Arranging Novice keyboard players often overlook the fact that you are not limited to using the sounds coming out of your keyboard only where the manufacturer put them.
You can use anything anywhere.
For example if your keyboard has two or more options for the same rhythm and you change from the first version to the second version of the same accompaniment do you hear any interesting drum breaks leading from one to the other? Can you use these drum breaks elsewhere? Make a note of them.
Likewise, how do the other elements change? Does the piano arpeggios suddenly change into a challenging brass section? Do the same with you right hand voices.
Too often we stick with those we are familiar with but some of those other voices can be used to advantage.
It is possible to discard a voice without giving enough thought to how it is set up and if your instrument allows you to adjust such things as sustain, DSP, chorus and reverb those unused voices might be turned into something useful.
Sometimes a soft voice that we do not use as our main voice can be added to great effect as a second voice.
It is also surprising that many players are unaware of some voices - such as percussion.
Some instruments include several drum kits to be used with the right hand and not the accompaniment.
If you have these consider how they might be used to add percussive highlights to your arrangements.
Many voices are discarded as not being of much use but once we start considering special arrangement they can be utilized to great effect for a bar here and there, to punctuate or make a stronger point.
Once you start to think about arranging, mixing and multitracking you start to see that you are no longer limited to just 2 hands.
The easiest way to start your own arranging is to listen to your favourite music and attempt to copy it.
When playing from printed music we simply accept the closest preset accompaniment on the instrument and this is all very good but how far away from the actual recording is it? Can you get it closer? If you are taken by a magnificent drum break two thirds of the way through can you build that into your own arrangement? Are there any nice arpeggios that could be introduced leading up to the chorus.
Mixing and Multitracking So you have been practicing your favourite piece and you have added everything that it is possible to add while playing with just two hands but it is not quiet what you want so let's add some extra tracks to it.
Plug everything in.
Launch your recording software.
Start a new 'project' in the software and open up a new audio track.
Click on record and start your music.
If you can separate the tracks out from your keyboard so much the better because you might want to manipulate each track individually but if you can't just record the whole lot into one track.
Make sure you have set up your 'Tempo' track to the same beats per minute as you used on the keyboard.
Taking the example above about adding a drum break.
Add a second audio track in your software.
Turn on the drum sequence you have found on your keyboard that fits the bill - make sure it is at the same tempo - Hit record and start the drum sequence.
You now have a second track with nothing in it but a drum sequence.
You will be able to find out where to put it by listening to the original track and watch the tempo grid until you find the spot and move the drum segment to that spot.
You might want to use the same segment elsewhere so just copy and paste it.
We will deal more with multitracking in the next article of the series