Music Arranging - How to Arrange a Song

Ingredients: The lyrics and the melody.

Explanation: Song structure is the first task to tackle. Take a piece of paper and go to a quiet, comfortable place. Listen to the song in your head a few times. Then, start writing the layout.

A layout should be in a format similar to the following song structure: verse -- chorus -- verse -- bridge, and so forth. Choose the sequence you think serves you best. Just because Elton John sang in song in a certain order, doesn't mean you have to. Decide on an intro, how many repeats, musical interludes, breaks, endings, whatever sequence you wish your song to have. Keep in mind, also, that usually shorter is better.

Result: You have a strong song structure, a map of how the song will go.

Next: 2. Select your band instruments.