FAQs
Lush Life Music : Frequently Asked Questions
At Lush Life Music we take customer satisfaction seriously, and the following information provides answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you are unsure or need further help or clarification, then please do not hesitate to contact us.
- How do I search for a chart on this web site?
- We have tried to make searching as easy as possible. There are a number of ways of finding what you want:
In the top right hand corner of each page you will see a box with a magnifying glass. This quick-search box will search for artist, title and in the description of the chart. So, to find an Artie Shaw chart just type in “Artie” or “Shaw” and all of the relevant results will appear. To find a song that contains the word “love”, simply type “love” in the box and a list of charts will appear.
At the top of each page you will see two “drop-down” menus, “Instrumentals” and “Vocals”. By rolling your mouse over these menus, or selected them on a mobile/tablet device, you will see a list of performers. Just click on any of these and you will be taken to a page showing all of our charts for that particular performer.
- We have tried to make searching as easy as possible. There are a number of ways of finding what you want:
- Can I set up an account, so I don’t have to re-enter my details every time I place an order?
- You certainly can:
If you are placing your first order on this site, you have the option to either checkout as a returning guest or a new customer and also to create an account or checkout as a guest. Once you have selected created an account, you be asked to choose and confirm a password. Please make a note of your password, or have your browser remember it. The next step is to fill in your details, and these will remain on your account.
Once you have logged in you can see your past orders, manage your shipping and billing addresses and edit your password and account details. When you are logged in and you want to place an order, your shipping details will automatically be filled in once you reach the checkout page.
Please note that when you set up an account, you will NOT be asked to supply any credit card details or other personal financial information.
- You certainly can:
- When I checkout and try to pay, my payment fails
- There might be a number of reasons for this. The most common are:
Your browser might be running script blockers. These will stop the cart and payment gateway from working correctly, so please disable any blockers whilst using our site.
If you are ordering from outside of the UK please remember to check with your card provider that your card is able to be used for international transactions, otherwise our payment gateway may not be able to process your payment and our site will not accept your order. A quick call to your card provider is usually all it takes to solve the issue.
Our payment gateway, Stripe, supports the following browsers:- Chrome and Safari on all platforms
- Firefox on desktop platforms
- Android native browser on Android 4.4 and later
- Internet Explorer 9 and above
- Microsoft Edge
- If you are using an old browser version that is no longer receiving security updates, please upgrade to a newer version.
- There might be a number of reasons for this. The most common are:
- What do I get when I buy a Lush Life Music Big Band Chart?
- You will receive a pack containing (usually) 17 band parts – 5 saxes – 4 trumpets -4 trombones and 4 rhythm (Piano, Bass, Guitar, Drums), plus the vocal part(s), and a full score of the arrangement. If the instrumentation differs (for example tacet parts) these are listed in the score as tacet and on the cover of the set, but not included as parts.
Piano parts: Usually double stave (occasionally single) comprising bass line on the left hand and chord symbols in the right. They are not like the piano parts from the older Dance Band style of arrangements. Where required by the arrangement, fully written out passages are included.
Bass parts: A mix of written notes and chord symbols. Easy grades tend to be fully written out. Advanced arrangements will have a mix of both.
Guitar parts: Chord symbols and rhythmic patterns.
Drum parts: Fully written only where required. Generally a guide to the drummer rather than an instruction. Band rhythms are notated, usually on the top line.
Instructions: All dynamics are clearly marked, as are articulations and rehearsal letters. Measure (Bar) numbers are usually indicated.
Media: All parts are printed on 100g paper, A3 or A4, and every arrangement comes with a full score included. Occasionally we include an extra instrument part in addition to the vocal part, making a vocal playable as an instrumental.
- You will receive a pack containing (usually) 17 band parts – 5 saxes – 4 trumpets -4 trombones and 4 rhythm (Piano, Bass, Guitar, Drums), plus the vocal part(s), and a full score of the arrangement. If the instrumentation differs (for example tacet parts) these are listed in the score as tacet and on the cover of the set, but not included as parts.
- I don’t want the whole chart. Can I just buy the score?
- Sorry, but the answer is no. We only offer complete arrangements – all parts plus a score.
However, if a score is needed for competition purposes, please contact us.
- Sorry, but the answer is no. We only offer complete arrangements – all parts plus a score.
- Can we email your music as a PDF file?
- People often ask if we can send them their music electronically as pdf files, instead of by mail. Sorry, but at the moment the answer is no. Under the terms of our copyright licenses, we are the only people allowed to reproduce our charts. If we send you a full chart as a pdf file, then it will be you who will print out the music, and therefore be in breach of Copyright law. So, for your protection we don’t let this happen. Therefore all of our music is sent as hard copies via postal or courier services.
We are examining some options for pdf delivery and as soon as this option becomes available we will let you know. We can offer our free charts as pdf files simply because we own the copyrights, and are happy to give them as pdf’s.
The internet is now a big place, and some websites have been known to offer some of our charts for sale as pdf copies. Anyone who sells pdf copies of our charts is doing so illegally, and anyone who buys them and prints them out is in breach of copyright too.
- People often ask if we can send them their music electronically as pdf files, instead of by mail. Sorry, but at the moment the answer is no. Under the terms of our copyright licenses, we are the only people allowed to reproduce our charts. If we send you a full chart as a pdf file, then it will be you who will print out the music, and therefore be in breach of Copyright law. So, for your protection we don’t let this happen. Therefore all of our music is sent as hard copies via postal or courier services.
- How much does shipping cost?
- This is dependant on the weight of the order and will be displayed at the checkout
- Please remember that some counties will impose import tariffs and duties on certain types of merchandise which the receiver will have to pay before delivery can be made. If in doubt, please consult your local customs authorities prior to placing your order.
- How long will it take for my chart to arrive?
- We aim to ship all orders within 2 business days of receipt of order. We may take a little longer during particularly busy periods. The average delivery times from date of dispatch are:
Location Airmail Shipping Courier Shipping Europe 10-14 working days 2-5 working days North America 3-4 weeks 7-10 working days South America 3-4 weeks 7-10 working days Australasia 4-6 weeks 10-14 working days
These are the times quoted by the postal service, though they are not guaranteed. Sometimes orders will arrive sooner than quoted, and sometimes they may take longer, especially during busy times for the mail services such as Christmas and Easter.
- We aim to ship all orders within 2 business days of receipt of order. We may take a little longer during particularly busy periods. The average delivery times from date of dispatch are:
- Can I return my purchase?
- Sorry, but we cannot accept returned goods if the chart is not suitable for your band. Our sample scores, audio files and brass range information is there to help you decide whether the arrangement is suitable for your needs.
We will of course accept returns for goods that were defective or shipped in error.
If you wish to make a return for another reason please contact us and we will be happy to discuss.
- Sorry, but we cannot accept returned goods if the chart is not suitable for your band. Our sample scores, audio files and brass range information is there to help you decide whether the arrangement is suitable for your needs.
- How are our Big Band charts graded for difficulty?
- The arrangements are graded as Easy, Medium and Advanced, or a combination of these. The general rules are as follows:
Easy: Straightforward instrumental and rhythmic passages. Brass ranges are not overly demanding. Lead Trumpet may reach a written top C, Lead Trombone a top A or Bb. The instrument voicings are designed to sound rich and full. Solos tend to be written out.
Medium: Suitable for competent College, amateur and semi-pro bands. Brass ranges tend to be higher, with lead Trumpet parts reaching top D or Eb, and Lead trombone parts top B,C or C#. Solos are usually ad lib from given chords. Tempos may be faster, and good sectional techniques are required.
Advanced: Playable by experienced musicians, probably in a good semi-pro or pro band. Some arrangements may be graded here because of particular demands on only one or two players in the band, whilst the rest of the band may have easy or medium parts.
Because a chart is rated easy doesn’t mean that it is not interesting to play or listen to. Night & Day is easy, yet is great in performance. Three’s A Crowd is challenging, but will not suit all tastes!
If in any doubt about an arrangement, please contact us.
- The arrangements are graded as Easy, Medium and Advanced, or a combination of these. The general rules are as follows:
- What do the Instrument Ranges mean?
- In the individual chart descriptor pages on this site we give the instrument ranges for all 8 of the brass in each big band arrangement. These are the highest notes played by each part and are written “as played”. Therefore when the 1st Trumpet shows G5 for example, it is sounded as a concert F5. For reference, middle C is C4.
What does actually C4 mean? We decided to use the American Scientific Pitch Notation, also known as the Acoustical Society of America System, which defines middle C as C4, based on the layout of a standard grand piano. We did this because Big Band music, particularly swing music, has its roots in the USA, so it seemed right to use the US system. If you are in any doubt, please contact us.
- In the individual chart descriptor pages on this site we give the instrument ranges for all 8 of the brass in each big band arrangement. These are the highest notes played by each part and are written “as played”. Therefore when the 1st Trumpet shows G5 for example, it is sounded as a concert F5. For reference, middle C is C4.
- Can we offer charts in different keys, to suit different voice ranges?
- We are sometimes asked if we can transpose charts to suit the vocal ranges of different singers. Unfortunately, but at the moment we don’t offer transpositions of our charts, for a couple of reasons:
Firstly, our print and production facility is not suited to produce “one-off” prints, as it is designed for bulk production.
The other issue is that by simply transposing the charts to a different key some of the instruments may well move above or below their playable ranges. This would then mean us having to re-score or re-harmonize the whole chart, which would be a time consuming process, and would detract from our production of new works.
- We are sometimes asked if we can transpose charts to suit the vocal ranges of different singers. Unfortunately, but at the moment we don’t offer transpositions of our charts, for a couple of reasons:
- Pricing and Currency conversion questions
- Our charts are sold in UK Pounds Sterling. If you are ordering from outside the UK, and pay by credit / debit card, your card provider will convert Pounds Sterling into your own currency automatically using their exchange rate at the time, and usually at no charge. You will usually see the transaction on your statement in your local currency. Also, please remember to check with your card provider to ensure that your card is able to be used for international transactions, otherwise we will not be able to process your payment and ship your order.
To get an idea of what our charts will cost in your own currency, you can click on the currency converter link on our home page. Please note that this tool is NOT a guarantee of the exact rate that will be used for your order, because it will be your card company that will do the conversion using their own rate on the day that your charts are charged to your card.
- Our charts are sold in UK Pounds Sterling. If you are ordering from outside the UK, and pay by credit / debit card, your card provider will convert Pounds Sterling into your own currency automatically using their exchange rate at the time, and usually at no charge. You will usually see the transaction on your statement in your local currency. Also, please remember to check with your card provider to ensure that your card is able to be used for international transactions, otherwise we will not be able to process your payment and ship your order.
- Adobe Acrobat
- All of our sample scores are written in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, so that files are small in size, readable by just about any PC and can be printed out to suit your printer and size of paper. So you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 5.0 or higher. If you already have Acrobat Reader on your system please check the software version. You can do this by launching Acrobat Reader and clicking Help on the menu, and then About Acrobat Reader. The version number will be displayed.
The reason that you need version 5.0 or higher is that it integrates with your web browser, so that when you download a PDF file it appears in your browser window, and you can view it immediately. Also the files are smaller and therefore quicker to download. Our files will probably open in version 4.0 but may not display properly. If you do not have Acrobat Reader you will not be able to see our score samples.
- All of our sample scores are written in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, so that files are small in size, readable by just about any PC and can be printed out to suit your printer and size of paper. So you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 5.0 or higher. If you already have Acrobat Reader on your system please check the software version. You can do this by launching Acrobat Reader and clicking Help on the menu, and then About Acrobat Reader. The version number will be displayed.
- Website Security
- Payments made via our website are handled by Stripe, which can accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club cards, even Bitcoin and Apple Pay.
This website’s payment gateway conforms to PCI-DSS standards. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard “PCI DSS” is the global card industry security standard, which is established by five major international payment brands, JCB, American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, to enhance cardmember data and transaction data security.
When placing an order on our website, you can be confident that your card and personal information will be safe and secure. We do not keep or store any credit card information on this site or on our computers.
- Payments made via our website are handled by Stripe, which can accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club cards, even Bitcoin and Apple Pay.
- Delivery to EU member states
- From July 2021, there have been changes to the way VAT applies when making Business to Consumer (B2C) supplies of goods delivered from the UK to EU states. (Note: There have been no changes to the rules on electronically supplied services such as downloads or subscriptions).
Lush Life’s objective is to ensure you receive the physical goods you have selected and ordered as quickly as possible, with minimum delay and without the need to separately pay VAT locally before taking delivery in EU states.
Our B2C courier arrangements define you the customer as the Importer of Record of these goods. Our carriage and packing fee incorporates associated costs and therefore our invoice will show items as zero rated exports for UK VAT purposes.
Our supply of goods will be treated as made on a B2C basis if a customer cannot supply a VAT and EORI number when ordering on behalf of a business or other type of organisation. We hope this clarifies your delivery and duty/tax charges, but if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us.
- From July 2021, there have been changes to the way VAT applies when making Business to Consumer (B2C) supplies of goods delivered from the UK to EU states. (Note: There have been no changes to the rules on electronically supplied services such as downloads or subscriptions).