Definitions:
Arrangement: taking an existing piece of music and making a new version of it – change what key it is in, which instruments it is for, simplify a piano part
Transcription: writing down a piece of music as it exists in a recording
Jump to: basic guidelines, Composing Assistance, Generative AI policy
I often have requests to transcribe or arrange a piece of music for performance. Any arrangements or transcriptions are for personal use only. I charge an hourly rate for arrangements and transcriptions.
Here are some guidelines:
– Look up any piece you want the sheet music for and make sure a version is not already available for purchase – please support your favorite artists! (This will also be less expensive for you.)
– Many songs take about an hour per minute of music to transcribe.
– If you already have the sheet music, but you need a different version, please know what key or starting note you want. Working from pre-existing sheet music can take less time, but it depends on the changes and the complexity of the music.
– Describe clearly any other changes (fewer/extra sections, different accompaniment, text or language changes, adding guitar chord symbols, etc).
– Let me know if you have any deadlines for quicker turnaround time.
– If you have a preference for more pages versus fewer, some songs can be written with repeats, but some times that is more visually confusing. I can also increase font size to try to aid reading, or decrease it to limit page turns.
Composing Assistance:
Sometimes, people write a little melody or poem, but don’t have access to or familiarity with notation. I’m happy to help! On my end, transcribing or arranging a song you wrote is not really different than transcribing or arranging a song someone else wrote, but you may have different questions and concerns. Here are some things that might help, but I’m happy to answer detailed questions about specific projects:
– If I’m adding an accompaniment, describe as best you can the style of music you are aiming for, naming an artist to be “in the style of” works for this. “Simple piano chords” is fine too. If you have more technical musical terminology, use what you know!
– If you’re sending a recording to transcribe, please let me know if you’d like me to stick to exactly what you set down, or if there are specific sections that you know something went wrong. I may correspond to ask more specific questions after hearing it.
– Similarly, if you’d like me to make sure your melody fits in a groove or rhythm, I can carefully adjust so that the tempo/meter stays consistent as needed (even if the demo/original fluctuates somewhat).
– Sometimes I can do a quick performance/demo recording of a version before finalizing accompaniments, please communicate whether you’re planning on sharing this with friends and followers.
– Let me know if you are keeping your music under wraps for a specific occasion. If you are planning to perform it, I’d love to know when and where!
Generative AI Policy
While musicians have been experimenting with technological and algorithmic approaches to composing since before computers were personal (Citation), I am setting this policy to deal with the rise of generative AI, and apps such as DONNA or Suno or ChatGPT etc for lyrics.
I will charge double my hourly rate to transcribe and arrange GenAI produced songs and music.
I am ethically opposed to generative AI, because:
– art should be created for the joy and struggle of creating (especially when used to communicate emotions), by humans for humans,
– GenAI is trained on originals without consent of the creators,
and
– the environmental impact of GenAI’s enormous water and power use, especially on already oppressed communities.
There are more reasons (harmful deepfakes, deterioration of internet culture and bots, wanting artists to be paid, and so on), but those are main 3 reasons. (more links/info)
Alternatives to GenAI
“I want to write my own song and I don’t know how!” / “I have lyrics but I don’t know how to start”
– I am happy to teach composition lessons, or set up an in-person or video session to help you start the process and then give feedback once you have a draft of a song.
“I have a melody, but I don’t know how to add an accompaniment”
– I am happy to make a harmonization/accompaniment for your melody at my regular hourly rate, or set up an in-person or video session to help you start the process and then give feedback once you have a draft of a song.
“I need a song for this specific vibe/occasion/etc”
– I am happy to compose a song to specification for an event or emotion. The more detail the better (performers, text, mood, key etc). Please contact me to discuss specifics for an original song.
“It’s expensive to commission an original composition”
– yep. Even paying just my hourly rate, you’re not just paying for my time, but also my 30+ years of musical experience, including 11 years and 3 degrees post high school. Additionally, paying for a commissioned composition usually costs more than just the hourly rate. Here are a few links from composers’ societies on the cost and process of commissioning a composer:
American Composer’s Forum Commissioning by Individuals
2009 Meet the Composer Guide
New Music USA Commission Fee Calculator