The Simple Truth About Complexity

Anyone see where the D.S. is?

I almost fell into the complexity trap trying to write this blog post, so I'll keep things as simple as possible. 

Band leaders need to be very careful when they select which charts they'll rehearse and perform. Complexity is an often neglected aspect of ensemble playing. It's not just sixteen people playing their individual parts! Individuals have to blend with their section, and the sections have to blend with each other. So there's really three layers of complexity to consider!

You've got to have enough brain power left over for people to spend on ensemble playing if the band is going to sound... well, like a band, and not a gaggle of musicians all fighting each other like they're on an overcrowded subway car.

The saxophones usually have the busiest parts in any given chart, so look there to get a feel for how difficult the chart is from an individual technical standpoint. For example, if the individual sax players can handle a "7" level of difficulty (on a scale of 1 to 10), make sure their parts are no more difficult than a "4" or "5", so that they're not pushed to the limits of their ability to just play the notes. That way they can do the necessary work of splitting their attention between covering their own part and using their listening skills to work on ensemble playing as a section and a band. 

This is such a crucial role for the band leader, but time and again I see super difficult charts put in front of the band, with the same predictable results. I don't know if it's just wishful thinking that band members will step up their game, or maybe just a sadistic macho desire to play really advanced material.

I do know that even if everyone in the band can play a level "7" piece as individuals, as an ensemble, they'll probably be able to pull off a level "5" chart and no more. There's a trade-off between scale and complexity, as Yaneer Bar-Yam aptly points out in this fine book.

I also do know that I'd much rather hear a less technically complex chart played with real attention to ensemble playing and artistry than hear the same band hack their way through a dense chart, lurching and staggering to make to the end without a train wreck. Believe me, it's no badge of honor. Rather, it's a sign that the band leader needs to reconsider his role and think harder about what the band is capable of, not the individuals themselves. 

Simple enough?

[Update: A reader made a good argument for looking at the trumpets' parts instead of the saxophones'. I chose the saxophones because their parts tend to be busier, hence a better indicator of complexity. The trumpets' parts tend to be difficult in terms of range and endurance, but not necessarily complexity. My focus here was leaving enough mental bandwidth left over for ensemble playing. As a band leader, you do have to mind how many screeching trumpet charts you pack in to a set.]