The Arranging Process

[Latios212]

After reading lots of posts from Bespinben and others, I just have a few questions for the experienced arrangers around here, regarding the arranging process and things like that:

Do you always transcribe everything entirely by ear?
How do you feel about MIDIs taken from games and particularly other sites/people on YouTube who arrange VGM too? They're usually not as good as the ones here but do you ever draw inspiration from them? I see people allude to them now and then but do they ever affect your work?
How much freedom do you have when arranging? That is, the amount of creativity/rearrangement present in your arrangements as opposed to matching the original note for note.

I'm just curious because I'm still pretty new at this and want to know what factors go into making an arrangement. Thanks!

[Maelstrom]

I do not take any inspiration from elsewhere. If I can't figure out the notes by ear, I don't arrange it.

As for freedom, it is much more present in orchestral pieces where you have too many voices to directly transcribe it. You can make a few adjustments to increase playability, but you should try to stick to the original as closely as possible. Take something like "Serpent Devouring the Horizon" (on youtube). It has way, way too many voices to be able to transcribe everything accurately. Yet, you get to be creative and chose how you want to represent the voices best. Additionally ,you can fill out chords as much as you want, provided it is really a chord. Just have fun. 

[MaestroUGC]

I generally have no issues working by ear, of course I have years of practice and experience doing so. Generally, though, basing your arrangement off of a MIDI isn't inherently evil, but only if in the realm of spot-checking. Most MIDI writers are basically doing the same thing we are, but they're generally working on a larger scale, so more room for error.

As far as freedom goes, well, I work in a far different realm of arranging...

[Xaoz]

After reading lots of posts from Bespinben and others, I just have a few questions for the experienced arrangers around here, regarding the arranging process and things like that:

Do you always transcribe everything entirely by ear?
How do you feel about MIDIs taken from games and particularly other sites/people on YouTube who arrange VGM too? They're usually not as good as the ones here but do you ever draw inspiration from them? I see people allude to them now and then but do they ever affect your work?
How much freedom do you have when arranging? That is, the amount of creativity/rearrangement present in your arrangements as opposed to matching the original note for note.

I'm just curious because I'm still pretty new at this and want to know what factors go into making an arrangement. Thanks!

Even though I am not an experienced arranger, I will still reply:

I think I can speak for Bespinben and myself, when I say that we only do things by ear (Bespinben also does not like to slow down playback to hear specific notes better, which I do all the time... Well... Probably because of experience...). But a YouTube-version is everything I use when arranging.

When it comes to precision and freedom, I stick to the things I hear. I do not add stuff, because people come here because they liked a specific song in a game and so of course it should be our goal to make our arrangements as close to that as possible. You also need to keep playability in mind, if you are not Bespinben.

Of course there is always a bit room to make things a bit more fancy, if needed! For example composing a little ending on your own. Most songs are just looped in a game and so they have no real ending. Here is where you can add one or two (or more) little measures to not make the song stop all of a sudden. I would consider this good style.
If you look at the Four Giants Theme for example, it is just a rolled chord, that we added in the end, because this song deserves it!

When I play arrangements from NSM on the piano, I usually have to repeat the whole thing two or three more times, because I am always thinking how it should end and I do not want the song to just stop all of a sudden... It kills the feeling!

[mikey]

When I do my crappy arranging I listen to it through youtube and write in the melody, then I put in the harmony, then I add the ornaments and articulations and all that jazz

But I realized that when I'm not using a headset I lose a lot of sound/it gets corrupted so it's better to use a headset/headphones than your computer's speakers

[ThatGamer]

When I do my crappy arranging I listen to it through youtube and write in the melody, then I put in the harmony, then I add the ornaments and articulations and all that jazz

But I realized that when I'm not using a headset I lose a lot of sound/it gets corrupted so it's better to use a headset/headphones than your computer's speakers

The first non-satirical post of NoS. Bravo, let's have a toast!

[mikey]

The first non-satirical post of NoS. Bravo, let's have a toast!

all of my posts should be treated as at least basic satire
if you don't like my jokes, there's the door.

[ThatGamer]

All of my posts should be treated as at least basic satire
If you don't like my jokes, there's the door.

I didn't say I didn't like your posts. In fact, I do.

[InsigTurtle]

Going back to the original topic...

Personally, I don't like using MIDIs. If there's a note I can't identify, I'll wheel out the piano to try to get something that matches. Plus, there's a lot of new video games that just don't have MIDIs of them. I strive for as little invention as possible to preserve the original work, but sometimes a little messing around is needed for playability.

[Sebastian]

Midis I use once in a blue moon. Sometimes I peak at one if I'm having a lot of trouble with a song. Usually Super Paper Mario music.
For mp3s, I use an Mp3 "slower downer" which really helps you hear the voices much easier. I recommend that. I have one built in to my Mp3 Player, but before I got that, I used an app.

[The Deku Trombonist]

Everyone cut it out with the inflammatory remarks and stick to the topic at hand.

[Brassman388]

Do you always transcribe everything entirely by ear?

How do you feel about MIDIs taken from games and particularly other sites/people on YouTube who arrange VGM too? They're usually not as good as the ones here but do you ever draw inspiration from them? I see people allude to them now and then but do they ever affect your work?

How much freedom do you have when arranging? That is, the amount of creativity/rearrangement present in your arrangements as opposed to matching the original note for note.

I used to. It's good to give your ear a good exercise when first learning where intervals start and land. How a chord progression starts from I and lands to V. It's very, very important that you recognize and learn how each tone works together to make the melody and harmonies and whatnot. So In short, if you're new, work out each note. That's my best advice and over time, you'll find it easier as you move to harder pieces.

Once you do what I suggested, It's not considered too much of a taboo to work from other people's work or midis. Some midi-s are very incorrect while others are ripped straight from the info of the game. They do sometimes vary in what you're trying to achieve when it comes to a finished product, but that's the beauty of arranging and being an arranger. It's up to you, really.

That's the big debate with me when it comes to what (I feel, personally) I use this site for. While anything we write is -technically- an arrangement, but they really do stand more as transcriptions. Now, what a transcription is, is a note-for-note adaptation of what you're hearing. Down to the instrument. But, since we write and translate everything for and to a piano, they're given the title of "arrangements". The creative process and how to creatively recreate whatever it is you're hearing is what, by all means, makes each and everyone of us a certified arranger. Use whatever is necessary you need to do just that.

[Latios212]

So many tips. Whoa.

If I can't figure out the notes by ear, I don't arrange it.
you get to be creative and chose how you want to represent the voices best.
Just have fun. 

Generally, though, basing your arrangement off of a MIDI isn't inherently evil, but only if in the realm of spot-checking.

I stick to the things I hear. I do not add stuff, because people come here because they liked a specific song in a game and so of course it should be our goal to make our arrangements as close to that as possible.
you can add one or two (or more) little measures to not make the song stop all of a sudden. I would consider this good style.

write in the melody, then I put in the harmony, then I add the ornaments and articulations and all that jazz

I strive for as little invention as possible to preserve the original work, but sometimes a little messing around is needed for playability.

Midis I use once in a blue moon. Sometimes I peak at one if I'm having a lot of trouble with a song.

In short, if you're new, work out each note.
Once you do what I suggested, It's not considered too much of a taboo to work from other people's work or midis. It's up to you, really.
The creative process and how to creatively recreate whatever it is you're hearing is what, by all means, makes each and everyone of us a certified arranger. Use whatever is necessary you need to do just that.

I've read through all of it, and thanks so much everyone for your help! Hopefully one day, I will be able to make arrangements as good as any of yours!

[Xaoz]

So many tips. Whoa.

I've read through all of it, and thanks so much everyone for your help! Hopefully one day, I will be able to make arrangements as good as any of yours!

All you need is wisdow.

[mikey]

You just need wisdow to rish above the rest