If you find your music tends to be repetitive or boring after it plays for a bit,
you may need to apply certain techniques to keep things interesting.
But don't worry. In this video,
I'll be breaking down 3 easy to follow tips that can help you make much more exciting music.
This includes when to switch things up throughout your entire song,
the way you can change things,
and how many tracks in the playlist you should be using.
Stick around.
(Electronic Music Arrangement Tips)
Hey everyone, Jake from Transverse Audio here.
The first tip I want to talk about is known as the Rule of 8.
To put it simply, it just means that you have to switch some things up every 8 bars.
Now, this doesn't mean you have to strictly stick to 8 for each section.
But for example, you could have 8 bars for your intro,
then 8 bars for your verse or breakdown
followed by an 8 bar chorus or build-up,
then your drop.
And in the case of a drop, you can even have it as long as 16 bars.
You would just need to add some elements in or take some out halfway through.
And, I would suggest adding them in, if it's the drop.
- Just to keep things evolving and creating more energy to keep it going.
Now, this is just the minimum in my opinion for most music.
What you would want to do is add in automation or some kind of movement
throughout the entire pattern itself.
You can also change things up every 4 bars at some points in your arrangement to keep things moving.
I like to write 4-bar melodies that have slight changes every second loop or pattern.
The last thing I want to say about this is that you shouldn't have everything change too much either.
You want to keep things consistent so people can follow along.
next tip is going to help you keep your music evolving and will make it easier to stick to the first tip.
The basic idea behind this is that you should make 3 pattern variations
for each element in your song's structure.
In other words, 3 slightly different melodies,
chords, basslines, percussion loops, etc.
And you don't have to make or use exactly three.
The point of doing this is to have different combinations to use in your music.
And it doesn't just have to do with the way you arrange your notes either.
You can have different effects being applied with or without automation and even in parallel,
or you could layer in more sounds or even use entirely different ones.
Now for an example of the arrangement side of this,
you can see that in this track I used pattern 6, 7, 6.
Then later on in the song, I used a 3rd (and kind of 4th) pattern.
I'll play each one to show you how you can make something slightly different
while keeping it close to the original.
[Example of melody variations]
The last tip is more of an approach or mindset on how to make music.
What inspired this was something called the 24 track Rule.
What it means is you shouldn't have more than 24 tracks
as it may indicate a poor arrangement and will be harder to mix.
Now, I don't agree entirely with this rule but there are some big takeaways we can get from it
when thinking about the arrangement.
The first thing is that it can make EQing and balancing levels more difficult.
Think of it. The more tracks you have, the more relationships you have to manage.
One track may have conflicting frequencies with another
and some tracks may need to have their volume automated or constantly adjusted
to match new tracks being added.
Bottom line, the more tracks, the more work.
The second thing is; without a defined scope or limit,
it can lead to unnecessary elements being added and can take way more time.
- Especially important when dealing in the film or game industry
or working with a client where deadlines are important.
And number 3; following the rule can force you to make a better arrangement.
By planning, keeping only the most important things,
and deciding on what doesn't really contribute to your song.
Now, there are some exceptions to the rule. For example, if you're making orchestral music,
double-tracking certain elements, or are using mix-buses, you may have more than 24 tracks.
But, the big takeaway with this tip is that you should be conscious of your decisions
and be meaningful with how you approach structuring a song.
I hope those 3 song arrangement tips will help you become a better producer.
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As always, thanks for watching!