Inspiration for arrangers : Creating a unique arrangement

At Score Exchange we are keen to encourage our publishers to create new arrangements of popular music, for instrumentations that are currently missing out.

For example, is there an arrangement of Amazing Grace for oboe and clarinet duo? Is there an arrangement of Londonderry Air for marimba and flute? If not, maybe it’s time to make one!

We’ve found that some of the most downloaded arrangements on Score Exchange are those that are completely unique. If you are aiming to create a commercially successful work you should aim for something which isn’t available elsewhere whilst still likely to be popular.

We’ve created a useful guide to help you create completely unique arrangements:

1. Pick a popular piece of music.

If you can’t think of one here’s some help:

• The top 100 hymns in the UK according to a BBC survey in 2013
• Classic FM’s Hall of Fame from 2017
• Some Traditional folk songs
• Wikipedia’s list of Christmas Carols

2. Check your chosen piece of music isn’t in copyright

As a general rule, if the composer died 70 or more years ago then it should be out of copyright. There’s more information about copyright in our copyright summary.

3. Pick your instrumentation

E.g. brass band, string quartet or piano & violin Duo. Tip: choosing a less obvious instrumentation may make it easier to find something unique. However, try not to be too extreme in your choices. Stick to the popular instruments!

4. Search for your arrangement

Go to Google. Type the name of your piece and instrumentation e.g. Amazing Grace Piano Violin Duo. If there are no results then you have found something that doesn’t exist yet – a gap in the market!

5. Create a great new arrangement and publish it to Score Exchange

That’s it, you’ve created an arrangement that didn’t previously exist!

6. Promote your new arrangement

Post it to your Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else you can think of!

EXAMPLE:

We searched for an arrangement of Londonderry Air for marimba and flute which doesn’t seem to exist (at the time of writing). Have a look at the screenshot below: