I’m not sure this is going to be a popular opinion as to why arranges get upgraded so often by some of us, but I think a large degree of it boils down to, if we have any musical ear whatsoever, the output of an arranger is ultimately disappointing compared to music made by real people.

There is a constant realization of just how little flexibility and variation in the playing there is. For those of us who have played with decent bands, who is the last drummer you can remember who only played four different fills in a song? And always played the exact same fill coming out of the exact same variation?

Who is the last guitarist you remember who did the same? Or have you ever worked with a bass player who never varied the line? What was the last band you were in that had virtually no dynamics?

Bubbling underneath our enthusiasm for each new product is the fact that, once we have heard the style a couple of times, that’s it… We are never going to hear anything different again. Sure OUR playing can vary a lot, but you are never going to hear that damn guitarist play a different lick! That drummer is going to play the same damn six fills over and over and over…

I honestly think that the more you actually LIKE music, the quicker your dissatisfaction with an arranger becomes. And the more likely you are to go get a different one to alleviate that boredom and dissatisfaction. There is SUCH a long way to go before the virtual players inside an arranger have any of the spontaneity and variability of real players, and it is these little moments of surprise that are the fundamental core of collaborative music making.

The same tends to apply to those spankin’ new sounds you get… at first, aren’t they amazing?! Then gradually it sinks in that yes, this might be a slightly better sax sample, but it’s still the same guy playing it that couldn’t play a Coltrane lick if his life depended on it! It still boils down to the player’s skill, and no amount of GB’s of piano samples is going to sound amazing if you’re still rushing the heck out of the drowned out backing and playing a simple melody with no decoration whatsoever….

The sooner we realize that the one thing that REALLY needs upgrading for a better arranger experience is the player sitting in the chair the sooner we can save a boatload of money! Or, at least, spend it on a year’s worth of lessons with someone that can help with basic skills.

What so few of us will admit is, boredom with our current arranger boils down mostly to boredom with ourselves. And fixing that takes a lot more than sending a check to Seetwater or Thomman’s. 🎹😎