5 Essential Tips for a Better Song Arrangement

How can you construct a good-sounding song arrangement that will capture the listener's attention and effectively tell the story of a song? In this article, we'll go over some critical aspects related to the structure of electronic music that will help you better understand how to build an appealing and practical arrangement.

Choose the Genre of the Song

As you begin the arrangement or production process, you should know what genre(s) the song relates to. Once you've decided on this, finding a handful of reference songs will be pretty helpful. In both the arranging/production and mix/master phases of any song, reference tracks are essential. This can be applicable whether it's a light listen for inspiration or dissecting how someone else handled a specific situation (breakdown to drop, for example). It's not about copying styles or artists. It's about setting a standard to refer to.

The Intro

If you're into producing electronic dance music, you've probably noticed that most songs begin with a somewhat stripped-down kick drum and rhythm section. This is often long enough for the DJ to mix from one song to the next. Even though this is a gold standard in electronic dance music, your song might also benefit from more ambient, "beat-free" intros. Experiment here. Feel free to break away from the routine now and then.

Less Is More in Your Arrangement

It may sound cliche, but it's true. Modern software allows you to have as many tracks as you like in a project, which may seem liberating at first, but it also quickly makes you go overboard if not careful. Just because you can include over ten synth lines does not imply you should. Good arranging can be as much about what you leave out as what you leave in. While producing many great recordings might sound complicated, the arrangement often isn't. Less is more, and with this, you should be rigorous. If you're unsure whether anything is working or adding value to the song, seek the advice of a trustworthy friend or a fellow producer. It's easy to lose sight of the big picture.

Working with Bars

Many of us start tracks from the first timeline bar in the DAW and build the arrangement from there. Using the timeline's 16th, 32nd, or 64th bars as a 'sketchpad' to start ideas for future drops, switches, breakdowns, and build-ups might be a good alternative. This allows you to transition easily from the eight-bar loop stage to constructing different track sections. Then, you can try connecting them and listening to how they flow together. At this point, you're working on the arrangement level.

Think outside the Box for Your Arrangement

Try putting a filter or stutter plugin on your master bus the next time you're stuck on an arrangement idea. Stutter and glitch effects may result in distinctive build-up or fill sections, while high-pass filters and high-shelf cuts are ideal for producing significant breakdowns. These plugins could spark an exciting and surprising idea you can use immediately. Bounce it as audio and toss it into the mix if it works.