Last year, I was looking through a list of hymns trying to get ideas for a new Easter piece and decided to choose the song And Can It Be?. While I was working on this hymn, I decided to start writing down the steps I went through to create this particular arrangement, noting how I decided which song to work on, how I chose a theme for the arrangement, and the reason behind some of the chording and dynamics. I hope this blog is helpful for those interested in looking into arranging hymns themselves or looking for new ideas to implement into their own arranging!
Choosing which Song to Arrange
It may seem like a small thing, but choosing a song to work on can be quite difficult sometimes. Many times, an idea comes suddenly for a song that I just stumble across while flipping through the hymnal, hearing music at church, or listening to music online. I personally find it difficult to force an arrangement for a song I do not yet feel moved by or have no ideas for, so the song usually needs to resonate with me at the moment I decide to arrange. Sometimes, even if I really want to arrange a particular hymn, I can't do it until months (or even years) later when an idea suddenly comes.
For And Can It Be?, I was reminded of this hymn while looking through a list of hymns on a popular YouTube video. I pulled a hymnal off the shelf and began flipping through the pages to this Charles Wesley song. As I looked over the music and lyrics, I felt like I might be able to come up with ideas for this hymn and decided I would give it a try!
Choosing a Theme
I chose to start this arrangement in the key that And Can It Be? was written in in the hymnal I was using: G. One of the first things I looked as I sat down at my keyboard was the lyrics. Why did I do this? Because the lyrics are an extremely important part of the piece. Even though I arrange songs for solo piano and there will be no lyrics in the finished product (except for in a lyric video), I almost always try to take them into account before or during the arrangement process. Sometimes the meaning and mood of the lyrics will dictate the dynamics of the arrangement.
Interesting tip: If you are having trouble arranging, sometimes it is helpful to find the right environment or even the right piano sound (if you're using a keyboard) to help you be creative. I find many times that when the lighting in the room is dimmer in the evening, I am more creative or come up with ideas that are not my normal. I have also found that wearing headphones and using a more mellow keyboard sound will help me produce ideas that aren't usual for me since I tend to often play on a brighter sounding keyboard. This is just my personal finding after much experimenting, so play around and see what works for you!
Looking at verse three of And Can It Be?, I noticed that the first couple of lines in the lyrics were quite somber or even sad sounding. Here are the first four lines of the third verse:
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's light
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
Reading these lines, you can imagine the scene that Wesley is trying to paint. You may imagine a man who for many years has been sitting in a damp, dark prison, chained there due to his sin. He has no hope of ever being released on his own. Then, suddenly, the scene changes with a flash of light that sets the prisoner free from his bondage (as you can see in the second half of the verse). I decided that because of this imagery, I would try to match the tone of the lyrics by doing these first four lines in a minor key. Then, at the end of the fourth line, I used a G7 (a minor seventh) scale played as a glissando to change into a higher key (C), which greatly brightened the mood of the arrangement and gave a sense of the freedom spoken of in the verse at this dramatic turning point in the lyrics.
The Intro
Once I had chosen this central moment/theme in the song, I could build around it to create the rest of the arrangement. The next part of the piece I decided to work on was the intro. This is because I wanted to incorporate a suspenseful intro that tied in the minor theme so that the minor verse would not sound out of place. So, I created an intro that actually started on the Gm chord (which would traditionally lead to ending up in the key of Bb major for me) and used a chord progression that led into G major for the first verse.
The First Verse
Coming out of the suspenseful minor intro, I also wanted the first verse to have a dramatic, quiet type of sound, yet still be bright/cheerful sounding. I decided to shift both hands an octave higher for the first half of this verse and use more unique chording (G, F, C/G) that would give it this feel. The dynamics slowly would crescendo as the verse moved into the chorus so that it would tie nicely into the minor second verse. This first verse contained a few stylistic changes within it to keep things moving and create interest, especially since the verses in this song can feel long. Sometimes, certain songs need more movement or stylistic changes so as to not sound monotonous or tiring.
The first draft I did of this arrangement did sound a bit too long, tiring, and incoherent to listen to, so I asked for help from my friend, Josh Singletary. He helped me come up with a way to break the first verse into three or four stylistic sections. You may notice that a couple lines sound minimalistic, the next couple sound more syncopated, the next couple sound kind of classical in nature, and the last couple have more of a flowing feel. The only thing you have to be aware of when switching between styles like this is that you need to make sure you have smooth transitions from one style into the next. This is a little tricky, but with some extra work and smoothing over, it can be done!
Interesting tip: As an arranger himself, I go to Josh Singletary whenever I feel "stuck" or unsure of what to do on a song. Getting creative ideas from him helps me to finish up an arrangement. If you are an arranger or want to become one, I highly recommend finding someone who already is an arranger who is willing to teach you and/or help you come up with ideas for your arrangements.
The Second Verse
As mentioned above, verse two of And Can It Be? has very somber sounding lyrics which paired perfectly with a minor key. After going back to the beginning of the song and arranging the first verse, I fine-tuned (with the help of my grandpa and Josh Singletary) the minor chording I originally chose for this verse before things moved with a glissando into a bright, happy key change from Gm to C major.
The Third Verse
For the last verse, I wanted to have a very bold, broad sound that brought to mind a majestic orchestral piece. To do this, I used tight chords in the left and right hands for the melody and harmony (meant to sound like the brass of an orchestra) and low octaves for the bass that strike between those chords (much like an orchestral drum, often on the second, fourth, and sometimes third beats in this piece). Using this as a base, I was then able to add octave scales in the right hand and other "extras" to make the final verse sound much more cinematic.
My first draft of the song did not have a good transition from the end of the second verse into the beginning of the third one, which resulted in the last verse sounding very choppy and out of place. To help with this, I decided to introduce a key change which would use a black key gliss. to transpose up one half-step into Db. The black key gliss. gives the effect of a harp and helps the listener expect the orchestral sound and change in style. This really glued the whole arrangement together.
Conclusion
I hope that this description of what it was like for me to arrange And Can It Be? has helped you in your own arranging journey, whether it has given you ideas to pull from or helpful tips. You can try reading the articles in our series How to Begin Arranging Hymns if you are interested in some more information on the subject. If you have any questions about arranging, feel free to contact us and we'll happily get back to you!