One of my favorite parts of the music production process is arranging, or part writing. One of the most important things I’ve learned about part writing is leaving space in the arrangement. I love when a song has a bunch of parts that each serve the song in their own way. I used to approach part writing almost as if I were writing a solo arrangement for each instrument in the song. In other words, I would play a lot of notes or a lot of chords on each instrument throughout the entirety of the song. The result of this was that mixing it was a challenge, because each part was fighting for space. I figured out over time that it’s okay for a guitar part to be silent for a few measures, and then come in with a cool riff where it can really shine and justify its existence, rather than droning on the whole time in the background. I don’t mean to disparage parts that intentionally sit in the background in order to add texture. But each part should have a function and a reason for being there. Sometimes, I’ll write a song on the piano, and then after I arrange the song and go to mix it, I realize the piano part that I built the song around is actually superfluous and muddying up an otherwise great arrangement.

 

One thing to strive for in an arrangement, depending on the song, is making each part memorable and catchy. A great example is “Blue Monday” by New Order. That song creates a massive sound with very few parts, but each part is a hook in and of itself. The kick drum pattern, the sampled choir, the “spaghetti western” guitar, the synth bass, the strings – you notice and appreciate each one when they come in because they’re all catchy in their own way.

 

I’m also a big fan of parts that only come in for little moments. An example of this is in Dolly Parton’s “Love Is Like A Butterfly”, there’s this cascading chromatic piano part that comes in a couple times in each verse. And that’s basically the only time you hear piano in the song. Or another random example is “This Guy’s In Love With You” by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – the song starts out with this electric piano, but it’s done after 4 bars and never comes back. It only is there to play the intro. I think if it were me arranging that song, I’d be tempted to layer that electric piano in other sections of the song.

 

The takeaway for me is practicing restraint in writing parts and being intentional with the parts I do include. Is each part supporting the song? Is the part meant to stand out and be heard, or is it meant to be layered as texture in the background? If I mute the part, do I miss it?