Writing and Arranging for

Marching Percussion in the 21st

Century
By Oliver Molina

A
panel discussion on writing and arranging for marching percus- 2. Goals: What are the goals of the program? Is the show competitive or
sion, specifically for the battery instruments, was held at the 2012 recreational? Does the group perform one show per season or several?
Iowa Day of Percussion. This article represents some highlights 3. Instructor: Does the group have specialized instruction as a percussion
from the event along with several other ideas from my own expe- section? Is the group student led, band-director taught, or is there a
rience in writing for high schools and colleges. The information should percussion instructor?
help aspiring arrangers in getting started while possibly giving new ideas 4. Rehearsals: How often does the group rehearse? (This is a critical
to experienced writers. The specific topics include: the prewriting pro- consideration in arranging, as the rehearsal time strongly impacts
cess, tips for writing, completing the project, and advice on competing what can be accomplished consistently.) How long is the performance
for arranging work. season?
5. Instrumentation: How many will be marching in the battery? Does
WHY ARRANGE? the ensemble march tenor drums with three, four, five, or six drums?
Initially, there are several questions to consider: Why are you arrang- How many bass drums are available and what are the sizes? Can extra
ing? Are there no parts yet written? Are the parts that came published instruments be mounted onto the drums (e.g., cowbells, jam blocks,
with the wind score not up to your expectations? In Paul Buyers 1999 ribbon crashers, etc.)?
DMA document, Marching Percussion Arrangements for the Enhancement 6. Staging on field: Where will the battery be located on the field at any
of Essential Performance Skills, he analyzed many stock arrangements and given point in the piece?
concluded that a significant problem exists from a lack of positive musi- 7. Support: Will the group expect the arranger to contribute after the
cal experience (also see Buyers 1997 Percussive Notes article, An Evalua- completed product is delivered (i.e., re-writes or instructing)?
tion of Marching Percussion Stock Chart Arrangements, Vol. 35, No. 2, 8. Rate: How much will you charge for your work? Are you willing to
p. 39). write pro bono?
If the chart comes with percussion parts, those parts may not fit the 9. Wind book: Is a wind score available? Is an audio version (live or
ensemble technically or musically. For example, some arrangements may MIDI) available as well?
come with three tenor drum parts (trios) and four tonal bass drum 10. Show design: Are you arranging to a previously arranged wind chart?
parts, but the drumline may have quad or quint tenor drum sets and Are you part of a larger design team that will create an overall theme
more numbers in the bass drum section. The percussion parts often come and concept for the show?
in a one size fits all arrangement, and (if they are used) there may still 11. Experience: How has the groups previous shows and music fared?
be the need to enhance (beef up) or simplify (water down) the parts. What is the ability level of the players on the line?
Another reason to arrange is to gain a greater understanding of music
and the techniques of playing marching percussion instruments. Arrang- If possible, get examples of the percussion technique/exercise book,
ing allows an individual the opportunity to discover what is possible to as well as examples of the groups previous shows. These can serve as
play and also what is important to include from an educational stand- a guide to the level and experience of the group. Try to ascertain the
point. Arranging ensures that students are exposed to the concepts the students level from the band director or percussion instructors. The best
arranger values and the prospect of learning how to execute them well. way to assess the ensemble is to get audio and/or video recordings of the
Another motivating factor in getting involved in arranging is to gain group or to personally observe rehearsals so you can evaluate their play-
job experience. Serving as an arranger may make you a stronger candi- ing ability and level for yourself.
date for a position on a marching staff. Being able to write for marching
percussion may help you land a graduate teaching assistantship or a LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN
teaching gig at a high-powered high school marching band program or Unless you are asked to work on a show with originally composed
indoor percussion group. It can also be a nice source of income. If you music, someone, somewhere has probably arranged the same music that
have enough clients, arranging can turn into a large part of your profes- you are planning to arrange. It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel,
sional activities, as some arrangers are able to support themselves by as you can make adjustments to previous arrangements that show your
freelance arranging work. creative side while working well for the ensemble you are writing for.
Listening to existing arrangements, as well as to the original version
GETTING THE DETAILS of the show (whether orchestral, band, or other ensemble), can provide
Before you write a single note, here is a short list of questions that great inspiration. The source material can serve as great fodder and help
should be considered to ensure that your arrangement is a success. you bring out subtle intricacies that the wind score does not cover. For
example, if the work you are arranging is Samuel Barbers Medeas
1. Timeline: How soon will the music need to be completed? Dance of Vengeance, you will benefit by not just listening to the New

percussive notes 10 JULY 2013

percussive notes 11 JULY 2013
York Philharmonic performing the original, but also by listening to Star or rehearsal marks, measure numbers, wind parts (on field staging), and
of Indianas 1993 arrangement of the work. If you are arranging a classic percussion parts. Jim Casella goes into great detail about how he uses a
rock show, try to highlight the same hits and drum fills that pay homage flow chart in his article, Arranging for Pit and Battery in the August
to the original. 1998 issue of Percussive Notes (Vol. 36, No. 4, p. 29). The completed flow
The world of marching percussion is constantly evolving and pushing chart will help you envision the whole composition before you write a
the boundaries of what is possible. Stay current in the activity by attend- note. It will also help you think about voicing, textures, and staging, and
ing drum corps, indoor percussion, and marching band competitions. help prevent overwriting.
The Internet opens the door to an archive of great drumming moments. Once a flow chart is created, it is strongly recommended that you lay
There are hours of outstanding drumming online (e.g., YouTube) that out the percussion score from beginning to end. Create all the details
can teach and inspire you. Listen to how other percussion sections create including title, rehearsal marks, repeat signs and the number of measures.
great moments of impact, how they transition, how they treat technical This will make inputting your notes smoother without having to stop the
and visual demands, and how musically expressive an ensemble can be. creative process to continually create elements of the score as you write.
Laying out the score first also creates the opportunity to add some of
GETTING EXPERIENCE the wind score to the percussion score, which can help in hearing how
Consider this paradox: Experience is gained by having a job, but jobs all the parts fit together. Being able to hear the melody and bass lines is a
are earned by having experience. Before you have enough clients for a common approach, but feel free to add any counter-lines or other impor-
wait list, you will need to establish yourself as an arranging authority. Be- tant components.
gin by writing or arranging anything you can. If you are currently teach- It is not necessary to start writing at the first measure of the piece. If
ing a marching percussion section, ask if you can develop the technique you have ideas that you think would sound great at rehearsal letter D,
book and write your own exercises. Instead of using the usual warm-ups start there and work around the score, returning back to the beginning
(such as 8 on a hand), create original exercises that focus on the same as the inspiration strikes. Although the piece is played top to bottom,
techniques and concepts. Other opportunities may appear in writing a it does not have to be created that way. If this approach is adopted, care
cadence, an on-field warm-up, or even parts to tunes that are played in should be taken to examine the transitions from phrase to phrase to en-
the stands during football game. After marching season is over, arrange sure they can be executed smoothly.
or compose a percussion ensemble piece based on marching percussion
techniques. Gain experience by writing anything the percussion section Creative Improvisation
may need. When creating percussion parts, listen to the audio file repeatedly
As a member of a college marching band, you may be able to find until you can reliably hear the wind parts in your head. You can then try
arranging opportunities. This can range from the above-listed projects improvising with the music in your head or by drumming with the re-
with the high school to full halftime-show charts. Some college march- cording. Try singing a bass-line part, snare drum part, etc. with the wind
ing band programs have a new show (drill and parts) every other week. recording playing. Keep a snare and tenor practice pad next to your des-
Some college drumline instructors and band directors welcome the op- ignated writing area and play with the audio track. Repeat this multiple
portunity to have help in writing show parts. There are many options times and sketch out the parts so they may be adjusted later if needed.
when beginning to work as an arranger, but it will take some effort and
volunteerism to get started. Less is more
Once you have an arranging job, you will need to settle on a fee for It is not necessary to fill every measure in the piece with notes. Let
your services. People go about determining their rate in different ways. the music breathe by using space. This approach helps stronger impact
Some prefer being paid per measure, while others prefer being paid per moments stand out, as those will contrast with the thinner or lightly
second or minute of written music; others elect to be paid by move- scored parts. Try doing a call and response between the snares and tenors
ment (such as the opener, ballad, closer, etc.) or by a flat rate for the to keep the ear refreshed and the textures thinner. The use of ostinati is
entire thing. You will need to assess how much your time and creativity a great way to build rhythmic tension and keep the music driving (e.g.,
are worth and whether there is a dollar amount that is unacceptable for Maurice Ravels use of the two-bar snare drum ostinato to develop Bo-
writing music. Remember to draw up a contract to help ensure you are lero). Every bar does not have to be an absolute statement of the total-
paid for your services. ity of your rudimental knowledge. Repeating bars or phrases will make
learning the part easier and will also help tie the piece together. (See
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Example A.)
With todays technology it has become easier to create parts that rival After studying the wind score and writing your flow chart, consider
the appearance of those produced professionally by a publisher. Com- which wind instruments in each phrase would match up well with the
puter-based notational software (such as Sibelius or Finale) is prominent battery instruments. Try pairing up and writing for like instruments to-
in the contemporary marching activity. The days of writing by hand are gether, such as trumpets with snares and low brass with the bass line.
becoming less acceptable as we move to an era where everything is com- A simple way to start arranging for the full battery section can begin
puterized. with writing a snare part. From there you can have the same part be split
In addition to notational software, the use of sample sound libraries up in the bass line and moved around the drums for the tenor section.
such as Virtual Drumline helps create a realistic playback of your music. Keep in mind the overall goal and function of the phrase within the
Using these programs in tandem allows you to instantly hear your music overarching show concept (flow chart). (See Example B.)
cleanly with correct interpretation of rhythms and tempo. Even though You can create naturally occurring crescendos through the use of the
these programs may be very costly, they are essential in todays market. additive process. This is mainly used with the bass line, but the same
concept can be used in the snare and tenor line. A run down the bass
WRITING IDEAS line, starting with the smaller drums and going to the larger ones, adds
Here are some strategies that have been used to get the creative some motion and depth toward a strong impact point. The opposite can
juices going. be true for naturally occurring decrescendos. Subtract people from a part
and go up the bass drum line from the larger to smaller drums.
Flow Chart You can change the color and timbre of the instruments with subtle
Create a flow chart highlighting the different phrases and parts of the changes. Try playing in different zones of the drums (center or edge),
show. The flow chart should include tempo markings, formal structure play on the rims or shell, use stick-on-stick, and incorporate hand damp-

percussive notes 12 JULY 2013

Example A. Use of Ostinato

Example B. Unison Writing

percussive notes 13 JULY 2013

ening. Experiment with switching implements to a smaller stick or a other special instructions so that valuable rehearsal time will not be lost
brush or felt mallets to get different effects out of the same set of drums. going over them. If possible, write the drill segments in the parts to aid
If there are tempo changes in the chart, utilize metric modulations to in the players learning process. Writing in the drill segments ensures
seamlessly transition from one section to one another. Pulling a tempo that it gets done correctly and that everyone is on the same page during
change out of the air can be tricky for an ensemble, but metric modula- rehearsals. Avoid awkward page turns that may disrupt the flow of the
tion can make transitions more consistent. Here are a few examples of music. Make the font size for the score and parts large enough to read,
simple approaches to metric modulations that can help tempo changes but dont waste paper.
happen consistently. (See Example C.) Along with the percussion score, provide a notation legend to help
avoid confusion with different noteheads. Example D shows the nota-
Example C. Metric Modulation tion legend I developed with the sound samples I use with the program
Virtual Drumline.
Another helpful resource is a description of your dynamics and height
system. Although the percussion instructor can sometimes determine
the height system, a firm foundation of how you envision the parts being
executed will aid greatly in interpreting your music. Some drum instruc-
tors use dynamics that correspond to different heights, and some use dif-
ferent articulation symbols. Example E shows a sample of the different
types:

Example E. Height Systems

Technique vs. tempo
Carefully consider the technical demands of writing for the marching pp = 1 inch p = 3 inches (common tap height)
percussion section. What looks good on paper and what sounds good mp = 6 inches mf = 9 inches
on the computer playback may not be the best determining factor of f = 12 inches ff = 15 inches
whether the arrangement will be successful. Playing sixteenth-note splits
at quarter note = 180 for the bass line or a sixteenth-note roll at the
same tempo for the snare line might sound really interesting, but it will
be very difficult to play cleanly and consistently. Review your goals and
how much time the ensemble can dedicate to learning and cleaning the
music. For ease of reading and learning the parts, make sure the parts are
The percussion score should highlight and enhance the wind score beamed logically (showing each beat clearly). Like the snare drum etudes
while also supporting the overall concepts for the show design. Dur- in Anthony Cirones Portraits in Rhythm, you can use different ways to
ing different parts of the show, melodic drumming may be great to use, notate things rhythmically for musical purposes, but think about how
while at other times more notes and technical displays of virtuosity may much additional time it may take to learn the figure in the less uncom-
be needed. One goal I focus on is making the percussion score complete mon notation. (See Example F.)
enough to stand alone without the wind parts. There is more than one
way to achieve your arranging goals. Keep an open mind (and open ears) Example F. Beat Clarity
to find out what works best for you in the various musical situations.

FINAL PRODUCT
The finished product should look like a team of engravers meticu-
lously placed every note in the correct spot. The parts should be musi-
cally complete, including dynamics, stickings, playing zones, and any Scores and parts submitted electronically as PDFs save time and

Example D. Notation Legend

percussive notes 14 JULY 2013

money. Send drafts as PDFs along with audio recordings to the band arranging, teaching, and other experiences from your resume that dem-
directors to ensure the music fits the show concept, pacing, and the goals onstrate your qualifications for the position. List the groups you have
of the program. Before you turn in your final product, have peers proof- worked with and written for. You could also post samples of your writing
read and check out your drafts. I have sometimes gotten a little overzeal- with audio examples of computerized recordingsor even better, live
ous with a tenor part or bass drum split that looked good on paper, but performances. Be sure that you have copyright clearances for any work
was not practical (or maybe even possible) to play. Above all, make sure that you arrange or that you decide to post online.
your score is musically complete with nothing left to chance regarding The best way to market yourself is through the recommendations of
your intention on how the music is to be executed or interpreted. your peers and through the band directors. Band directors communicate
with one another and share vendors, band repertoire, and other things
MARKETING YOURSELF about their work. They may also recommend drum arrangers that they
To help with marketing yourself, decide what you can do as an ar- have had good experiences with and mention the names of the individu-
ranger and how to best represent your arranging abilities. Determine als they did not. Be professional, optimistic and enthusiastic. There are
what your potential customers expect and what you can present to them great opportunities for those who are prepared and willing to work.
that will set you apart from other arrangers. In addition to the score and
parts that are expected, there are additional items that might attract peo- Oliver Molina has worked with and written for several marching per-
ple to hire you over others. Your use of notation software may help you cussion ensembles across the U.S. He is a DMA candidate in percussion
create realistic practice audio tracks for each section. These tracks could performance and pedagogy at the University of Iowa. He is currently the
be at a variety of slower practice tempi and gradually increase up to Associate Band Director and Director of Percussion at University High
the performance tempo (include a count-off/tap-off for each track). Be School in Orlando, Florida. PN
available for rewrites so you can be used as a resource later in the season.
Volunteer to offer feedback by making a visit during a rehearsal or watch
a video of a performance.
Many states have a band association where you can find a list of pro-
grams across the state. With todays technology, you can research and
find almost any school that has a band program and send them your ma-
terials. Another idea for earning arranging gigs is to team up with a wind
arranger or other percussion arrangers. Sometimes percussion books can
be split up between a battery and a pit arranger. Joining an arranging
team can provide additional opportunities for work and help consoli-
date/share marketing efforts.
Create a website to showcase your arranging efforts. Highlight your

percussive notes 15 JULY 2013