Many people tell me that they really want to get started arranging, but that pesky learning curve is like trying to learn Dwarf Fortress. If you want to have an easier time getting started out, here's a few things I recommend you do:
Learn music theory. A good way to get started with that is to take "Music 10: Introduction to Music Theory" or a similar course. It’s relatively straightforward material for non-music majors, and you learn all of the basics of notation so that you can become familiar with chord progressions and inversions, which will help you with some of the most integral aspects of arranging such as chord construction. Once you’ve got this foundation down, it’s easier to identify an unconventional chord and explain why it sounds that way so that you can avoid unpleasant dissonance. Tufts has a great music department; take advantage of it!
Ear training is invaluable. Practice with a friend or using free online software so that you can identify intervals quickly and sight sing them if need be. Other aspects like determining pitch and rhythm by ear are useful but not necessary. Learning these skills is a gradual process, but the payoff is worth it because of how much faster you will learn new music and how much easier it is to edit and polish the arrangement.
Listen to other groups. As many as you can find. Buy books, do research online, absorb all the info you can get your hands on. Listen to every group you can find on the internet, iTunes and Spotify (even the lesser-known ones) in order to cast as wide a net as possible. Old episodes of "The Sing-Off" (2009 - 2014) are a treasure trove of information and inspiration on the subject.
Be your own worst critic. Part of the beauty of an arrangement is that it's a living document and evolves as you learn it. If some measures sound dissonant in an unpleasant way, fix them or throw them out. Don’t stand by a harsh-sounding section of music just because it took time and effort. Sometimes the best solution to unpleasant sections is nuking it from orbit. Back to square one. Even when you think an arrangement is done, you’re not done. Put it down, work on something else for a few weeks and come back to it. Chances are you’ll be able to review it with a more objective eye.
Seek peer editing and comments from your fellow arrangers. Arrangers within my group regularly exchange drafts and provide each other with constructive feedback. Altering parts after people have sunk time into learning them can be frustrating for the rest of the group, so the more pairs of eyes on your work double checking everything, the better. Even when I think something sounds perfect, others never fail to find more stuff to improve. Music is best created in collaboration; none of my favorite arrangements would have been possible without the help of others.
Pop Filter: The learning cliff
