More music goodness.In this podcast, I cover three topics in regards to arranging that can help you, not only if you're an arranger, but also an engraver, songwriter, composer, performer. or whatever you do for fun. MAKE SURE YOU SMASH THAT LIKE BUTTON, AND $UB$CRIBE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE.
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Notes on this podcast for reference:
All About Arranging:
Tips For Arranging - Engraving Tips:
- Setting Templates Of Common Arrangements
- Organise Everything into folders, and have a folder of all the charts you’ve ever made on a USB somewhere
- Edit Shortcuts so that they make the workflow fast. Eg. changing Text from ‘Ctrl+T’ to just ‘T’
- Not confusing 6/8 with 12/8, and vice versa
- Double bar lines at section changes look professional as
- Always transcribe in the original key, or have a note saying ‘Original in Em’, or whatever it is
- It can look messy, but writing the normal chords on top, and directly underneath them, have chords for a Capo on a certain fret
- Write lyric cues in songs that are very vampy
- Write with enough detail that a professional could sightread it.
- Don’t forget to put a tempo, or at least feeling in top left
- Write bass lines in bass clef, and treble lines in treble clef
- Three pages max for a lead sheet, anything else better be worth it
- Sometimes, using whack D.S. signs is not worth as much as just having a three page chart.
- Try to not have D.S. signs going to previous pages
- Write what the effects the instruments should be using. Eg. Rhodes sound, Distorted guitar, 8vb bass pedal.
- Have a program which can slightly shift pitch if you come across a song that is tuned a quarter step up or down
- Write dynamic markers where appropriate.
- Even if it’s a four chord song, don’t just write those four chords and leave it. The band needs to know form, esp for dynamic changes, extra bars, and builds.
- Blues songs are written in the key signature of the major key, even if the melody is primarily minor pentatonic notes
- Sometimes things that sound like improvised fills are actually specific written parts. Check live version from the same artist to see if it’s a consistent melody/part
Tips For Arranging - Finding Inspiration For Arranging Ideas:
- Listen to lots of Jazz musicians playing standards. Because of how standard the songs are, they have to find new ways of being creative with them.
- Listen to a certain style of music, then try sing a melody from a different style in this new style.
- Listen to a lot of new music
- Listening to great sampling musicians (J. Dilla is my favourite) is a great way to think of new textural and form ideas for arranging
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Tips for Arranging – Mentality Tips:
- Find the balance between keeping it simple and pleasurable, and exploring new ideas.
- Record/Write everything. There is always a delete button, but there is no ‘remember’ button.
- This might be silly to mention, but actually know the original song very well. Know what the minute details were that made it sound like itself.
- Along with that, know the style you are arranging into very well also. Know what the common chord progressions, melodic syncopations, and structure quirks different styles have.
- Try to not compromise one musical category for another, for too long. Eg. writing something very rhythmically complicated, which only stays on one or two notes. It’s OK to do it, but have different sections in the song which refrain and satisfy other categories which will become lacking.
- Let a thing be itself. You will often come up with an idea, but the classification of the idea will make it seem, in your mind, like it was a predictable choice. It may be, but you do have the curse of knowledge, hav
