A Cappella Arranging

Rúben Carvalho
A Cappella Covers
"Recordings, particularly in the context
of popular
• Main source material music, have become the
– Recording
• Considered aprimary musical "works" of our time.“
new performance
• Has a new interpretation (Vondrak, 2014)
• Conveys the original song’s intent
• Adds the arranger’s or the group’s
personality
Beauty and the Beast
Original film (1991)
Voctave feat. Sandi Patty (2017) Covering vs.
Versioning
Covering

More faithful to
Recreates
the source
specific aspects
material
Beauty and the Beast
Original film (1991)
Voctave feat. Sandi Patty (2017) Covering vs.
Versioning
Versioning
Covering

The song is Recreates More faithful

Keeps main
used as a specific to the source
building blocks aspects material
reference

Enjoy the Silence

Depeche Mode (1990)
Eric Whitacre (2014)
Beauty and the Beast
Original film (1991)
Voctave feat. Sandi Patty (2017) Covering vs.
Versioning
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy Covering
Tchaikovski (1892)
Pentatonix (2014)

Recreates More faithful

specific to the source Versioning
aspects material

Enjoy the Silence The song is Keeps main

Depeche Mode (1990) used as a building
reference blocks
Eric Whitacre (2014)
Steps in A Cappella
Arranging
Transcription Transanging True Arranging
Steps in A Cappella
Arranging
Transcription

• Reduction of music from live or recorded sound to written

Transanging True Arranging
notation
• Does not require a creative input
• Used as a tool
• Important for identifying the different sonic elements of the
recording
Steps in A Cappella
Arranging
Transanging - Anna Callahan (1995)

• Converts from instrumental music to a cappella music without

Transanging True Arranging
changing
Transcription the melody, harmonic structure and style
• Reduction of music from
live or• recorded
Takessoundintotoconsideration the vocal range and appropriate
written notation
• Does notvocables
require a creative
input
• Used •as a tool
Tailored to the group
• Important for identifying the
different “components” of
the recording
Steps in A Cappella
True Arranging – Joshua Duchan (2012)
Arranging
• Most creative freedom
• The
Transcription Transanging
arranger makes composition adjustments and additions to
• Reduction of music from • Converts from instrumental
make sound
live or recorded the song
to unique music to a cappella music
written notation without changing the
• Does •notThese
require acompositional melody, harmonic structure
creative choices
and style
establish the group’s identity
input
• Used as a tool • Takes into consideration the
• Important for identifying the vocal range and appropriate
different “components” of vocables
the recording • Tailored to the group
Steps in A Cappella
Arranging
Transcription
• Reduction of music from
live or recorded sound to
written notation
• Does not require a creative
input
• Used as a tool
• Important for identifying the
different “components” of
the recording
Transanging
• Converts from instrumental
music to a cappella music
without changing the
melody, harmonic structure
and style
• Takes into consideration the
vocal range and appropriate
vocables
• Tailored to the group
True Arranging
• Most creative freedom
• The arranger makes
composition adjustments and
additions to make the song
unique
• These compositional choices
establish the group’s identity
Anatomy of an Arrangement

Rhythmic Section
Solo Accompaniment
Bass
• Easy transition
• Harmonic foundation • Pads
from the recording and complement of the
to the arrangement • Rhythmic Pads
groove
• Possibility of • Connecting part • Vocal Harmonies
gender-bending between beatbox and • Vocal Counters
the rest of the singers

Beatbox
“As a genre based in covering, it’s easy to dismiss a cappella music for its
preoccupation with covering. But we can see that in every stage of the
arranging process, from assigning syllable to the higher-order decision that
transform the meaning of a song entirely, there is a wealth of creative
potential. A cappella arrangers are not simply recreating another artist’s
music, but instead using it as a vehicle for self-expression and a way to
present their own musical identity through the accessibility of pop music.”
 References
• Callahan, A. (1995). Anna’s amazing a cappella arranging advise: The collegiate a cappella
arranging manual. Southwest Harbor, ME: Contemporary A Cappella Publishing
• Duchan, J. (2012). Powerful voices the musical and social world of collegiate a cappella. Ann
Arbor: University of Michigan
• Vondrak, K. (2014). A cappella arranging: Finding new meaning in familiar songs. Washington
University in St. Louis