Songwriting and performance are key factors in creating a good song. Another factor is the arrangement. That is, deciding which instruments and vocal parts to use in the song, and where they will appear. Even a well-written song needs a compelling arrangement to be recorded as a good song.
In order to keep the listener's attention, the song arrangement must be energetic. No, I'm not talking about dynamic processing, i.e. compressing and limiting audio. I'm not talking about dynamic range either, which is an audio measurement of the difference between the loudest and softest parts of a music file. Here, what I'm concerned with is how to strategically arrange the energy, intensity, and even harmonic structure of a song from beginning to finish, so as to give the listener the greatest shock.
The screenshot below shows the waveform display of a full song. The arrangement of this song is characterized by dynamic changes and reaches its highest level at the end,
One of the big mistakes that many music novices and producers make is to pay too little attention to the dynamics when composing the music. This can cause the recording of a good song to become boring. You can use some of the tips I've given here during pre-production, tracking the process, and mixing process. Create drama
The key to making an arrangement more dynamic is to constantly introduce variety. Some of the key variables include: which instruments and parts appear where, the order and structure of the parts of the song, the harmonic structure (chord progression), how dynamic the parts are, the layering of the sections, and the types of sounds captured in the recording or processed in the mix.
You want to give the song a dramatic arc. In most pop songs, you want the tenseest, most powerful part of the arrangement to come at the end. Think of it as a movie that reaches its peak of excitement near the end.
However, this doesn't necessarily mean that you want to increase the intensity in a linear fashion. A lot of times, the dynamics of the song go up and down. But when the song is nearing its end, it usually reaches its highest intensity.
Use the song structure
A well-written song, due to its structure, already has some dynamic contrasts built in. More often than not, the chorus will be more energetic than the lyrics. As a result, the intensity usually increases as the song moves from verse to chorus. Many songs have a pre-chorus, and the pre-chorus is a part of the song that provides energy to the chorus and gives the chorus the most impact.
Many songs have bridges, usually after a few lines of poetry and a chorus. The role of the bridge is to change the rhythm. It may have different beats, completely different chord progressions, etc. If your bridges are too similar to the chorus, you won't be able to achieve the goal.
Instrumental rests are another element in the arrangement that can change the tempo. The lead singer appears, the lead instrument appears, and this action can create a contrast. In addition, there are often dynamic changes. In the solo section, the energy of the entire band is usually boosted. Alternatively, you can also let the solo start quietly and reach a climax before moving on to the next stanza or chorus. You can even play the solo part in a different key and then tune it back to the original key at the end.
Or, you can even add a key somewhere later in the arrangement. Usually, you'll add a key where the chorus repeats. You have to be careful with this key, as they can sound outdated and old-fashioned. If you don't have any other way to make the repetition more interesting, use it as a last resort. In many musical styles, you will rarely hear the key.
Add or subtract elements
Another way to create a song's dynamic through arrangement is to add or subtract parts. Unlike live arrangements, which typically include all or most of the instruments from the start, studio arrangements often change dynamically due to the addition and exit of instruments.
If you listen closely to popular songs, you will see that one of the ways they arrange them is to add some elements to the continuous passages of the song to make the song interesting. For example, you can add percussion or keyboard pads to the second lyric or second chorus to distinguish it from the first lyric and add a little more dynamics.
Another way is to add an extra background part as the song progresses to the second or third chorus, the pre-chorus, or even the second lyrics. Adding instruments and voices is more subtle than contrasting different parts of the song, such as verses and choruses, but they help keep the listener interested. Even if the lyrics are good, listeners can easily get bored with repetitive song passages that sound exactly the same except for the lyrics variations.
The most extreme way to achieve dynamic contrast by reducing elements is to split a loop, in which most of the instruments stop playing, but the vocals remain. You'll usually hear the breakdowns in the second half of the song, and they usually end with a chorus. A decomposition can be just drums and vocals, or it can be just drums, and there can be some other instruments left in it.
Even if you didn't include a collapse when recording a song, you can make a collavage by temporarily muting the music while mixing. In this way, not only does there be a noticeable drop in dynamics at the beginning of the decomposition, but there is also a significant increase in dynamics when the instrument re-enters.
The prelude is another excellent area of contrast. If you've listened to pop songs, many of them start with minimal instruments, such as vocals and a chord instrument such as piano, synthesizer, or guitar. Usually, bass and drums don't appear until the middle of the intro or the beginning of the first section. Alternatively, sometimes the drums will play a less intense part at the beginning of the song, such as using a side drum instead of a snare drum until the chorus goes into full speed. Another way to create a crash-like effect is to return to the intro later in the song. The diagram below shows the velocity distribution of a hypothetical song, showing the song's crescendo, crescendo, and return to maximum dynamics at the final chorus and outlo.
Create passion with automation
Assuming that the instrumental parts of the song are real instruments, not just MIDI-programmed instruments, it's a good idea to make sure the player knows which parts of the song need to be played louder or quieter. If you're using a written score, you can add dynamic markup. But in most pop or rock recordings, the musician usually plays the song without a written score, perhaps only a chord table. So, sometimes when it comes to the mixing stage, you find that the dynamics of the audio track are not as good as you should be.
One way to fix this is to use the volume auto-change to subtly increase the volume of a specific track (or even an entire mix) when you need to increase the energy. You have to subtly raise or lower one or two decibels. If you're going to write a more obvious change, it might sound unreal.
The highlights below show that the auto-adjustment of the master volume is subtly increased to add movement towards the end of the song.
A related tip is to increase the energy by amplifying the drums throughout the song or near the end. Again, be sure to be delicate. Do not exceed 3dB in volume. You're going to want it to sound like the drummer is "digging a hole" a little. You'll be amazed at how much this breathes life into the drum section.
The screenshot below shows how volume automation can be used to increase the fill volume and breathe life into drum tracks.
Increase the fill volume
Another trick is to use different reverb and delay treatments in different parts of the song. You can use a delay effect on the chorus section, or you can use a reverb effect between verses, pre-chorus, and chorus.
You can also subtly change the sound of the instrument. For example, add a little more distortion to the rhythm guitar in the chorus section. Or add filtering to the synthesizer in the bridge to distinguish the sound from the rest of the sound.
Precautions
Whenever a song is made, it is important to pay attention to the impact of the song arrangement on the final product. As I've discussed in this article, you have a lot of tools to make your arrangements as vibrant and exciting as possible. Don't be afraid to use them.
A good exercise is to listen to some of your favorite songs and analyze how they have evolved over time. Pay attention to which elements appear at the beginning, whether other parts join or exit, and how the dynamics change. You might be very surprised at how the arrangement develops.