What is a Pop Combo? Great question! It’s a term I’ve coined to indicate that a chart (piece of sheet music) is for a pop combo (band). This is generally made up of the rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass and drums) most commonly found in jazz ensembles (or big bands) and a horn section if needed.

I felt there was a need to have a term for this kind of ensemble, as in the past they have been called many different things like combo, chart, band chart, etc. The difficulty I had with these terms is that they didn’t really explain exactly what you got. Sometimes a combo is only a trio (piano, bass, drums) and when you use the term band, it could mean anything from a brass band to a mariachi band.

One issue I have had is in distinguishing between a Jazz Ensemble (rhythm section and horns) and the pop combo. I wanted to specifically separate these two ensembles, for the means of categorising my shop, but also so that it is clear what genre you are getting. I also have a few classical charts for the same combination that I am searching for a term for, but will most likely end up as Theatre Band charts – written specifically for solo entertainers to use with a sight reading band in theatres on land and at sea.

The other concern I have had is that some bands don’t have a horn section, and others have quite a large one. Given that I am in control of the arrangements, I’d like to offer all of the available combinations to my customers, but it will take a while to do this for all the existing charts I have created. So for now, the “Pop Combo” will be a mishmash of combinations, which I will endeavour to show clearly on the title page for each chart. My master plan is to separate the rhythm sections from the horns, and sell the horn charts as an add-on so you can select which combination you need.

Here is a breakdown of the differences:

Any Requests?

In the meantime, if you see a chart that you would like a different combination of, please let me know. It isn’t hard to create a new chart specifically for you, which I can do very quickly. I have already done this with my Brass Band version of This Is Me, which I amended to include a rhythm section and choir at the request of a friend.

Printing Tips for Music

With the new era of digital publishing comes various challenges for musicians. Paper size, paper weight and printer maintenance/setup are all areas that we must educate ourselves in to print music at a high standard.

For all of my arrangements and compositions, I create PDF’s in A4 (8.26″ by 11.69″) size. This is the household standard in Australia and the UK, the main markets in which I have worked. If you wish to print in Letter (8.5″ by 11″), you will have to set the printer to fit to page. This will make the music slightly smaller, but still readable.

I recommend that you print using 100GSM or heavier paper. The standard copy paper (80 GSM) is far too light to last longer than a few uses if it is not carefully handled. Heavier paper will also be harder to crease, and sometimes will fall off the stand if it is bent.

Lastly, my PDF’s are in B&W only. This saves your precious colour ink for more important photograph and poster printing.