Guide
How to arrange a song for your band
An arrangement decides who plays what, when. A great one makes a five-piece band sound full and an eight-piece band sound clear. The trick is to think in roles, not instruments.
The five jobs in any arrangement
- Melody: the tune people sing along to. Usually the voice; otherwise trumpet, violin or right-hand piano.
- Harmony: the chords. Keys, guitar, accordion, sustained strings.
- Bass: the root movement. Bass guitar, cello, left-hand piano.
- Rhythm: the groove. Drums, rhythm guitar, piano comping.
- Colour: counter-melodies, hits, pads and fills. Horns and strings shine here.
Every instrument should have one main job per section. Problems start when three instruments fight for the same one.
Step 1: Make a lead sheet
Write the melody with chord symbols and the song form (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro). Everything else is built on it. If you're working from a recording, transcribe the melody and chords first and ignore the rest.
Step 2: Choose the key for the singer
Find the lowest and highest melody notes and check them against the singer's range. Moving the key by a step or two is normal; do it now, before any part is written.
Step 3: Map the energy
Sketch which instruments play in each section. A typical pop shape:
| Section | Who plays |
|---|---|
| Intro | Keys + light drums |
| Verse 1 | Voice, keys, bass, drums (hi-hat) |
| Chorus 1 | + guitar, full drums |
| Verse 2 | + string pad |
| Chorus 2 | + horn hits and counter-melody |
| Bridge | Drop down: voice and keys |
| Last chorus | Everyone, step up in key |
Building up and dropping out is what makes an arrangement feel like it goes somewhere.
Step 4: Write the bass line and drums
Bass and drums lock together: the kick drum usually lands with the bass on beats 1 and 3 (or wherever the groove puts it). Start simple, roots and fifths, then add passing notes into chord changes.
Step 5: Voice the chords
Keep keys and guitar out of each other's way: guitar strums in the middle register, piano takes the low-mid with the left hand and higher voicings with the right, or plays sparser rhythms. Avoid thick low chords below middle C; they turn to mud.
Step 6: Add colour sparingly
A trumpet answering the vocal line, a violin holding a long note through the chorus, a cello doubling the bass an octave up in the last chorus. One good idea per section is plenty.
Step 7: Check ranges and transposition
Make sure each part sits in a comfortable range and that transposing instruments (trumpet in B♭, alto sax in E♭) are written in their own key. See our instrument ranges cheat sheet.
Step 8: Print parts and rehearse
Each player gets their own part with rehearsal marks matching the score. After the first run, simplify anything people struggled with.
A faster way to start
Medley Writer separates a recording into instruments, transcribes each one, and writes a full arrangement for your line-up (voice, keys, guitar, bass, drums, violin, cello, trumpet, accordion), ready to edit in its score editor.
Useful next reads: how to write a horn section, how to write a bass line, and the free instrument range checker.
Let Medley Writer do the transcribing
Upload the songs, choose the parts and the order, and get a full arrangement for your band with the transitions written in. Free during the beta.
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