Specifications for Our Band Series'

The following specifications are intended to create uniformity within the series. This uniformity enables directors to make selections from the series with confidence and the knowledge that their choices will work.

Music written for the Early Bird Beginning Band Series should be suitable for players who are beginners (15-20 lessons). It should be educationally sound, interesting to play and appropriate for programing or state contest.

Composers of music for this series should use the following guidelines:

1. Write original music or arrangements of music in public domain. Subject matter or titles should be of interest to elementary age children. Arrangements of classics are usually well received.

2. Write 40 to 60 measures of music. If repeats are used, they should be short and easy to execute. Include rehearsal letters in logical places. (every eight measures)

3. Harmonic language should be traditional. Avoid chromatics. The keys of F, B-flat, and E-flat major or their relative minors may be used.

4. Rhythms should be easy, logical and traditional. Use whole notes, half notes, dotted half notes, and quarter notes. Eighth notes should be avoided unless they are very basic. (in pairs) Snare drum may use eighth notes freely.

5. Two-four, three-four, and four-four, or cut time are the only time signatures to be used in this series.

6. Avoid large melodic leaps. Strive for logical voice leading and keep instruments in their best ranges.

7. Try to overlap phrases to avoid breaks in the line, and score for a full sonorous sound. Block writing and repeated patterns are most desirable. Unisons work well. Polyphonic writing and independent lines should be simple and used sparingly. With these limitations, achieving artistic variety in the composition is difficult but very important.

8. Melodic material or important lines should be written for cornets, clarinets, flutes, saxophones, or drums because bands at this level do not usually have full instrumentation. The third of the chord should be written in a cornet or clarinet part so that it is never missing. The tuba part should be doubled at the octave by the trombone, baritone, and other tenor and bass instruments to preserve the base line in the absence of the tuba.

9. Solo parts may be written for flute, first clarinet, first cornet, alto sax, or snare drum. Solos should always be cross cued with an effective substitute instrument.

10. Include one or two sentences containing remarks of interest about the music. These remarks are to help the sale of the music. See Composer Profile Form.

11. A piano conductor score must be included with your manuscript. This is important.

Instrumentation

1 score
6 flute
1 oboe
5 1st. B-flat Clarinet
5 2nd. B-flat Clarinet
1 E-flat Alto Clarinet
1 B-flat Bass Clarinet
3 E-flat Alto Saxophone
1 B-flat Tenor Saxophone
1 E-flat Baritone Saxophone
4 1st. B-flat Cornet
4 2nd. B-flat Cornet
2 F Horns
4 Trombone (Baritone BC, Bassoon)
1 Baritone TC
3 Basses
4 Percussion

In this series the Trombone, Baritone BC, and the Bassoon are the same part.

The following specifications are intended to create uniformity within the series. This uniformity enables directors to make selections from the series with confidence and the knowledge that their choices will work.

Music written for the Wizard Easy Band Series should be suitable for players who have had at least one year of instrumental instruction and have intermediate ability to perform. It should be educationally sound, interesting to play and appropriate for programing or state contest.

Composers of music for this series should use the following guidelines:

1. Write original music or arrangements of music in public domain. Subject matter or titles should be of interest to elementary or junior high age children. Arrangements of classics are usually well received.

2. Write approximately seventy measures of music. An andante may be fifty measures. if you use repeats they should be short and easy to execute. Include rehearsal letters in logical places. (every eight measures)

3. Harmonic language should be traditional. You may use extensions as long as they sound natural when instrumentation thins out. Avoid extensive use of chromatics. The keys of F, B-flat, E-flat and A-flat major or their relative minors may be used. Simple modulations are desirable.

4. Rhythms should be easy, logical and traditional. Use whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and simple dotted rhythms. Snare drum may use sixteenths but avoid sixteenth rests.

5. Two-four, three-four, four-four, and cut time may be used. Six-eight may be used in a slow, well known selection like Silent Night.

6. Avoid awkward melodic leaps. Strive for logical voice leading and keep instruments in their best ranges.

7. Try to overlap phrases to avoid breaks in the line, and score for a full sonorous sound. Block writing and repeated patterns are most desirable. Unisons work well. Polyphonic writing and independent lines should be simple and used sparingly. With these limitations, achieving artistic variety in the composition is difficult but very important.

8. Because bands at this level do not always have full instrumentation, melodic material or important lines should be written in a strong instrument family, or doubled for strength. Cornets, clarinets, flutes, saxophones, and drums are strong instrument families and may be used for important material. Saxes with horn, the lower brass combination (trombone, baritone, and tube), or any instrument doubled with cornet, clarinet, flute or alto sax may also be used. Do not count on oboe, bassoon, alto clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax, horn or any of the lower brass instruments by themselves.

   The third of the chord should be written in a strong instrument like the cornet or clarinet so that it is never missing. The tuba part should be doubled at the octave by the trombone, baritone, bassoon and other tenor and bass instruments to preserve the bass line in the absence of the tuba.

9. Solo parts may be written for flute, first clarinet, first cornet, alto sax, or snare drum. Solos should always be cross cued with an effective substitute instrument.

10. Include one or two sentences containing remarks of interest about the music. These remarks are to help the sale of the music. See Composer Profile Form.

11. A piano conductor score must be included with your manuscript. This is important.

Instrumentation

1 score
6 flute (may be divided)
1 oboe
5 1st. B-flat Clarinet
5 2nd. B-flat Clarinet
1 E-flat Alto Clarinet
1 B-flat Bass Clarinet
3 E-flat Alto Saxophone
1 B-flat Tenor Saxophone
1 E-flat Baritone Saxophone
4 1st. B-flat Cornet
4 2nd. B-flat Cornet
2 F Horns
4 Trombone (Baritone BC, Bassoon)
1 Baritone TC
3 Basses
4 Percussion

In this series the Trombone, Baritone BC, and the Bassoon are the same part.

The following specifications are intended to create uniformity within the series. This uniformity enables directors to make selections from the series with confidence and the knowledge that their choices will work.

Music written for the Navigator Young Band Series should be suitable for players who have had one to two years of instrumental instruction, have intermediate ability to perform, and are in a full band. It should be educationally sound, interesting to play and appropriate for programing or state contest.

Composers of music for this series should use the following guidelines:

1. Write original music or arrangements of music in public domain. Subject matter or titles should be of interest to junior high or early high school age students. Originals and arrangements of classics are usually well received.

2. Write approximately seventy measures of music per page. An andante can be 50 measures. Repeats may be used. Include rehearsal letters in logical places.

3. Harmonic language should be traditional. You may use extensions as long as they sound natural when instrumentation thins out. Chromatics are acceptable, but avoid difficult fingerings. The keys of C, F, B-flat, E-flat and A-flat major or their relative minors may be used. Modulations are desirable.

4. Rhythms should be logical and traditional. Use whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, easy sixteenth note rhythms, easier dotted rhythms and basic syncopation. Avoid extreme tempos if you write sixteenth notes or difficult fingerings and rhythms.

5. Two-four, three-four, four-four, five -four, cut time, and six-eight are time signatures which may be used in this series.

6. Avoid awkward intervals and always strive for logical voice leading, keeping instruments in their best ranges.

7. Try to overlap phrases to avoid holes in the line, and score for a full sonorous sound. Block writing and repeated patterns are most desirable, however, thiner textures may be used. Unisons work well. Polyphonic writing and independent lines work well if not too difficult.

8. Although bands at this level do not always have full instrumentation, the Navigator series is written for larger organizations, and you should assume that all instruments are available with the exception of oboe, bassoon, and alto clarinet. Use extensive doubling being sure to put enough weight on melodies, counter melodies, and important notes in the chord. Never rely on one instrument to carry a part by itself unless it is a solo part for flute, first clarinet, first cornet, first alto sax first trombone, baritone or snare drum. Solos should always be cross cued with an effective substitute instrument.

9. Include one or two sentences containing remarks of interest about the music. These remarks are to help the sale of the music. See Composer Profile Form.

10. A piano conductor score must be included with your manuscript. This is important.

Instrumentation

1 score
1 piccolo
6 flute
1 oboe
1 Bassoon
3 1st. B-flat Clarinet
4 2nd. B-flat Clarinet
4 3rd. B-flat Clarinet
1 B-flat Bass Clarinet
3 1st. and 2nd. E-flat Alto Saxophone
2 B-flat Tenor Saxophone
1 E-flat Baritone Saxophone
2 1st and 2nd F Horns
3 1st. B-flat Cornet
3 2nd. B-flat Cornet
3 3rd. B-flat Cornet
2 1st. Trombone
2 2nd. Trombone,
2 Bass Trombone,
2 Baritone BC
2 Baritone TC
3 Basses
4 percussion