Arranging Template

Plan your arrangements on one page – before you write a note.

I like to have a concrete plan for every moment of my arrangement – even if I throw it out the window as I actually do the writing. So as I prepare to write my arrangement, I use this template.

Click here to download the 2-sided template.

On the front, there are blocks for each section of the arrangement. I fill the gap in with the measure duration of that section. Around it, I cluster four important pieces of information.

  1. Description of the section (Verse 1, Chorus 2, Bridge, etc.)
  2. First lyric
  3. Elapsed time where section starts in a reference recording
  4. Ideas for how I want to arrange it. (homophonic, doo doot doo, etc.)

When I’ve filled out this whole template, I’ve got a detailed description for what the arrangement will look like, before I’ve ever written a note. That frees me up when I sit down to write: I can just take directions from my template, or ignore my past self and write something different.

I have room to mark down key, temp, time signature, commissioning ensemble and voicing, plus I can keep track of commission date, start date, and completion date. All helpful for me!

On the back, I have staff paper – I might use it to scribble some melodies or vocal ideas, or just write down chord progressions for various sections.

For reference, here’s a recently finished arrangement plan of mine. In this case, I didn’t even complete the fourth block, because I had a clear enough plan to execute right from the start.

Filled out arranging template.

This tool has made all the difference for me over the last 15-ish years for writing efficiently and effectively. I’ll be so pleased if you find it helps you in your writing process.