Stylistic and genre-specific arrangement considerations
Every artist has a unique style influencing every single decision in the studio – from recording, sound selection and processing aesthetics through to structural positioning, arrangement and mixing. Although there are plenty of all-purpose tactics you can use to arrange a track idea out into a full song, there’s never one blueprint to suit every scenario. Song length, tempo, density (both in terms of number of tracks, and the sonic space each takes up in the mix), genre, destination (eg, club or radio) and artistic taste all dictate structure. Yet the fundamental requirement of an arrangement is to keep a listener interested and engaged for the duration. How that is achieved is irrelevant – especially to the listener!
Genre is obviously a huge factor that defines how a track unfolds. As one example, a film composer arranging a virtual orchestra may need to stack hundreds of tracks and negotiate a complex arrangement. Likewise, an EDM producer will fill a track with multiple layers of drums, synths, etc; which all come together to form completely contrasting breakdowns, builds and drops. In these cases, the density of each instrument in the mix is key, both sonically and stylistically. The arrangement will constantly segue through different sections, taking the listener on an intense journey. The tricky part here, of course, is transitioning through these sections in a smooth, natural way.
Conversely, a minimal-techno producer will eke out the maximum amount of tension/release and interest from only a handful of rhythmic and musical elements. Club-destined genres such as this, which often centre around only a drum groove and bass loop; accompanying stabs, vocal chops and FX then serve to push the track along and emphasise that central groove. Density and change play less of a key role here – instead of stacking and interweaving dozens of disparate sounds and layers, the arrangement approach involves manipulating, subverting and evolving one or two repetitive themes. Throw in too many sounds, and the overall idea’s simplicity and effectiveness will be gone. Automation, filtering, timbral shifts and rhythmic variation are instead the methods used to keep a very basic groove interesting.
To summarise, the arrangement process is never a ‘one-size-fits-all’ process. A song’s development over time is probably the most important aspect of a track’s appeal; it’s the defining factor that will keep listeners engaged and the dancefloor on its feet. Therefore, the only way to discover the song structures that suit your specific sound is through trial and error. Even if a specific trick worked in your last track, it may sound terrible in the next one! But by gathering experience over time, integrating methods you like from your personal memory bank of musical taste, and practising the process of arrangement on a regular basis, you’re most likely to carve out your own structural niches and signature techniques.
Finally, remember that the best outcomes can often be achieved by going completely against the grain and trying something leftfield! A great example of structural subversion within popular music culture is the Beach Boys’ iconic
Good Vibrations – a complex, evolving record that tore up the rulebook in comparison to the era’s formulaic pop structures, and is still considered one of the most revolutionary compositions of all time.