For remixes or originals: advice on finishing an arrangement

[jordanrooben]

Recently, I've been having some difficulty taking a melody and backing, and turning that into a full song. Any advice?

[Meteo Xavier]

That's a very broad and nonspecific question. You'll need to specify it down further to get a useful answer.

For example: what is your method for starting out here? Do you just have the melody and chords and trying to design a song around that? If so, that may be the problem right there - it's like trying to build a house from the roof down. You might need to start with everything else first, write it around to accommodate the chords, then put the melody on last.

[Chimpazilla]

I'm starting a new mix with just a bassline and some basic drums. While I loop that, I'm taking the melody and messing with it... turning it into little motifs and arps and stuff. Eventually I'll come right out with the melody, but not yet, but soon I'll play the melody in a recognizable fashion (after I've toyed with the listener for awhile). Then halfway through or so, I'll do this process again and come up with some kind of breakdown based on the melody, and later on, some wicked solo with the melody as countermelody, or something.

Have fun with it. Try a few different kinds of ideas, and string together the ones that work.

[timaeus222]

That isn't that broad of a question. It's specific enough for me to answer. If I have a hard time filling out the arrangement, I find an inspiring sound first, and base an intro on that. If it's inspiring enough, I can fill out the other instrumentation.

Having a melody already:

I occasionally try to find a temporary bass sound for a bassline if I'm not incredibly clear on what I want to do yet, and then build chords around that bassline since all basslines have implied chord progressions. That gives me a good if not decent direction for the intro or section I'm having trouble with finishing. Then that should make it easier to choose a better bass sound later.

Having drums/rhythm already:

This makes things easier. Just write a bassline that follows the groove, then try to see the implied chord progression if that helps you to find direction. I tend to write the melody around a groove if I can. Also, groove here doesn't necessarily mean four-on-the-floor.

Having an inspiring sound only:

I write out the melody with that and build an atmosphere based on the implications of that sound. For example, a spacey arp will make me want to add a touch of phaser, some radio transmission SFX, and maybe a

(which, @Kristina, could be using an Exophase filter in Zebra, btw). Edited November 2, 2013 by timaeus222

[Chimpazilla]

T can you explain what the exophase filter is? I'm not sure what I'm listening for there. Sounds like something neato to try though, whatever it is.

[timaeus222]

T can you explain what the exophase filter is? I'm not sure what I'm listening for there. Sounds like something neato to try though, whatever it is.

It's a type of phaser effect available in Zebra2's FX tab in any of its "OSC" modules. In this case it creates the vocal-like "whoosh" in the opening drone in that Starcraft 2 song.

A classic 7-stage phaser is applied to the original wave. This effect is equally useful for static coloration or resonant sweeps.