Simplifying Arrangement for Smaller Setting (Part 1)

As I've written before, less is more. Sometimes when you arrange a song for your church setting, you need to simplify the arrangement compared to the original arrangement because of  various reasons. Major reasons including: smaller setting (less players), smaller building, or smaller number of congregations. Unless your church has thousands of people coming every week, I believe most of smaller churches need to simplify their music to fit the condition of the local church. However, I want to say that simplifying arrangement really doesn't mean we are compromising quality. With a simpler arrangement, we can still promote a strong and powerful music.

For the first example, I would like to show the song 'You Deserve' by Hillsong. They show us how to simplify the arrangement of their song for a smaller setting. I will then summarise the tips that the musicians give us in order to simplify the arrangement of a song.

First video: Album Arrangement.

Second video: Simplified Arrangement.

Tips from the musicians

Guitar

• If you can't really play 16th note really well on the electric part, 'cheat' a bit. Use delay instead, so you can play 8th note but sounds similar like 16th note.
• Sometimes, you need to let the acoustic guitar drive the song and the electric guitar player need to sit back a bit.
• Replace fancy lines and unnecessary riffs with more simpler lines or just play chords.

Keyboard

• Keep it simple and even unnoticeable. Play pad sounds to make the arrangement sounds fuller.

Bass

• Lower your volume in a smaller setting so the bass will not overpower other instruments.

Drums

• Simplify the notes (e.g. simplify kick to a simple fourth note) so you are not too busy with the note.
• Prevent to hit the crash cymbals for timing as it will sound a bit washy. You need something that have more definition on the sounds (e.g. if you hit the crash, you need to keep the hi-hat going so it will have more definition). Instead, you can hit the bell on the ride to keep the timing noticeable by other musicians in the team.
• Remember that a drummer is the one who holds the tempo for the whole team.
• Hit the drum kits softer and tune the kits, so even you play it softer, it will sound like you play it louder.

to be continued...