About.com defines "Arranger" as:

A person who arranges a piece of music for a singer, a group of performers or other music ensembles. 

 

 

What does an arranger do?

 

His primary role is to arrange a piece of music based on the needs or requirements of a performer, a group of performers, a conductor, producer or music director. The arranger makes sure that every aspect of a music piece is well harmonized, from the instruments down to the tempo. The music that an arranger works on may either be an original or an already existing music piece. 

 

 

What are the qualities of a good arranger?

 

Arrangers generally know how to play several instruments, have a good grasp of music theory, able to read and write music, able to transpose and transcribe and have a strong background in orchestration, harmony and composition. A good arranger must be original, creative and adaptive.

 

Good arrangers must be able to work well with others in a collaborative manner. Often, the artist, producer or music director sets certain guidelines on how a composition or song should be treated. A good arranger is one who listens and works within these guidelines but is also able to make adjustments that will make the piece more effective.

 

Somehow I find myself becoming involved as an Arranger in almost every project I work on.  There are a number of different facets to what can be accomplished by hiring an arranger.  Just click on the links to the left to find out more about the different hats I wear as an Arranger.