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Create Zone: Recipe for a Fanfare
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
A fanfare is a short, impressive musical piece designed to grab the listener's attention.
They are characterised by a loud, bright, and exciting sound, fanfares are traditionally used to announce the arrival of an important person, the start of a ceremony, or a significant event.
While they have been used for hundreds of years in royal parades and ceremonies like the Olympics, they remain a staple in modern media, frequently appearing in movies to introduce heroic characters or in video games to signal achievements.
A fanfare, typically played by brass instruments, can actually be composed for any instrument.
Click the title below to learn how to write a fanfare for the instrument you are studying from the provided list.
A Fanfare on Piano 🎹
Since a fanfare is traditionally written for loud brass instruments, how can we recreate that grand sound on a piano?
The key is to think like a brass section. You must play the triad chords with power, making sure to use two hands—the left hand plays the lower bass notes (like the trombone) and the right hand plays the higher, clearer notes (like the trumpet). By playing these notes quickly and strongly, often using the pedal to sustain the rich sound, the piano can mimic the exciting, full sound of a powerful brass fanfare, even though it is only one instrument.
A Fanfare on Guitar 🎸
Adapting the fanfare concept for the guitar presents a unique challenge, as the instrument is not naturally as loud or sustained as brass or piano.
To capture the fanfare's grandeur, a guitarist must emphasise clarity and attack. Instead of the deep bass of the trombone, the lower strings can provide the strong, rhythmic 'Tonic-Dominant' foundation.
The upper strings are used to clearly articulate the notes of the major triad, often played in quick, powerful strums or arpeggios using a sharp, driving pick attack.
Using a clean, bright tone (like a 'shimmer' effect on an electric guitar) or a strong, percussive quality on an acoustic can help mimic the brass's brilliance. The goal is to use the inherent power of the triad, despite the instrument's quieter nature, to create a short, exciting announcement.
A Fanfare on Violin 🎻 or Flute 🪈
When adapting a fanfare for a single, high-pitched (soprano) orchestral instrument like the Violin or Flute, the focus shifts from a full, booming chordal sound to brilliant melody and agile articulation. Since these instruments cannot play chords (like the piano or guitar) or sustain the heavy bass notes (like the trombone), the core elements must be interpreted melodically.
The musician must rapidly outline the essential triad notes (Tonic and Dominant) using quick, ascending or descending figures (arpeggios). This creates a sense of high energy and announcement, like a piercing signal call. The goal is a light, fast, and intensely bright melodic burst that announces the event with clarity and excitement, rather than weight.
A Fanfare on Clarinet, Saxophone, Cello 🎷
When composing a fanfare for instruments in the middle (tenor) range, like the Clarinet, Saxophone, or Cello, the approach must balance the melodic brilliance of the high instruments with the power of the low ones. These instruments have a rich, warm tone, but lack the cutting brightness of a trumpet or the deep weight of a trombone.
To create a heroic fanfare using warm, non-brass instruments like the Cello, Clarinet, and Saxophone, the primary goal is to achieve a full, announced sound by maximizing tonal resonance, crafting a dramatic triad based melody, and maintaining precise, driving rhythm.
Crucially the rhythm must be exceptionally precise, and driving, using powerful figures crotchet and quaver rhythms to sustain the sense of urgency and announcement.
Singing a Fanfare (for Vocalists) 🎤
Singing a fanfare is a powerful exercise that teaches vocal students how to achieve projection, clarity, and dramatic impact, even though the voice cannot physically produce the dense chordal sound of a brass section.
To successfully 'sing' a fanfare, the focus must be on an immediate, powerful articulation of the notes outlining the major triad (C-E-G, for example). Students should practice singing these notes in a quick, ascending or descending arpeggio, using a bright, forward placement and a rapid onset of sound to mimic the trumpet's clear attack.
The key is to project the sound with triumphant energy, sustaining the final note firmly and vibrantly to create a sense of announcement and arrival, rather than a soft, lyrical tone.
A Fanfare for Brass instruments 🎺
A simple fanfare for brass instruments is the most authentic expression of this musical form. Typically scored for two or more trumpets the key is the powerful, immediate projection of sound. The simplicity comes from limiting the melodic material almost entirely to the notes of a single major triad (C, E, G, for example).
This material is presented using strong, driving rhythms—often sequences of repeated notes, quavers, crotchets, or simple, quick arpeggios—played at a loud dynamic (fortissimo). The full, resonant sound of the brass section playing the same simple chord creates an overwhelming sense of excitement and announcement, with the trumpets carrying the high, piercing melody and the lower instruments providing the solid, rhythmic foundation.
A Fanfare on Drums/Percussion 🥁
While traditional fanfares rely on melodic instruments to state the triad, a percussion-based fanfare, often for a drum kit student, translates the musical excitement into pure rhythm, dynamics, and texture.
The goal is to create a loud, attention-grabbing announcement through rhythmic means. This is achieved by focusing on rapid, accelerating rhythmic figures (like rolls, flams, or quick changes between the snare and toms) that build tension and power, culminating in a dramatic, synchronised crash on the cymbals and bass drum.
The drum kit can powerfully represent the "Tonic" and "Dominant" contrast not through pitch, but through texture and dynamic shifts—for instance, moving from a low, driving beat on the floor tom (the solid foundation) to a high, cutting pattern on the snare or cymbals (the brilliant announcement). Precision in attack and a strong, sustained dynamic (like fortissimo) are essential to deliver the fanfare's required sense of triumphant arrival.
It's Time to Create Your Own Fanfare
Choose your Triad(s)
A powerful-sounding fanfare usually utilises major triads, or closely related dominant/tonic chords, to create a sense of brightness and arrival.
Choose a Key: A common key for a fanfare is C Major or a related key like G Major or F Major, as they are central to the piano. For this example, we will use C Major.
Harmonic Palette: Use the tonic (I) and dominant (V) triads for maximum impact.
Tonic (I) Triad: C-E-G (C Major)
Dominant (V) Triad: G-B-D (G Major)
Choose a Rhythm
You can use any combination of the rhythm bars you have learnt in the Create Zone. These are some suggestions that can be used in Simple Time.
Level 1 - Energetic: Minim, Crotchet, Crotchet
Level 1 - Determined: Crotchet Crotchet Minim
Level 2 - Triumphant: Crotchet, Quaver, Quaver, Crotchet
Level 2 - Driving: Quaver, Quaver, Quaver, Quaver, Crotchet, Crotchet
Level 3: Celebratory: Dotted quaver, Semiquaver, Crotchet
Level 3: Heroic: Quaver, 2 Semiquavers, Quaver Triplet
Add the Pitch and Rhythm
Bar | Action | Note Positions | Actual Notes |
1 | Chosen rhythm | Tonic triad notes in any order. | C - E - G in C major |
2 | Two notes of equal value to fill the bar. | Dominant - tonic | G - C in C major |
3 | Chosen rhythm | Dominant triad notes in any order. | G - B - D in C major |
4 | One note to fill the bar | The dominant | G in C major |
5 | Chosen rhythm | Dominant triad notes in any order. | G - B - D in C major |
6 | Two notes of equal value to fill the bar. | Dominant - tonic | D - G in G major |
7 | Chosen rhythm | Tonic triad notes in any order. | C - E - G in C major |
8 | One note to fill the bar | Tonic | C in C major |
When you have decided on your notes write the music in your Manuscript book. You can also download Sibelius First https://my.avid.com/get/sibelius-first , it is free at the time of writing. Ask your TQ teacher to help you set the music up in Sibelius. Alternatively book a lesson on how to use the programme with Chris or Ian at Stalybridge Music Academy.
If you would like to let other students play your piece by including in in the TMEP Elementary Programme please contract reception or ask your teacher how. All included pieces receive 5 gems!!!
Conclusion: A Triumphant End to Your Fanfare
Writing a fanfare, regardless of the instrument—be it the Piano with its full chords, the bright Violin, the articulate Voice, the resonant Saxophone, the majestic Trumpet or Trombone, or the rhythmic power of the Drum Kit—offers an exciting chance to explore texture and rhythm.
By basing the piece on a simple, strong major triad, you gain the freedom to experiment with fast rhythms, powerful dynamics, and various registers. This fundamental three-note base ensures a sound that is both dramatically exciting and solid. Ultimately, this exercise demonstrates that the most powerful and memorable music often springs from the simplest, most essential musical ideas.
Go forth and announce your arrival.
Are you ready to write your Fanfare?
