trimph1
Now, having figured out, roughly, what the above terms mean, I'm on to the next conundrum, for me. 
I've been perusing some articles on Soundonsound about arranging and have basically come to realize that I do really need to understand what arranging actually is and how it works in my pieces...you see, a big part of my issue is that I am not all that confident in my so-called music reading abilities to know how I could do this kind of thing.
So, having gone and said this...what kinds of resources are there for a complete dimbulb like me...???
The cool thing about songwriting trimph, is there are no rules really. Arrangements to me are the chapters in a book. You know how I mentioned in the other thread that my guitar solos always have a beginning, a middle, a climax and an end? Same deal with my arrangements. However, sometimes you may alter "the formula" so to speak...other times there IS no formula...you just write things and try to glue them together.
Let's try to come up with a basic formula for you right now that you can try to use and see if you can come up with something from it, ok?
I'm sure you have a few riffs or ideas you may have been toying with. Does one of them stick out to you as "the hook" or the main theme of the song? If so, this part could be your "chorus". You have choices here. You can take the Kansas approach for example say...Carry on Wayward Son. The hook was what they started the song with...then they went into a riff, then a verse.
Or, you could start with a riff, then into a verse, then a pre-chorus which is sort of like the "get ready for the chorus" part. But it's always different. You may want to do a verse right into a chorus and then a band riff or something or a small solo section for a sax or piano...then back into your next verse.
In your verses, you tell your story. In your pre-chorus you set them up for your chorus and lead them into it...for your chorus you feed the main line of the song. A bridge before or after a solo section (if needed) can be the resolve of a chorus or a part that just sort of breaks the monotony.
For example, in some of my songs, lets say a love song...I'd tell the story in the verses, build up the pre chorus for the chorus and hit with the main line. At some point, if I add a bridge that part is usually a resolve. Like say I've been crying through the song due to a broken heart all through it. The bridge is usually me getting stronger, wiping away my tears, telling her to kiss off and I hit with an aggressive guitar solo. Then back into the chorus, maybe a power riff with the band and then end.
But it's always different. Think of the song as a story and your arrangement helps you to write the story based on your moods. You may have a song that starts out mellow and in a minor key to paint a picture. It may pump up a bit and wind up major and happy once you get the sad stuff off your chest in the song. See, each mood and piece you glue together, is a chapter. Like I said...beginning, middle, climax, end....like a story...or a movie.
That's just one formula. You don't have to use any formulas at all...you can just go off the cuff and experiment with different parts and see how they sound when you glue them together. Sometimes people over-think this stuff. Just go with the flow brother and throw a few things together. You'll know if they work or not. You just feel something when you know you've made the right decisions...and you definitely know when you've made some wrong ones. LOL! Hope this helps. :)
P.S. The Matrix in Sonar is an awesome tool for this. Any time you get a new riff or something in your head, log it and save it to a folder. Over time, this folder fills up with cool ideas. When you have a fair amount, open up Sonar, and put the pieces into The Matrix. This way you can just drag and drop and put them in different orders to see what may work and what may not. I wrote many songs using this method.
As a matter of fact, remember my version of The Coffee House Band's "Countdown to Insanity"? That whole thing was written in sections as an experiment. I recorded ideas that I liked and then brought them into The Matrix and messed around with them until I came up with the arrangement I liked best using the parts I had created as well as the parts the band had created.
Once I had it the way I wanted it, I had it glue the whole thing together as a song, and that was my template to record from. I still did it in section because of trying so many different things, but the matrix really helped me there and has helped me several times due to how it just lets me drag and drop as well as reverse orders or put things in between etc. Definitely a cool tool that doesn't get as much recognition as it deserves in my opinion. :)
-Danny
post edited by Danny Danzi - 2012/05/22 22:25:38