Pop Music Arranging Certificate (School of Music and the Arts)

Course Overview

Learn the secrets and techniques of music arranging through this 12-hour course, which will cover some of the most commercially-relevant genres of today: Dance, R&N, Rock, Folk, Acoustic and Ballad.

The crux of the course is ear-training and understanding the role each instrument plays in a music arrangement. Over the duration of this Certificate Course, your ear will be gradually sensitized to all the individual components of an arrangement, and you will begin to hear and understand exactly why an arrangement is commercially successful, down to the very last drum hit!

You will learn exactly how to layer sounds and rhythms to achieve an authentic and commercial sound for each of the styles taught. The instructor will take chart-topping arrangements and dissect them track by track so that you can learn exactly how to create parts and layer tracks to achieve your desired sound.

Students will need to have a pre-requisite knowledge of music theory (chords and harmony) before registering for this course.