If the Star Wars soundtrack was metal…

Ever heard a sweeping orchestral theme from a blockbuster movie and thought, "Man, this would absolutely slay as a metal track"? Turning those lush, complex arrangements into something a five-piece metal band can crush is an art form. And lucky for us, Grant McFarland of the mighty Galactic Empire (you know, the guys who shred Imperial Marches and other themes from a certain galaxy far, far away) recently dropped some serious knowledge on this exact topic.

In a clip from the new "Arranging Cover Songs" Fast Track available on URM Enhanced, Grant breaks down his method for dissecting an orchestral piece and translating its chord structure for metal guitars. This isn't just about slapping distortion on a melody; it's about understanding the harmonic language and reinterpreting it effectively.

Why Bother with Arrangement? It's the Bedrock of Your Mix

You might be thinking, "I write originals, I'm not in a cover band, why do I need this?" As URM's own Finn McKenty often preaches, arrangement is the absolute foundation of any great mix. Whether you're crafting an original masterpiece or re-imagining someone else's, understanding how to arrange parts effectively is crucial. Your job as a producer is to make the song sound its best, and that starts long before you touch an EQ or compressor. A well-arranged track practically mixes itself (well, almost!).

From Orchestra Pit to Mosh Pit: Translating Orchestral Chords

Grant’s approach focuses on meticulously deconstructing the original orchestral score to extract its harmonic DNA before building it back up for a metal ensemble. Let's dive into his process for tackling the chord structure of that iconic, unnameable space opera theme.

Laying the Low-End Foundation: The Bassline First

Before you even think about guitar chords, Grant emphasizes starting with the bassline. This makes perfect sense; the bass often carries the root notes of the chords and provides the harmonic grounding for everything else.
He begins by programming the bassline MIDI, ensuring those fundamental low notes are accurately captured from the orchestral piece. This creates a solid anchor to build upon, forming the powerful low-end foundation of the track.

Building Guitar Chords from the Bass Up

With the bassline programmed, it's time to figure out what the guitars should be playing. Grant uses the bassline as his primary reference.

The MIDI Copy & Octave Drop Trick

Here’s a smart workflow tip:

1. Copy the Bass MIDI: Grant takes the programmed bassline MIDI and copies it to a new track. This new track will temporarily represent the guitar chords (or a piano guide for the chords), a common workflow when using programmed guitars for songwriting.
2. Octave Reality Check for Bass: An important distinction: when a bass guitar and an electric guitar play the "same" note on a score, the bass guitar typically sounds an octave lower. To accurately represent this in his DAW (Pro Tools, in this case), Grant takes the original bassline MIDI track and transposes it down one full octave.
   • Pro Tools Tip: You can do this easily by selecting the MIDI region, then going to Event Operations > Transpose, and setting it to -12 semitones (down one octave). This ensures the programmed bass truly occupies the low-end spectrum it would in a real band. The copied MIDI track for the guitars remains in its original octave for now, serving as the basis for the chord voicings.

Harmonic Detective Work

With the foundational bass notes in place (and now an octave lower), Grant solos the original orchestral recording alongside his programmed bass. He meticulously listens for any other notes in the orchestra that are playing at the same time as the bass notes and harmonizing with them. This is where you start to uncover the richness of the orchestral chords.

Voicing for Metal: Accuracy Before Creativity

Now, the focus shifts to building the actual chord voicings for the guitars, using the copied bassline MIDI (which is still in the higher octave) as a starting point.

Targeting the Extremes: Highs and Lows First

Grant’s strategy for deciphering complex orchestral chords is to first identify the lowest note (which is often, but not always, the bass note you've already established) and the highest prominent harmony note being played at that moment in the original score. He programs these outer voices first. This frames the chord and makes it easier to fill in the middle.

Filling in the Middle

Once the high and low melodic bookends of a chord are in his MIDI editor, Grant listens intently for any notes residing between them in the original orchestral piece.

• Pro Tools Tip: This is where MIDI track muting becomes your best friend. Grant uses Command+M (Mac) or Ctrl+M (Windows) to mute individual MIDI notes he’s already programmed, or Shift+M to mute an entire track. This helps isolate remaining orchestral parts so he can clearly hear those inner voices without the distraction of what he's already input.

Power Chords and Orchestral Accuracy

Metal guitarists live and breathe power chords – typically a root, a fifth, and often an octave above the root. It’s tempting to just slap power chords onto the bass notes. However, Grant stresses an important point: at this stage, only program the notes that are actually present in the original orchestral score.
If the orchestra is playing a simple root and fifth, don’t automatically add the octave just because it’s common in a guitar power chord. If there’s a more complex harmony, like a major or minor third, make sure that’s represented. The goal here is an accurate transcription first. Creative interpretation (like thickening things up with more conventional metal voicings or creating epic buildups) can come later, but understanding the source material is paramount.

The Big Picture: Arrangement and Your Mix

This meticulous approach to dissecting and arranging orchestral parts for a metal band isn’t just academic. It has a massive impact on the final mix. A clear arrangement, where instruments like bass and guitars occupy their intended frequency spaces (like separating bass and guitar chord octaves as Grant did), makes the process of balancing guitars and bass in the mix far more effective because you’re not fighting clashing frequencies from the get-go.
Furthermore, once your arrangement is solid, with each part having its distinct role and place, applying dynamic controls like the basics of compression for metal can bring out the power and punch you’re after without turning your mix into an undefined wall of mud.

Take Your Arrangements to the Next Level

The insights Grant McFarland shares are invaluable for any producer looking to tackle complex arrangements or simply wanting to get more intentional about how their song parts fit together. What you've read here is just a small taste from his comprehensive "Arranging Cover Songs" Fast Track.

If you’re ready to dive deep into this and countless other production techniques, URM Enhanced is your gateway. With URM Enhanced, you get access to Grant's entire Fast Track, plus over 50 others covering every conceivable aspect of rock and metal production. Add to that monthly multi-track mixing sessions with world-class producers, exclusive plugins, and a killer community, and you've got an unbeatable resource for leveling up your skills.

Want to see how the pros build those massive modern metal mixes from raw tracks to finished masters? Check out our Metal Mixing 101 guide and get ready to transform your productions.