Song Arrangement
One of the first steps in the recording process is to think about your songs arrangement. What I mean by arrangement is; what instruments you will use, when and where you will use them, what equipment and effects you will use and what techniques you will use while playing your instrument.
A songs arrangement plays a big part in the overall finished sound you're going for. Think about the song "Knockin' On Heavens Door" by Bob Dylan and then compare it to the Guns 'N' Roses cover version of the same song. They sound completely different although they both use the same chords, lyrics and melodies. All that has changed is the arrangement.
To be honest arranging a song is something that most songwriters do unconsciously. They would use a certain instrument/effect etc. purely because it's there natural taste and preference but the magic happens when you actually start to think consciously about your songs arrangement, you will start to notice a whole new world unravel at your feet.
Some of the skills involved in song arrangement are:
- Delaying an instruments entry until the right moment
- Knowing when to remove an instrument
- Understanding which instruments belong to a particular style
- Not overusing a sound to the extent that it becomes ineffective