As an arranger, something that I often think about is making a piece my own. I want to sound like 'me' even when I'm using a popular tune that everyone knows.
This is true of one of my most popular downloads, Amazing Grace. There were two things that I intentionally did to create this original sound.
Create interesting new harmonies.
Rather than using the original harmonic progressions found in the John Newton version of the piece, I decided to create my own 4-chord progression that would become a feature of the piece. This led to the second thing that I utilised to create a unique sound:
2. An original introduction or link
Once I had this unique chord progression I used it as the basis of my introduction. This then became a new, original melody that would act as a link between verses, creating familiarity but also variety with the new melody.
This has become one of my most popular arrangements! I wonder if it is because of the mixture of the familiar and unique in one package?