Our family has put together some arrangements, but I’m wondering if there’s any apps/programs/tips that are helpful for putting together an arrangement for a song in the context of a band. Hopefully that makes sense.
Lindbloms?? @Lindbloms11 @Luke_L @Lucy_L @Flatpickin_Libby @Timothy_L
Process for arranging a song
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When we first got started, we would mostly copy arrangements from our favorite bands. We still do that occasionally, although when we do that now it’s intentional because we want to pay a tribute to something iconic that doesn’t need to be changed; when we were just starting out I think it was because we didn’t know what else to do. 
Copying arrangements is actually great because it teaches you the ideas. It shows you what bands do with a song to be creative and yet not too unusual. One mistake we used to make though, was thinking we had to play in the same key of a recording we were copying, even if it didn’t fit us as singers. Now we change up keys as freely as we want to, and if something is just too weird of a key change we just don’t do that song.
These days, we usually have discussion time during rehearsals where we each suggest songs we’d like to learn next. (Some in our band have the special knack of saying “no” to almost every song without contributing any suggestions of their own they WOULD like to do. Those older brothers - oops - I mean band members - sometimes just get less say in the final choice, whereas the lead suggesters might get more! 
) We almost always have a few songs on our “to get to next” list. Or, I or my mom will write one and then bring that original to the group. If the majority of us want to do a song, particularly if it means something to the lead singer, then we do it. It’s important to choose songs that mean something to you and fit you. In my opinion, a family band that could present a really nice message but instead just chooses to sing meaningless (or gross) songs is not going to present something very appealing, no matter how interestingly or impressively that song is arranged.
Once we’ve chosen our song it’s usually my job to type out a lyrics and chords sheet for the band. I guess this would just be one person’s job, so definitely choose a leader to head up your song arrangements. I print out a sheet for everyone and email them a PDF too. I’ll often consult with my sister Lucy about choosing the key and deciding on which lyrics we want to combine if there are conflicting versions of lyrics. I’ll also often decide a basic plan for the order of solos, who plays the kickoff and ending, and who plays the filler licks over each verse and chorus; and I’ll write this all out in the paper too. We still make a paper for almost every new song we do even if we already have the words and chords memorized. We also plan out which instrument does the filler licks for every section of every song (or sometimes, there are a couple of instruments playing something together, and that’s all planned out). I’ll also choose the metronome tempo and write that on the paper. Don’t skip this step - every song needs to have a determined tempo! We do sometimes end up changing that number around during rehearsal, but we do a ton of metronome practice together and individually so everyone needs to know what each song’s number is.
In our rehearsals, we play off the paper as a base, but then we just talk to get creative. Sometimes we will sit around and ask each other, “What could we do in this song that’s different?” If we’re playing a cover song, we talk and decide if we want to emulate the original ideas or stray from them. If we’re doing an original or bluegrassing up something from another genre, it actually can be easier to think of creative ideas because there really are no rules. We all contribute ideas and we try to TRY everything we suggest by playing it and seeing if it works. One of us might say, “We should push the rhythm before verse three” or “The last chorus would be good with slower bass notes and a half time mandolin chop”, and others of us might feel like instantly shooting down that idea by saying it wouldn’t work well. (Ok - this does happen sometimes…) But we force ourselves to try the idea anyway and just see how it sounds. That’s the best way to be creative. You have to experiment musically together in real time. Just talking - or, just typing out an arrangement on the computer - won’t help you hear everything that might be possible in a song.
Those are some of my best tips! Would love to hear others’ thoughts! (Well maybe not my siblings’ because they’re supposed to just agree with everything I said)
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Thank you! That’s very helpful.
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I forgot to mention working up the harmonies. We vocalists will get together separately to do that, outside of band rehearsal. Also for the individual solos, it’s up to each person to work on their break outside of band rehearsal time too, but I suppose that’s obvious!
You’re welcome!
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In my small bluegrass trio, we generally cover other peoples tunes. We will learn it in the original key so that we can all play along with the recording as we practice just to get the cords under our fingers once we’ve got the changes down then we “bring out our little friend, Mr Capo” or we change it physically to a new key to benefit our singers… That’s generally not much of a problem for us because our lead singer could be a professional female vocalist if she wanted to and she has perfect pitch memory so when she hears a song she locks in on it - she’s fine and she has all the range in the world. Now I am primarily the bass player in the group and I get stuck singing the tenor part. Don’t know why that is. But I am cursed or blessed depending on your definition by being able to hear all the parts that need to be sung in my head so she will sing the melody the other guitar player will pick a harmony and then I will find the note that is left and jump on it. And that’s almost always a high tenor part. I used to hate that. In my mind, I wanted to be JD Sumner. (if you know you know). I want to sing the bass part of a tune. Alas, we are only a trio, so baritone - the other guy, tenor - this guy, soprano the lady singer.
If that tune is a truly iconic song, then whoever is going to take the lead break many times will do his best to learn it exactly the way that the original artist did it because that’s what people want to hear in a tune like that. We’re not stuck there - many times we will do whatever we want on the break. this is a good discussion, folks! I loved reading what Libby had to say. Mr G out
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