Hey Bud,

I guess I was talking about recording “arrangements” and not stuff that could be played live with a four piece band. I am not against those types of songs—I think some of the best songs are one guitar and one vox, actually.

But as we move into the discussion on home studio recording and “how do you sound like the radio”—Graham’s observations on solid pop song arrangement are very useful, I think.

Even the Beatles—starting with Sgt. Pepper—continuously moved further and further away from stuff that could be performed live to stuff that could only be done in a studio.

With arrangements in mind, I think he is just saying don’t be sloppy or willy-nilly. Give some thought to what you are going to add in, as SPICE, and map it out. So while we may still be talking about four or five BASIC tracks, we are merely looking at placeholders for occasional sounds or “orchestral bits” to widen the sound. (The orchestral bits can be an electric guitar or a horn, it doesn’t matter, they are in there for “flavoring” as brief moments or very short passages.)

If you look at a classical score in Finale, for example, you will often see 30 rows. For much of it, you will see nothing in the row. But when the bassoon comes in on row 29, measure 50--WATCH OUT! That bassoon part is gonna make the song man.

Arranging a pop recording of the type he is talking about is exactly the same as arranging a classical piece for orchestra.

You have basic tracks, and then here and there you have small, well-planned parts that come in that sweeten the mix in terms of richness and depth.

What I presented in the context of Graham’s advice as a Real Band “spreadsheet”--so to speak--was just one way of keeping track of those sweetening “bits” to remind myself to at least think about them. And I thought it would be helpful to others who may want to modify or make something similar.

Just a tool.

Hope that helps.

David Snyder
Songwriter/Renaissance Man
Studio + Fingers

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