Recording - October 2013 - 60

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Quick! Find a Quirky, Playful Love Song!
Let’s say you have an opportunity to pitch a song to
an ad agency looking for “quirky, playful, upbeat
songs about falling in love.” (TAXI has run many
listings like this!) What does that kind of song
sound like? Do you have a song that sounds like
that? You could take a guess. You could spend
hours searching for ideas. Or you could go to a
playlist of “Love Songs” that you’ve created and
search for those you’ve tagged as “quirky,”
“happy,” and “upbeat.” Maybe you’ve even put
one of your own songs into the playlist.
If you don’t have a song with this feel, maybe
you’re interested in writing one. It’s a very popular style with advertisers. You’ve heard plenty of
ads that use this style – Subaru, Lowe’s, Travelers Insurance, Volkswagen. You can quickly get
into the mood, and maybe grab a few ideas that
will get you started just by listening to a few of
the songs from these ads, songs you’ve added to
your playlist. What kinds of instruments are

“All successful music supervisors keep
lists of songs that have potential for
other uses. “
being used? What’s the attitude of the singer?
What does the rhythmic groove feel like? Could
you blend some of these ideas with your own
style to create something new with that feel?

of work but, in the end, it can save you hours of
searching for song examples and help you get
your new songs solidly in the genre, mood, or
energy level you want to pitch!

instruments to capture the essence of your song.
You want to put the energy and emotional feel
of the song across to the listener in the most
direct and effective way.

Simple Broadcast Quality for
Film & TV

Three Good Reasons to Record a Barebones Arrangement

If you’re pitching your songs to the fast-growing
Film and TV song market – or thinking about it
– there’s one challenge that might seem a little
scary: Broadcast Quality recordings. But wait...
although it might feel like a big problem, it
really isn’t. Read on!

Broadcast Quality Basics
In the film & TV market, your song (or instrumental track) will be used “as is.” Production
schedules don’t allow time to remix or request
changes from you. In terms of recording quality,
your track needs to be ready to go competitive
with similar tracks that are being used in the
market. When you start looking at the competition, here’s what you’ll find...
Many of the songs used in prime time TV series
are by unsigned artists working with very limited budgets. Just like you, they need to keep
costs to a minimum. Their tracks often feature
stripped-down, barebones arrangements – anything from piano/vocal or guitar/vocal with
minimal overdubs to small live band tracks.

Create a Searchable Playlist
You can use iTunes to create a playlist then
input keywords and descriptive information on
the “Info” page (File > Get Info). I use the
“Grouping” box for a description of the energy,
emotional feel, and overall mood of the song,
plus the instrumentation and vocal (male /
female). I use “Comments” for lyric theme and a
few key words from the lyrics. Then I can easily
search for an “Upbeat / Quirky / Happy” song
about “falling in love.” I just type a word or two
in the Search Box in the iTunes window.
There are no hard and fast rules, just arrange
songs so you can quickly find and hear them.
When you hear a song in a commercial or TV
show, notice the emotional feel (sad, happy,
playful, urgent, angry). If you can’t identify it
easily, you can often get a clue from the scene
itself. If it’s a song you think is a good example,
go over to iTunes and buy it. Or stream it if you
use a stream-on-demand service with playlists.
Enter the genre, emotional mood, lyric
keywords, and any scene information that will
help you find this song later on.
Good playlists represent a considerable amount
60

And consider this: In film & TV, the most popular tracks by blockbuster Rock bands like Foo
Fighters and Pearl Jam are the “unplugged” ones.
In other words, a barebones arrangement that
features vocal and lyrics is often your best bet.
Sure, you’ll hear those big Electro-Pop-Dance
tracks with layers of synth and piles of drum
loops playing in the background in club scenes.
But the featured uses – the songs played in the
final scene of the show or that big montage without any dialogue – these are often stripped-down
arrangements with an emotional vocal right up
front. You can do this!

What Is a Barebones Arrangement?
For a barebones arrangement, a single
instrument, such as acoustic guitar or keyboard,
plus a vocal may be all you need. Adding a bass to
anchor the bottom keeps the arrangement spare
and yet fills space. Percussion – shaker,
handclaps, brush drums, foot stomps, or an interesting loop – adds rhythm, vibe, and texture.
Basically, what you’re aiming for is an arrangement that uses the minimum number of

1.) A minimal arrangement allows the singer to
be the focal point of the song, creating an intimate, emotional sound that works well in scenes
with or without dialogue.
2.) For home studio recording, a simple
arrangement is likely to give you the best outcome. The less you have to juggle in the
recording and mixing process, the better!
3.) A stripped-down arrangement moves any
song toward the singer-songwriter genre, which
is currently a much-in-demand style in prime
time TV dramas and indie films.

Five Keys to Simple Production
1. Use dynamics
Even in a minimal arrangement, you still need to
change the dynamic level of the track in order to
keep things interesting. Adding a single vocal
harmony part can lift the energy in the chorus.
Adding a second guitar or bass can boost the
complexity of the arrangement. Remember that
every sound counts and every performance must
be solid. If you’re not a strong musician yourself,
hire one. They need the work. ;-)
2. Fill space
Determine the note range of the vocal melody
then build your instrumental arrangement
around it. The vocal will usually fill some portion of the midrange, so when working up your
guitar or keyboard part pay special attention to
the higher and lower note ranges. The low notes
can anchor the arrangement much as a bass part
would. The high note range will add color and
fill space above the vocal range.
Shane Alexander’s “Shipwrecked” is a good
example of a rhythmic guitar arrangement that
surrounds the vocal. (Added strings and haunting synth effects fill out the arrangement on the
choruses.) “Make It Without You” by Andrew
Belle is a good example of a piano arrangement
that surrounds the vocal and supports it.
3. When a steady rhythm is needed...
A rhythmic strumming style on acoustic guitar can
lay down a groove that eliminates the need for a
drum track. Listen to Damien Rice’s “Cannonball”

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Recording - October 2013

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