Today, some checklists based on the arrangement tips from last time. After you’ve written your song, ask yourself these questions.

 

• What do the instruments do?
• How do they fit together?

 

• Do they change or stay the same?

 

• Are their parts simple or complex?

 

• Do the overall dynamics change? e.g. loud/soft, fast/slow, full/sparse arrangement
• Does the tempo change?

 

• Does the overall level of complexity, texture or no of notes played per bar (8ths, 16ths 32nds) change drastically anywhere?

 

• What layers does it have? g. rhythm, bass, harmony, melody

 

• What different textures does it have? g. melody and accompaniment, counter melody, polyphony (lots of interweaving melodies), homophony (block chords)

 

• Is there anything unusual or interesting about the way things are sung or played?

 

 

And to analyse each section, try adapting this form (see key below)

Song:                                                                                                               Historic Placement:

Layers: Rhythm, Bass, Harmonic, Melodic

 

Key

 

Syncopation – using off beats

Implied harmonies – chords created by different melodies/instruments working together

Diatonic – fitting into a major or minor key

Chromatic – lots of sharps and flats, notes which do not fit the key

Modal – using different scales to major minor (e.g. blues scale)

Ascending/Descending – going up/down