The Star-Spangled Banner

This arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner is intended to be playable by a minimum of three wind or mallet instruments, and it is written specifically for bands that are young or have limited instrumentation. It will sound best with at least one percussionist in the ensemble if possible. Its purpose is to enable small or young groups to deliver a solid performance of one of the most important pieces that bands play. An optional piano part is included to help with rehearsals or to reinforce the existing part 1,2, and 3 lines. It closely follows the wind and mallet parts for each line. The flexible format for the piece should allow directors to maintain a reasonably balanced instrumentation even in small bands where the variety of instruments may vary drastically from year to year. Fermatas have been removed from this version so that the tempo stays steady throughout. Instead, the traditional held notes and pauses are written into the notation at tempo. The print format is done in marching band folio size to allow for versatility for both marching and concert groups. I wrote this for my own bands to use in a rural setting just after the pandemic, and it was a tremendous help in both indoor and outdoor settings. I hope it serves your groups as well as it served mine.