How to Arrange a Track in Under 10 Minutes with Music Theory

Hello and happy new year producers! This video and post focus on the initial core of sounds, and getting them to work together for the foundation, before diving into a full arrangement. Motif, hook, rhythm and harmony make up this core.

Motif

• Repeats and creates a distinctive sound

• Recognizable and unique

• Mine is made up of vocals, but has a very rhythmic element to it

• Has interesting melody

  • Delay can bring versatility to it, as well as automation that creates movement

• Mood and narrative

  • I personally like melancholic sounds

  • I have courses where you can learn to make a track like this from start to finish, as well as Push 2 and 3, and Ableton Live Performance here.

    
    

Hook

• I use a vocal hook with lyrics

• You can experiment with range. For example, I used higher pitch vocals so that it shines through in my arrangement

• Emotional impact with harmony and/or lyrics

  • what makes a track good

  • repetition is important

Groove and Rhythm

• Pulse with percussion and drums

• Dynamics (distance between loudest and quietest)

• Layering

  • all started with groove built from the following, listed bottom to top:

    • boom kick

    • higher kick

    • snare

    • percussion

• Syncopation

  • Percussion kit, slightly off beat and random

    • adds an interesting groove into the track: listen at timestamp 5:50

  • hi hats add drive and feel

    • when I want to grow the tension, I add much harder hi hats: listen at 6:10

Harmony

• Emotional resonance of the whole track

• Bass adds the harmony quality that takes the track forward. Mine is from an Ableton Live Pack

• Learn how to sidechain here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7Cgio7Dc8Y

• Voice leading is key to take the listener from one place to another, with MPE. MPE stands for MIDI Polyphonic (meaning multiple melodic lines) Expression. This allows you to control multiple MIDI Parameters at once. Follow along with timestamp 8:04. Creates harmonic structure and emotional support.

Check out my book, "Creative Confidence and Music Production" where I dive deep into the roots of perfectionism, and how to overcome our fears when it comes to our creative work.

To build on this knowledge, check out my video, Arrangement 101, and in general, if you feel like you want to learn in more detail, check out my all my course offerings here.

Are you looking for more creativity tips, community, and inspiration? Join my inclusive community on Patreon. :)