Getting the Arrangement Right

So you've written a song, and you want it to have the best possible presentation. You may have already done the piece as a solo performance, and even made a bare-bones recording of it that sets up and possibly locks in its compositional structure. But you want to give it a different or more expanded feel. That means developing and executing an arrangement -- a musical re-conceptualization of the work in question.

Whether you expand the instrumentation, add harmonies, rephrase the melody or alter the structure, an arrangement will usually add greater depth and richness to a song -- sometimes enhancing the mood inherent in the piece and sometimes altering it. Depending on the instruments and melodic hooks that might be added, the result might be more memorable.

It's interesting to contrast versions of the emotionally-moving song "Times Like These" by Foo Fighters, from its initial release as a careening, full-blown rock blast on the group's album "One by One"; to a gently elegant acoustic version which is largely just Foo leader Dave Grohl on vocals and guitar with a bit of keyboard accompaniment; to the elegant cover of the number by country-pop star Glen Campbell, featuring a glorious orchestral backing that recalls some of his yearning 1970s hits.

These three takes on the same material are disparate in vibe, and each is powerful in its own way. It's all about the arrangement.