Very Much (A Lot) (Download)

for steel band

Joshua Garrett

Level: Med-Advanced

Duration: 4:30

Personnel: 7 players

Pages: 8

Release Date: 11-7-2011

Product ID : TSPSB-02DL

Price: $40.00

Item #: TSPSB-02DL

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Description

Very Much (A Lot) combines elements of medium-tempo mambo as well as straight-ahead rock creating a haunting, mysterioso effect. Scored for tenor pan, double tenor, double seconds, triple cello (or guitars), bass, and drumset, this piece features an unusual melody and a few challenging rhythms. The introduction and main theme was inspired by the bass guitar line of Crush by the Dave Matthews Band. It is composed in C Minor and explores different relative keys, such as A-flat major and F major.

This medium-advanced selection is written to provide a unique and satisfying musical experience for both the performers and audience members.

Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.

Reviews

"Very Much (A Lot)," scored in a typical five-voice steel pan orchestration, features a primary theme in C minor that is presented in a mambo style. The contrasting second theme is lyrical, featuring many roll articulations and a half-time rock feel. An improvised solo section for a lead player appears after the A-B tune has been played twice. This section basically utilizes the chord pattern of the first theme, but oddly enough, the sections do not correspond exactly: the A section comprises eight-bar phrases, while those in the solo section comprise only six.

The composer builds a sense of increasing energy into the solo section through changes in both the pan parts and the drumset/percussion groove. Coming out of the solo, the piece reaches a climax with an all-out rock backbeat groove, and punches in the low voices underpinning unison runs in the upper pans. A small error in the parts occurs in this climactic segment but can be easily remedied; when comparing the printed score with the recording, it appears that accidentals are simply missing from one bar.

Overall, the piece is fairly effective, although compositionally there are a few moments where the piece is simply unconvincing (for example, the aforementioned discrepancy between the A section and solo section). It is also important to note that a few of the chord symbols provided for the soloist in the improvised section do not appear to match the harmonies written for the accompanying parts (the symbols in question indicate dominant chords, whereas the accompanying pan parts utilize major sevenths rather than minor sevenths).

The score is sold with an accompanying CD-ROM that includes the parts in pdf format and an mp3 recording if the piece. In this particular case, the recording is that of an actual performance rather than a MIDI version.

—Chris Tanner
Percussive Notes
Vol. 50, No. 4, July 2012

Description

Reviews

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