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    36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio: For the Small Recording Studio Series, #4
    36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio: For the Small Recording Studio Series, #4
    36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio: For the Small Recording Studio Series, #4
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio: For the Small Recording Studio Series, #4

    By Amos Clarke

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    About this ebook

    ABOUT THIS BOOK

    36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio is a straight-to-the-point compilation of song arrangement techniques that will help you create great song productions. This book has similar content to the author's other book, Song Arrangement for the Small Recording Studio. However, 36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio is formatted into an easy-to-read, tips-based book that is a perfect companion in the studio for the songwriter, producer or mixing engineer. Included in this book are brand new tips not covered in the author's previous book, and each tip is topped off with a summary of key points and suggestions on how to apply the tips to your own songs.

    ARRANGEMENT IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE SONG PRODUCTION PROCESS WHICH IS REGULARLY OVERLOOKED IN LESS PROFESSIONAL MUSIC PRODUCTIONS

    For the small studio operator, focusing only on the mix, the recording, or the master is simply not enough if you want to craft great music. Implementing good arrangement techniques can enhance an original composition well beyond its original intentions, creating a song production that can hook your audience and have them coming back for more.

    GREAT ARRANGEMENT CAN MASSIVELY IMPROVE A SONG PRODUCTION IN SO MANY WAYS

    From refining the structure and improving artist performance, to optimising repetition and developing the lead elements, the arrangement is a critical key to crafting engaging music. Further refinement can be done by such things as focusing on 'clash detection', 'filling the holes', and visually mapping the dynamic energy flow of a song. These concepts and many more are covered in this book.

    COVERS A RANGE OF WELL-KNOWN AND LESSER KNOWN ARRANGEMENT TECHNIQUES

    Each tip has an overview, a short and detailed explanation with examples, and all topped off with a brief summary and ideas on how to apply the tip.

    JOIN MY READERS' LIST

    Please join hundreds of my other readers and get relevant, useful resources, like templates, diagrams, and special offers.

    GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!

    36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio can work as a great studio reference for the mixing engineer, the songwriter or the producer.

    For the price of a coffee and a doughnut, you can get years of experience that will enhance every song production you work on from here on in.

    So what are you waiting for?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAmos Clarke
    Release dateJan 11, 2016
    ISBN9781522722564
    36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio: For the Small Recording Studio Series, #4

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      Book preview

      36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio - Amos Clarke

      Introduction

      Who is this book for?

      If you’re a mixing engineer who still finds that your songs aren’t sounding the way they should, even after you’ve sunk loads of cash into gear and plugins, then this book could be for you.

      If you’re a songwriter who struggles to put the polish on your songs that they deserve, then this book could help take your songs to the next level.

      If you’re a music producer who feels like something is missing from your production process, then this could be the book that enhances your skills and helps reshape your entire approach to production and arrangement.

      ––––––––

      What is this book about?

      This book is about crafting great songs. It’s about transforming existing compositions into song productions that will keep your audience listening and coming back for more.

      At a more detailed level, this book focuses on song structure, managing repetition, and the manipulation of a song’s musical patterns. It delves into designing a song’s dynamic energy flow, the contrast of song sections, and how to leverage artist performance to improve the overall song production. And there’s so much more. The intention of this book is to provide you with new tools and ideas, and a fresh perspective on how to transform almost any song into an engaging listening experience.

      36 Song Arrangement Tips for the Small Recording Studio, is a summarised version of its big brother book, Song Arrangement for the Small Recording Studio. The most salient topics have been extracted and summarised into bite-sized chunks, along with some brand new content. If you want more in-depth information, explanations, and examples about each of the tips in this book (and more), I suggest getting hold of my other book, Song Arrangement for the Small Recording Studio.

      ––––––––

      How this book can help you!

      This book is deliberately written to be short and concise so you can start implementing the ideas and concepts into your own song productions as soon as possible. It’s an ‘all meat, no filler’ approach to getting the most information to you in the shortest and quickest possible way. Each tip has a clear explanation of what it is, how it works, and why it’s important. Included is a short summary with practical ideas for applying the tips. Terms shown in italics include a definition in the Glossary.

      I sincerely hope that this information expands your knowledge and helps you get more from your music endeavours.

      ––––––––

      Let’s get going.

      1

      Structure

      Deliberate focus on the structure is a critical aspect for the success of any song

      ––––––––

      The structure of a song is commonly shown in a format where a letter is used to denote each song section. Each section commonly relates to an 8 bar length (although this can vary). An entire song structure can be shown using a format, like in this typical rock song:

      A A B A B C B

      A = verse, B = chorus and C = bridge.

      This song structure is:

      Verse 1, verse 2, chorus 1, verse 3, chorus 2, bridge, chorus 3/outro.

      ––––––––

      The AABABCD structure has the following features:

      a) It starts with two verses, but only has one verse after chorus 1 to increase the perceived pace and avoid listener boredom.

      b) It’s typical of a rock or pop radio hit format.

      c) It will likely have a total duration of around 3 – 4 minutes depending on the tempo.

      Simpler song structures can incorporate a Refrain (hook) and exclude an actual chorus section, such as the AABA format in, Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers) and, Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel). Another simple and effective pop structure is the ABAB format used in Material Girl (Madonna) and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police).

      It’s easy to fall into the habit of composing songs with little consideration for the structural arrangement. This is common if you’re the sole songwriter and your focus is on, say, recording or mixing. Paying attention to the structure by applying this format will almost certainly improve the finished song.

      Careful attention to a song’s structure allows manipulation of the pace, energy and duration of the song, to name a few. For example, changing the format from AABABCD to ABABCD removes verse 2, gets the song to the chorus quicker, and gives more momentum: perfect for radio airplay. Alternatively, your song could immediately capture listeners with the hook, by starting with a chorus, like in Animals (Maroon 5).

      ––––––––

      Other example structures:

      A A B A B C B B - I’m not the only one (Sam Smith)

      B is the chorus

      A B - Feel like making love (Roberta Flack)

      B is the chorus

      A B A B C B B – Love, love, love (Avalanche City)

      B is the chorus

      A B C A B C A B C – Another one bites the

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