Daniel Menjivar

Frequently Asked Questions about Charts + Arrangements

In response to the numerous inquiries I receive on a daily basis, I've compiled the following list of the most frequently asked questions about my charts and arrangements.

If you don't find the answer to your question here and you're interested in knowing more about my arrangements or the services I provide, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks!

• Can I buy an arrangement or transcription listed on your website?

  Yes, of course you can! Just contact me and let me know which charts you're interested in and how many parts you need, and we'll start from there.

• What if I'm looking for a certain song that isn't listed on your website?

  That's not a problem at all. The list of charts on my website isn't a complete list of everything I've ever done anyways, so I might even have what you're looking for already. If not, I'm more than happy to write a new arrangement or transcription for you.

• How many parts are included in your arrangements?

  A lot of people ask me about the charts listed on my website assuming that they're "good to go" but this is not the way I work. I want you to have charts that meet your needs exactly and make your ensemble sound great; it does you no good to be short a bunch of parts, or to have way too many excess parts that you don't need. For some of my more popular charts, I may already have multiple versions of them with different combinations of instruments and/or difficulty levels. However, regardless of how many parts I have in an existing arrangement or transcription, I always re-harmonize (or re-write) the charts to accommodate your band size and needs.

• How long will it take to have a transcription in my hands? What about a custom arrangement?

  For most of my charts, I can normally have the first one to you in less than a week, but that fluctuates from time to time depending on how many other projects I have on-the-go.

  I believe in under-promising and over-delivering (not the other way around) so I'm often delivering charts before the agreed-upon timeframe anyways – always on time, but never late. To give you an idea, I've delivered charts in as little time as one day, but usually between four to five days.

• What format do you provide the charts in?

  I provide all of my charts in high quality Adobe PDF format with separate files for each part, and usually a PDF of the score as well. I zip all the parts together and upload them to a very fast, secure server where you can download them and print them out at will. This works really well, it's super easy and definitely much better than trying to email all the parts. I also include a high quality audio file with any custom arrangements.

  If you're interested in paper charts, I can also provide high-quality, laser-printed (and taped) parts on 24lb parchment paper in a heavy black folder upon request. These are very professional charts!

  Except for some copyist work, I don't under any circumstances provide Finale files, so please don't ask.

• What will the charts look like? Can I see some samples of your work?

  Feel free to browse the sample arrangements and free downloads on my website.

  All of my charts since 2009 are based on my own custom template that uses Finale's "Broadway Copyist" font. I'm not a fan of the popular "Jazz" font since it's not very legible, nor easy to sight-read in my opinion. My older charts before 2009 used my custom "sans-serif" template.

  One of the biggest differences you'll find with my charts, compared to many other arrangers, is that I spend a lot of time laying out and formatting pages to make sure that they're easy to sight-read for live performances. I make sure that each individual part is easy to follow and optimized as best as possible. (Some other arrangers might do this for you, but they charge a lot more extra.)

  I've had a ton of compliments on the quality and presentation of my charts and my clients tell me that they're so straight-forward, it takes very little rehearsal time to get them sounding tight. I do take a lot of pride in what I do!

• What are your rates for transcriptions and for custom arrangements?

  The prices for my charts depend on a lot of factors like the complexity and length of the arrangement, what instrumentation you need (how many horns/parts), whether or not you need a vocal part notated out, how many percussion parts, if you need written-out bass lines or written out piano montunos, etc., as well as the individual songs themselves. Obviously a more complicated/busier arrangement will cost more than a simple, straight-forward tune, and my rates for custom arrangements are not the same as my rates for transcriptions...

  It's hard to even give a "ballpark estimate" because it completely depends on your requirements. (In the past, I've charged as little as $20 and as much as $500 for my charts.) I take an immense amount of pride in my work (I'm very much a perfectionist) and I always make sure that my clients get a lot of value for their dollar. I've had a steady and constant demand for my charts, so I know that my prices are very competitive.

  Please contact me with the details of your request and I will be glad to discuss my fees with you on a per-song basis. The more details you can provide me, the sooner I can get an accurate price quote to you. (If you can, sending me YouTube links to the exact versions of the songs you're looking for definitely helps speed things up.)

• Can I get a discount if I order more than one arrangement from you?

  I do give a discount to regular customers who order from me on an on-going basis. As for new customers, I offer a discount when ordering at least three charts at a time.

• How do I place an order, and how do I pay you?

  All you need to do to get started is contact me and I'll get all the information I need from you via email.

  In the event that I need an audio file from you, I'll provide you with a link to upload the file to my iDisk – it's extremely easy to use and very straight-forward.

  Once we've established your requirements and have agreed on all the details, I'll send you a payment request via PayPal. (You don't need to open an account if you don't already have one.) The whole process is quick, simple and very straight-forward and I'm very good about walking you through it, and keeping you informed along the way.