Scoring Express Template - Best Practice for Reducing Big Band Instrumentation

Dorico
1

I got the Scoring Express templates set (which look amazing btw) but I use them for a unique size group: a Little Big Band with the following instrumentation…

3 Saxes (who play multiple woodwinds)
2 Trumpets (occasionally 3)
2 Trombones (occasionally 1)
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drum Set
(occasionally vibraphone or aux percussion)

Well, I loaded a big band template and removed the instruments I didn’t need and things got a little haywire. So I assume I didn’t do it correctly. What’s the best practice with these for reduction like this?

2

Could you be more specific about what “got a little haywire” means?

3

Yep…score spacing collapsed in a few places (alto got really close to tenor). In general, spacing didn’t look as good as the defaults or the template. Mostly that.

But my main question is, what’s the best way to edit instrumentation when it requires changing the number, not just the type, of instruments?