'm talking about. Nevertheless, many have squabbled with me about my approach, so just know there are strong opinions by less qualified people waiting to disagree with me.

My advice comes from years of tragic arrangements I and others have created in the past. This page should be a handy way to avoid repeating the same dumb mistakes I've already made many times.

If you'd like to debate any of these ideas, or if I've missed any important ideas, email me.

Software:

• Every single software package is challenging and all of it will push you into being a better and smarter musician. It will also make you yell at your laptop and it will convince you all computer programmers are dolts.
• I use Finale because I started on Finale, but they went out of business. So I'm slowly making my way over to Dorico. This is the professional level software and only recommended if you're ready to commit to a life in the arranging business. (You probably shouldn't do that.) Dorico expensive and probably NOT meant for the casual arranger. The other professional level software they forced me to learn in college is called Sibelius. It's also professional level and has lots of fans, but I'm not one of them.
• You should use MuseScore.org because it's great, it's free, it's constantly updated by a massive user group, and there are zillions of scores readily available for you to study. It is not professional level yet, but it will be getting better. You can also subscribe to their sister site MuseScore.com and there you can swipe arrangements other people have done and jazz them up for your own use.
• There is lots of other software people try and if you go that direction you should know you'll probably be on your own. Check to make sure there are lots of help files, other users doing similar things you want to do on the software, and YouTube videos walking you through the features.
• You can't use those "chords and lyrics" pages to make arrangements. Take those to the Hootenanny so you can sing along with an accordion player. You need to find real sheet music. I always look for sheet music with chords, lyrics, and melody. If it has a piano part, that's helpful. If I can only find a chords and lyrics chart, then I usually move onto the next tune. I use MusicNotes and MuseScore and old fashioned music books to find most of the  sheet music I use.

Your Brain:

• I've been writing and arranging for about 30 years. Every single day, no matter how basic the song is I'm working on, I learn stuff. To pull this off, you'll need a pliable and adventurous mind and know that arranging will suck up lots of hours. If you'd rather be playing, then do that instead.
• You will immediately find out that you don't know everything. If you are one of those cumbersome musicians who thinks they know everything, please don't hang around here. This entire site is dedicated to those who have questions.
• You'll need to be comfy not knowing everything and need to be willing to try to figure  it out. Google and "Help Files" will be your friends.
• You will need to do lots of revising.
• Just like learning to play, it's okay to be terrible and know nothing if you're willing to keep going.
• And finally, there is NO RIGHT and NO WRONG in art. You need to make something that works for you. We have a handful of trained musicians who are quick to point out what they think is "wrong," but outside of typos, most of the time they're speaking from received wisdom that tends to stick music into a boring box. Don't let dead people peer-pressure you into following mindless traditions. Igor Stravinsky was wrong when he wrote The Rite of Spring and it resulted in a riot on its premiere. This piece changed classical music forever. Don't be afraid to be like Igor.

Arranging for a Soloist (i.e., you!)

• You are an arranger, not a transcriber. You do not need to do what "so and so did on the album."
• If you're trying to do the same thing as the original song, why are you doing it at all?
• Start with the melody: Make sure you can sing the whole thing more or less in the shower. If you can't, there's a good chance your song is going to be very challenging to make it work on solo ukulele.
• Type the melody only into your software, you can set most software to update the tablature and standard notation at the same time, but I don't like that myself. I want to do both by hand and sometimes I make a mistake, but it's my mistake.
• Use the same "Ukulele Blank" file every time. This will make your blank smarter over time.
• Next, play the melody using the computer and -- very important -- play it yourself on a real instrument. If you can't play the melody, or if something sounds off, you'll never make a good arrangement.
  • Important note: The MIDI numbers for ukulele tablature should be set to Low G (even if you plan to play High G) because the software will end up putting melody notes on the 4th string and you don't want them there until you really know what you're doing and even then you won't want them there most of the time.
    • Midi Numbers for all ukuleles: G=55 C=60 E=64 A=69.
    • Midi Numbers for baritone tablature: D=50 G=55 B=59 E=64.
• Add the chords to your sheet music. If you chose a song in a dumb key, you'll have lots of hard chords to negotiate. In the beginning, all of your arrangements should be in F, C, G, D or A or their associated minor keys.
• You may need to transpose up or down if you have notes that extend beyond your instruments range (i.e. middle C for High G ukulele, the next lowest G for Low G ukulele, or the next lowest D for baritone.) You will run off above the 10th fret easily sometimes and you really want to avoid those notes as they bring a new definition to the word "plink." Keeping your song at or below the 10th fret is going to make you sound better and make it much more likely people will enjoy your arrangement.
• Once you're pretty sure you have the right melody and chords on your "Ukulele Blank," it's time to save it under a new name. This will preserve the wisdom of your blank and allow you to create your final arrangement without worry of deleting something from the blank.
• You'll now need to decide how much of the chord can be played at the same time as the melody. This is where the magic of doing your own arrangments comes alive. I write a lot of music for intermediate ukulele players and they can generally handle a lot of tough cords underneath the main melody line. When I write for beginning students, I focus on having easier chord shapes and fewer of them hanging out under the melody line. When I write for advanced students, I want to see much more advanced chording, lots of added doo-dads and ornamental notes. They should suffer for the cause.
• You will note in most of my arrangements, I leave the open "easy" chord above the standard notation even when I plan to use a more advanced version of that chord up the neck as an instrumentalist. As you become a smarter player, you only need to know what chord is being used and you shouldn't need the same level of specificity in the chord grid. Using open chords makes it much easier to sing the song since you don't need to use the advanced chords up the neck if you're just singing.
• Note that if you have a friend, you can play duets, and once you have the melody and chords on the paper, you are done. One person plays the melody and the other person improvises in whatever way their skills allow on the chords. Switch sides when you play so you get experience doing both skills.

Arranging for Ensembles:

Most of this advice is specific to the Rocky Mountain Ukulele Orchestra, however it will be super handy if you are preparing an arrangement for any ukulele ensemble with three or more voices. If you're writing for more than two people, write out what will happen with each player. The more specific you can be the better it will sound. Most players aren't great at improvising.

Basic checklist:

Download my current MuseScore Blank. It's not great, but it'll get you started.

• Correct Stave Order:
• It's probably best not to split up baritone and Low G groups as we typically only have 10 of each.
• It's probably best to utilize percussion sparingly as it tends to drown out our beloved instrument.
• Parts must include tablature. The conductor score does not need tabs, but I'm okay with them if it's easier.
• Correct Order in the Score:
  • High G1
  • High G2, etc. (We've had up to six High G parts in the past)
  • Low G (Take advantage of the lower voicing by using chords and the 4th string with them.)
  • Baritone (Make sure to give them interesting things to play. They're good.)
  • Bass (The weirder you make this, the more likely the whole piece will fail.)
  • Any other instruments.
• An EASY line?
  • Consider having a line for High G that is super easy for newer players. Perhaps keeping rhythm or helping with part of the chord.
• Lyrics:
  • If there are lyrics, put them into the score. It helps.
• Chords:
  • If you expect a chord to be played, there needs to be a little chord grid above it, especially if it is an unusual shape.
  • It's probably unnecessary to have a "chords" part as it will likely be eaten up by the sound in the full orchestra.
• Keys:
  • Major keys you should probably stick to: F, C, G, D or A
  • Minor keys you should probably stick to: Gm, Dm, Am, Em
  • Transpose out of troublesome keys after you have the melody and chords done.
• Sixteenth Notes:
  • Unless the tempo is slow, these have been the death of many pieces. Be a smart arranger and make them go away.
  • If you're trying to create a swing feeling, type in eighth notes and then leave a note about it. We'll try.
• Ties:
  • Do you really need them?
  • What will happen if you eliminate the second note, or have it played. (It'll be fine either way probably.)
• Rests:
  • Eliminate rests whenever possible. Add their value to the previous note. They're just visual noise.
• Highest Fret:
  • Using notes above the 10th fret on string 1 will result in tragedy.
  • Using notes above the 8th fret on strings 2 and 3 is also a foolhardy plan.
• Repeats:
  • Do not use repeats in large ensemble music.
• Count-in Measure:
  • All songs must include a count-in Measure 0. Check your measure numbering. All measures must be numbered.
• MP3s:
  • For the Conductor MP3, add a click track that clicks off quarter notes through the entire piece.
  • Make MP3s for each part, but only send Gary the full conductor's MP3. You will send the individual part MP3s only to those who request it.
• The Computer Sounds Great, But Did You Play It?
  • Before you send your "final" to Gary, play through all of the parts or meet with somebody to help you.
  • Playability is usually the difference between more experienced arrangers and newer ones.

Other Thoughts You Should Consider:

1. You should get good at arranging for solo and small groups first!
2. If your piece doesn't play after two attempts by the full orchestra, it's likely you've done something crazy and I will pull it. It's not personal, it's about what we have time to finish.
3. Know who you are writing for ... we're not the Berlin Philharmonic. If you want to write something intense, you're probably writing for a small ensemble. On the other hand, don't be confused about what the large group can do ... they're pretty good these days.
4. You are writing an arrangement, not a transcription. You owe nothing to the original composer. Get the melody close, have the chords make sense, but for goodness sakes, you do not need to do "what they did on the album." Your job is to take the material and elevate it to a new and more interesting place. You're a chef adding your own spice and the spice of the ukulele to an old recipe. Make it yours.
5. Rests are not your friend and they won't happen the way you think they will (probably). Our instrument rests automatically after a half note. Add the value of the rest to the previous note and make them go away. That's what our musicians will play anyway.
6. The bass player is also our drummer typically. You make that part too hard, and you'll hear the rest of the orchestra struggling. Know what the bass is for and write appropriately for it. Most ukulele bands don't have a bass player at all, so consider this a luxury.
7. Repeats ... please DON'T use them. We are in the process of moving to iPads and foot pedals. Those who stay on paper are quite capable of turning pages.
8. Yes, your software handles MIDI, but do you have the musical knowledge to know how to fix the crazy things in those? You are far better off to type in the melody, add on the chords, and then YOU do the arrangement.
9. Weird meters (ehem) ... those are (probably) for small ensembles. See #2 above.
10. Your job is not to "teach" anything ... your job is to write something playable, creative and beautiful.
11. Write in English and don't use archaic or obscure notation. I will make you clarify that stuff anyway, so no need to prove your wisdom. We already know you're a genius.
12. Please think about dynamics and how to use them to our advantage.