Okuzeka
Music vocabulary · Melody, Form and Songwriting

Arrangement

Meaning in music, with examples

/əˈreɪndʒmənt/nounCommon term

In music, arrangement means: A version of a piece that decides which instruments play which parts, how sections are ordered and how the song builds from start to finish.

In Turkish: düzenleme, aranjman

How it is used

Arrangers and producers write, change or simplify an arrangement; you can have a string arrangement, a horn arrangement or an acoustic arrangement of a song. The verb is 'arrange': 'arranged for big band'.

Example sentences

  1. The new arrangement starts with just guitar and voice and adds the band in the second chorus.

  2. We hired an arranger to write the string arrangement for the ballad.

Common collocations

  • string arrangement
  • write an arrangement
  • acoustic arrangement
  • arranged by
  • horn arrangement
  • composeTo create an original piece of music, especially instrumental or classical music, film music or music written down in notation.
  • producerThe person who guides a recording project creatively and practically, shaping the sound, the arrangement and the performances, and often programming or engineering too.
  • verseA section of a song that tells the story or develops the idea. Verses usually share the same melody but have different words each time.
  • chorusThe section of a song that repeats with the same words and melody, usually the catchiest part and the one that contains the song's main message or title.
  • orchestraA large group of musicians playing string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments together, usually led by a conductor.

More terms: Melody, Form and Songwriting

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