7 Modern Arranging Techniques

Summary by Krater

The creator breaks down the music theory and production techniques used in his string ensemble arrangement of Carly Rae Jepsen's Run Away With Me, covering sidechaining, modal mixture, chord voicing, string orchestration, 808 bass, and autotune.

From the video

Answers: How was the string ensemble arrangement of Run Away with Me produced?

• sidechain emulation
• unusual modal mixture
• prime dissonance chord voicings
• string ensemble arrangements
• 808 bass kick drum production
• autotune techniques
• syncopated rhythms in 12/8 time

What it concludes

• Sidechain compression can be emulated by timing volume pedals or wind instruments with the kick drum.
• Borrowing chords from the parallel major key in a minor key creates a modern aesthetic.
• Spreading out chord notes affects the emotional characteristic, adding warmth and openness.
• Using 808 kick drums as literal melodic basslines creates unique chord progressions.
• Autotune speed should be turned down to zero milliseconds to ensure pitch correction on all subtle pitch deviations.