Song structure & arrange view

Music Lesson: Creating a Cohesive Arrangement

Moving to Record or Range View

So, the next stage is to actually move over into what we call Record or Range View.

1. Double Click the Stop Button
   This ensures that none of these clips are able to play.

2. Start Recording

   • Go up to the first scene and click Record.
   • Start triggering the scenes.
   • Get rid of the metronome as it's not needed right now.

Live Recording and Adjustments

In Section 2:

• As you can see, by launching these scenes, if I press Tab on my keyboard, you can see that it's actually recording these scenes as I'm generating them into this arrangement.
• A lot of the work is done for you.

Structure Review

My structure is now here, and I'm fairly happy with it. However, there are a few adjustments I'd like to make:

• Trim the Ending
  The ending feels like it goes on for a little bit. I'd like to trim this back a touch.

• Adjust the Bass
  With the bass, I'm just going to pull out its original length. I recorded just half the bass and then repeated that half. I actually just want the full thing.

• Linking Sections
  These two sections don't necessarily link particularly well, so I think I will drop a little section of the audio here and maybe drop the first kick as well.

Volume Fades for Smooth Transitions

To help with introducing elements rather than having them come in at full volume one at a time, I'll do little volume fades:

• I've put the claps back in.
• When the percussion comes in, let's add a little volume fade.

Creating a Volume Fade

1. Select the Track
   Click in the track where the little red line represents the volume automation.

2. Adjust Volume

   • Click before it and pull the volume down.
   • This creates a nice little fade-in for the percussion layer over time.

3. Fade at the End
   I'll do the same at the end of the track, pulling down the percussion and likely the bass too.

Working with Clips

One way to create fades is to:

• Grab a clip, right-click, and select Show Fades.
• Pull in a little fade.

Joining Sections Smoothly

To connect different sections, especially during a key change or verse-chorus structure:

• Manipulate the Audio
  Cut some of the audio just before the new section comes in.

• Reverse Audio for Effects
  For instance, in the section we jump back to, I will double-click it and then reverse the audio. This creates a nice little drum fill with the drums going backwards for a moment.

Final Steps

I think I'm pretty happy now in terms of the structure. The next thing to do is to start adding effects, mixing it, and making it sound more cohesive as one piece.