Principle #6 - Building up your song

A song is like a movie. It builds up through time. The plot thickens as time goes by until it reaches climax and the tension is resolved.

We do not dump everything in the music at the first bar.

Why? Because there will be nothing new to look forward to in the next bars for the listeners.

It is also like cooking. You do not dump all the oil, spices , onions , meat and vegetables all at one shot into the wok. You need to first heat up the wok. Then you heat up the oil. And fry the onions . Then the meat and .. you get my point.

A good song arrangement is a song that builds up until the climax and the tension is resolved in the end.

Give your listener bit by bit and get them hooked onto your music and finally bring them to a climax and end the climax.

We add or subtract instruments , for example:

• We start the music with only the bare minimum - the rhythm section - drums , bass and piano. Drummer plays just the rimshot
  

• We add the strings in the second stanza. Drummer plays rimshot and bass drum
  

• We include the brass in the chorus. Drummer plays snare and bass drum.
  

• We put in a saxophone solo in the instrumental part.

• We climax with everything. Drummer can play his crash cymbals tastefully here.
  

• and perhaps end with just the piano.

• and we start this all over again with different instruments for the next song.