will make up the final arrangement . The Voice Memo app is a perfect tool for capturing those musical doodles . Once I ’ ve got the various parts recorded I like to give them a listen . It still surprises me how different things sound and feel once I stop playing . Because I ’ m still in the moment , this is a great time to go back in and make inspired tweaks if need be .
CRAFTING AN ARRANGEMENT Coming back to a Voice Memo after the fact can be a sobering experience , but it can also be the fuel that reignites the creative fire . Once I ’ ve determined that an idea is truly worth pursuing , crafting an arrangement becomes my next focus . This is where the investment I made in coming up with all the parts while the creative juices were flowing really starts to pay off . Arranging is like painting a house . It is generally not a good idea to start painting before you ’ ve finished pouring the foundation . For me , these are two distinct phases for which I use two distinct approaches .
Using my painting analogy , arranging is like finding the perfect balance of how much color and where . I personally find it very frustrating to try and create a final arrangement while I ’ m still trying to fill in missing parts . Again , by having given myself permission to live in the creative zone when I was coming up with the parts , once I get to arranging I can start thinking versus feeling my way through this particular part of the pre-production process . While this is not a one size fits all thing , you might try giving this strategy a whirl if you ’ re feeling that your current approach is falling a bit short . Regardless of how you get there , before you take a song to your worship team or band to rehearse , I ’ d suggest making a recording of the actual arrangement . Having time to live with your arrangement will be a huge help when it comes time to workshop the song with your team or band .
REHEARSAL ASSETS
[ Arranging is like painting a house . It is generally not a good idea to start painting before you ’ ve finished pouring the foundation . ]
When Classical musicians are first asked to improvise , they often freeze . Music as they ’ ve known it has always been written note for note on a page for them to reinterpret . When presented with an original composition , many Worship musicians face a similar challenge . The good news is that if you approach showing your team or band your song in much the same fashion they learn other songs , you ’ ll be setting everyone up for success .
SHARE YOUR ARRANGEMENT The great thing about Voice Memos is that you can easily share them directly from the app . Giving your team / bandmates some time to live with your song is a great way to get them
THE REHEARSAL invested in the process . It ’ ll also give them a chance to craft some parts of their own before rehearsal .
WRITE + SHARE A CHORD CHART If possible , also give them a chord chart to work with . If you ’ re don ’ t feel ready for the task , try reaching out to a keyboardist for help . Planning Center is a great vehicle for sharing these kinds of assets , while eMail is arguably better for gathering feedback .
Be sure to share your vision for the song . The more you let the musicians know what a song means to you and how you feel it will move your audience or congregation , the closer they ’ ll be to realizing it . It is also a good idea to give them an idea of what your goals are for the rehearsal , as well as what you are looking for from each player . I ’ d also suggest taking a moment to play the arrangement for them before you start rehearsing . Chances are that in the busyness of life , someone there might not have had a chance to listen to the version you shared .
A DYNAMICS CHART In addition to having extra copies of the chart you already shared , I ’ d also suggest creating a dynamics chart to get everyone on the same page in terms of the song ’ s dynamics . The below chart features the names of the sections as well a number from one to ten , representing the dynamic intensity for that section . This kind of chart is easy to write and even easier to read … Intro 8 Verse 1 4 Pre-Chorus 5 Chorus 1 6 Verse 2 5 Pre-Chorus 6 Chorus 2 7 Bridge A 5 Bridge B 7 Chorus 3 8 Outro 9
LOOPING SECTIONS If you wrote a song for your Church ’ s Worship team , remember that many services have a time where the speaker will talk as the band loops a section . Noting that this is something your musicians are most likely used to doing this in a service , getting them to loop each section of your arrangement is a great way to bring your song to life . Don ’ t leave a section until it feels right .
RINSE AND REPEAT Once the band can make it through the song from start to finish , pull out your iPhone and record a Voice Memo so everyone can hear how they sound together . Talk about what worked and what didn ’ t , and if time permits record another take with the appropriate fixes .
LIVE WITH IT The final Voice Memo from these pre-production sessions gives you the ability to make a number of critical decisions about your song in terms of the key , tempo , arrangement , and dynamics . Living with these recordings is key to deciding whether you are ready to start the multi-track recording process .
Nov � Dec 2016 ChristianMusician . com
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