Arranging Fraggle Music

[WemblinKate]

I know this topic has come up before but I thought I'd write about it myself.

Being a music student, and a singer, I'm always looking for good music to perform at my school and with a jazz ensemble I'm a member of. I was wondering, because if you haven't noticed, the music on Fraggle Rock and in Muppet Movies is very good, what was out there in Sheet Music form.

I know of the one book, Favorite Songs from Jim Henson's Muppets , and the sheet music to Rainbow Connection and I own them. But I'm not talking of that.

At my school, when you can't find a song you want to sing you make an arrangement for it. I was wondering if any of you crazy Muppet and Fraggle Fans here have ever done that? If you have, or if you can and you just never thought to do it, would you let me know, because that would be great to share. I'm taking a class this upcoming year to hopefully help me to arrange such songs as Goodbye, Goodbye, Just A Rainbow In The Sky with the original harmonies.

My main goal is to arrange a choral version of Rainbow Connect because that would sound lovely.

I was just wondering if anybody else here ever thought of doing that. Wouldn't that be awesome?

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Yeah, I've thought about it. I've learned to play some songs like "Dreaming of Someone" on the piano and alto recorder, but I haven't tried to sit down and figure out chords or anything. Yet, anyway. lol

Man, it would be great if they ever released a FR music book...*sigh*...

[Joggy]

If you know your way around the major and minor chords on the piano (or guitar or accordeon or whatever), Fraggle songs are really easy to arrange. Chords to songs like Follow Me, Time To Live As One, Children of Tomorrow and Let Me Be Your Song can easily be found and are not as complicated as let's say Rainbow Connection.

When I arrange Muppet music I often start with finding these chords, since they're the base of the song. Usually I record a plain piano or keyboard version with vocals (sometimes when I'm in the mood I add drum, bass, guitar and whatever else I feel like).

Singing (and writing) harmony is something I do by heart. I listen to the different melodies and then try and sing them a few times untill I can practically dream them. For instance, Just A Rainbow In The Sky has Gobo singing lead and Wembley singing harmony. If I would record it, I would sing Gobo's part first. Then I would add Wembley's melody to Gobo's. While I'm singing Wembley, I can hear whether the two parts match (which they do if I do not sing off key).

An easy way to do it is start out with "Our Melody" from the Fraggle Rock episode "The Minstrels". Red, Mokey, Gobo and Wembley all sing a different melody and they all fit together (only two chords, C and F major).

[WemblinKate]

Thank you so much, that helps a lot. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to music and I really appreciate the advice, I will definatly be spending my time now with my tape recorder. I never thought to do that before but it makes perfect sense. Again thank you.

-Wemblin' Kate

[getup]

that is a neat idea...i've been doing stuff like that for guitar and the harmonies are pretty easy to figure out. well, it's always easier if you have natural musical talent...i've been playing piano since i was 6 and guitar since i was about 12 or 13...and i always had a natural ear for music. if i ever decide to actually write the stuff down, i'll post or something!

[JessikcaRabbitt]

I have been a flute player since I was a little girl, but with the stresses of life I have not played for years. I was relaxing one evening and watching Fraggle Rock-The Minstrels. I fell in love with the song that Cantus plays in the begining. I am now determined to figure it out with mini keyboard. If anyone would like to have a copy of the sheet music when I'm done I will be more than happy to post it. It will be just one more creative inspiration (amoung many) I can thank Jim Henson for. Jess