5.3 arrangement detail
Adding and removing different sounds creates a rich and immersive experience that helps hook the listener.
Terms:
Atmosphere: Sounds that provide space, such as rain, people in a restaurant, a fireplace, or even the crackling sound of a vinyl record.
Impacts: Sounds like crashes, sub drops, and explosions that punctuate a section change.
Subtraction: Removing some instruments from the last 1-2 beats before a new section.
Rising Sounds: Sweeps and risers that build tension before a new section.
Falling Sounds: Reverse sweeps and risers that create release at the beginning of a new section.
1 | Subtraction
Trim 1-2 beats from most instrument regions before a new song section to make it stand out. This will also highlight any untrimmed instruments.
2 | Crashes & Reverses
Add reverse crashes before a new section and crashes at the beginning of a new section to create transitions.
3 | Impacts
Use low sounds like explosions, sub drops, and impacts at the beginning of new sections to announce their arrival.
4 | Atmosphere
Find ambient sounds like campfires, crowds, and nature to give your song a sense of space.
5 | Drum Fills
Add drum fills in the spaces created by subtraction. These fills add more excitement to the transitions.
6 | Builds & Sweeps
Construct longer periods of tension with 4 or 8 bar builds and sweeps.
7 | Copy The Detail
Repetition also works with the added details. Copy crashes, subtractions, builds, fills, and atmospheric sounds throughout your track.
8 | Outro & Volumes
Bring back some of your intro material in the outro and adjust the volumes to create a cohesive mix.
9 | Full Song Listen
Listen to the detail in the example song. Which details do you like the best? You can also load your own copy of the example by clicking
ON THIS LINK →