Arrangement: Less is More

You've often heard this, for sure. Everyone says it: "less is more." But how does that apply to music? What if you WANT to have a "busy," dynamic part? What if you want your whole piece to be FULL of sound? Where does that leave "less is more?" Surely there have been successful songs and even classical compositions which are "rich in sound" and definitely don't sound like anything's "missing" there...?

Welcome to the world of arranging. "Less is more" does not mean "take EVERYTHING out!" It doesn't mean "don't use instruments which you would like to use." In fact, all it means is "be mindful of SPACE" in music. Let it breathe! And even that doesn't mean that you "must." It's only a recommendation, but a very heathy one.

It's all because of how our attention works. Picture a canvas filled with ornaments, design elements, all sorts of things. And all that is supposed to be a background for the "centerpiece," whatever it is How easily will you spot that centerpiece? How quick before you get tired of even looking at that picture?

It's very similar to the "less is more" principle in musical arrangement. Clutter your arrangement too much and you'll distract the ear from the central point of your message. Conversely, and in all fairness, if you don't do "enough" you might simply bore your listener.

OK. But how do you learn the art of "tasteful" arranging? As with anything in life, it takes time and patience and... study. Listen. Analyze. But, there are some useful shortcuts. Most indie arrangers are already quite experienced and they don't need the basics - they just need some things cleared up.

Let's use a "pop" track as an example (this could be anything from rock to R&B to country, etc). What is the barest minimum a song needs to "communicate?" Well, presumably the performance (vocal and instrumental ie. at least one instrument) and the song's inherent melodic and chordal structure. Will that be enough to "work" in your target market? Perhaps not. So, what does your target market expect? Let's start with the beat. It's pop after all! And that's drums and bass. Work out the rhythm section (and keep working on it) until it can stand on its own. It's gotta "groove" and "sit" just right. With a tightly arranged rhythm track, most songs almost don't "need" anything else. You'll find that most pop songs will work with just the basic (very well arranged) drums, bass and perhaps a rhythm guitar or rhythm piano, etc. Let these instruments complement each other and create a "vibey" and exciting pattern that could almost work as a composition in its own right.

That's the "core." Once you have the core, you can now add extra parts. But only add them when they're needed. Once you hear your song with the lead vocal and rhythm section, you'll easily hear that some parts work just the way they are, and some could use "something" to make them "lift."
But always "resist" adding more instruments. Remember that you CAN - so resist! ;) Before you do, first revise your rhythm section yet again. Keep working it out until you know it's exactly what the additional instrument needs to be and what it needs to do. And only then go on and add it.
In this manner, you'll learn to create "perfect" arrangements, i.e. arrangements which have exactly no more and no less than what's needed for the song to work.

And then there's one more unwritten but really essential rule: music needs to "breathe." It's a very good metaphor. When you breathe, you can breathe "in" or "out" - or "pause" for a moment. Make your music organic like that! You'll quickly discover what works for your particular piece, but always keep in mind that "relentless" events in your music (e.g. constant rapping or repetitive melody or insistent riffs, or progressions without breaks, etc, etc) often spoil the listening experience.

"Less is more" is all about "taste" and as a songwriter/producer/arranger this is by far the most important weapon in your arsenal!

LISTEN TO: 226-Q/Tuesday Jun 09, 2009