I’ve been playing guitar for close to 40 years and have played many arrangements of popular songs, but I had never fully created my own arrangement until now. The process came naturally once I dove in. The song I chose was White Lion’s “When the Children Cry,” and after many months of working out the arrangement, changing voicings, and practicing it over and over, I finally posted it to my YouTube channel. Along the way, I uncovered some insights about arranging for guitar that I thought I’d share with you.
My Steps in Arranging Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar
1. Know the song forward and backward
- Listen to the piece over and over until you can play the whole song in your head. It helps with arranging/voicing and gives you the ability to work on it without having a playback device with you; you won’t always have your phone handy when inspired.
2. Learn the chords first
- Just stick with the base chords and recognize what they are and where they go in the songs. This is the foundation of your arrangement. Learn the root. Once you know the base chords, then you can move to alternate chords like adding a 6th, 11 or a borrowed chord, etc.. to add some color.
3. Be able to play the melody in more than one way
- This is the essential part of your arrangement so the listener will be able to identify the song. It’s a good idea to learn it in different positions as well; more options for when you bring it all together. Once you are know the melody forward and back, you can then add your own flair to the song and make it your own
4. Mess around and keep it simple at first
- I’ll go through the chords and start to incorporate the melody. Kind of like a jam session of sorts; playing it by ear and along with the original song.
- Playing the melody with only the root of the chord as the accompaniment. Keeps it simple and a good base to build from there.
- Once I get that base I’m happy with, I start building upon it; different chord types, variations on the melodies, etc… I want to make it my own without taking away or losing the vibe of the original. Tommy Emmanuel is the king of arranging a song that you recognize but when he plays, you know it’s him and the song stays true to the original sogwriter.
This is just a small list of what I’ve found useful in tackling guitar arrangements. As I continue developing this skill, my approach will evolve—but the key to creating original arrangements is consistent practice. Arranging is a craft that must be honed and polished over time. I know I’ll look back someday and cringe at my earlier work, but that’s okay—each arrangement represents the best I could do at that moment. Keep playing, and let me know what you’re working on right now!
