songwriting tips
songwriting tips
Step #1 – THE THEME
Try to say something in a new or original way. Instead of saying “I want you back”, Toni Braxton said “Unbreak My Heart”. Instead of saying “I love you”, Ne-Yo’s song “When You’re Mad” explains how he loves her even when she’s mad.
This is a very simple difference, but it can be the difference between a tired subject or a new angle on a common subject.
The themes that generally work best are those that engage the listener’s emotion, the reason “love and relationships” is so popular in music is because most people think about those themes a lot and understandably like to listen. music that communicates your inner fears. /hope/experiences on those topics.
Step #2 – THE TITLE
A good title should be instantly memorable, it should put an image in your mind of an event or situation, and it should lend itself to a catchy tune, or one that is suitable for your musical style.
A good title will naturally lend itself to a catchy hook, finding that title can be difficult, especially when so many songs have been released over the decades… how can you find a new one?
One way is to keep your “antenna up”. Be aware of what people around you are saying and if you are writing for a teen market check out the teen mags, if you want to be urban then check out the urban mags. Words and phrases are everywhere… you just need to notice them when they come!
Finding a title that represents an image on its own is also very important because it will create a deeper connection with the listener. The best songs create images in the minds of listeners or evoke an emotion, your title will help to achieve this.
“Sorry seems like the hardest word” by Elton John instantly evokes an emotion we can all relate to…a moment when we’ve experienced how hard it can be to say sorry, even though we know we should!
Step #3 – THE LETTERS
Good lyrics paint a picture, say things in a new and unique way while dealing with themes most of us can relate to.
Country music often has fantastic lyrics. A clever technique is to create a story that suddenly changes and means something completely different by the time you get to the chorus. This is just a technique to engage the listener or keep them on their toes.
Another is to express things in a new way, like the previously mentioned song “Un-break My Heart.” Keep the lyrics of the chorus the same so it’s easy to remember. You can also keep the pre-chorus or bridges the same.
Avoid too many words like “Love, baby, girl, etc.” If used too often, they can sound shallow and corny. Keep your rhythm patterns the same and intuitive. Too many rhyming words can be off-putting. For example:
“Looking at you, I see the truth, baby, it’s true, there’s only you”
This sentence is full of rhymes and sounds awkward.
The following would work better:
“Looking at you, the truth I see, there is no one else, you are all I need”
If you use this rhyming pattern with the second and fourth lines rhyming, you must keep the same pattern in verse 2 so that your song lyrics have continuity throughout.
Another popular rhythm pattern is to match lines 2 and 4, along with lines 1 and 3:
“Read my mind, and you’ll know, the love inside, will never go away”
A good place to start writing lyrics is to scribble down lots of words and phrases that are relevant to the theme of the song. Use this as a kind of palette that you can draw ideas from at a later date.
For example, if my topic was about feeling like a star, I could start by writing whatever comes to mind about being famous or rich…
celebrity, fame, money, limousine, jewelry, car on cruise, back in the pool, diamond, gucci, etc, etc.
Anything to get a brainstorm. These can be mixed and used when you are forming your letters, just like you would use colors when painting a picture.
A good tool to use is a rhyming dictionary. There are many good ones online and they can be found through search engines.
Step #4 – THE VOCAL MELODY
The vocal melody is extremely important as this is what the listener will remember and hum while in the shower!
The idea is to create depth and interest while keeping the melody simple enough that most people can sing along.
The hook should be ‘catchy’ or ‘memorable’. Take the Elton Johns song “Sorry seems to be the hardest word.” Now, if you know this song, you will understand that just reading those words is enough to ‘hear’ Elton’s vocal melody in your mind.
The vocal melody is simple and catchy enough to be memorable without listening to music…now that’s catchy!
Always add color – By this I mean create more of what is already there. If a D major chord is being played, try singing a different note than the D major chord.
If the music has long chords, sing with a faster tempo. If the chords are played low, try singing an octave higher to add more color.
This technique of adding color can be applied with the melody itself. For example, if the verse has long vocal notes, try changing it in the bridge to short rhythmic notes and change it back to the chorus. Apply the principle of adding color to your music and voice to create a richer and more interesting melody.
Always honestly ask yourself, “Do I lose interest at a certain point in this song?” If you do, rework the melody to give the listener something to keep their interest.
Step #5 – THE ARRANGEMENT
A lot of good songs are ruined by poor arrangements. In fact, it may be the area that is neglected and considered unimportant.
A good arrangement is very important and is more complex than one may think at first.
You might want to have a standard three and a half minute song, and you’d be wise to do so, as most hit songs are this long (Perhaps it’s the optimal length for a human brain to absorb information without getting bored?!)
Let’s say you’re looking for a three and a half minute song, that doesn’t give you much time to squeeze everything in, and what order should you put things in? What good ideas should you put aside? These are tough questions and ultimately come under the heading “The Deal.”
The average song will have the following arrangement (although this is just a guide):
uptempo song
Introduction
pour 1
Bridge
Chorus
pour 2
Bridge
Chorus
Chorus
medium 8
Chorus
Chorus
slow song
Introduction
pour 1
Bridge
Chorus
pour 2
Chorus
medium 8
Chorus
Chorus
Quick tips:
*Don’t make the intro too long, stick to 8 or 16 bars.
*Listen to your song from the beginning and ask yourself if it flows naturally or if there are sections that lose energy/interest.
*Get to the chorus/chorus quickly to ‘hook’ the listener.
Step #6 – THE PRODUCTION
In some R&B and Pop songs, the production has in some cases taken over the importance of the vocal melody. This is not surprising if you have been to a nightclub and experienced certain songs and the power of production.
Times have changed, especially in R&B and Hip Hop. There’s no use sending a demo to a record label saying, “picture this with proper production,” because the production is 50% of the song.
That’s almost like saying “here is a great piece of music, please imagine it with a good choir”!
Production is more than just putting the right effects on the instruments and balancing them out, it’s the overall mood of the track and determines how professional it ends up sounding.
Strange sounds that seem irrelevant to many people, such as a vocal breath, can transform a song if used in the right context. A song that would go unnoticed can suddenly spark interest if the right sound is used correctly… One named “super producer” commented that non-tonal sounds, such as banging on a table or an ashtray, can add a lot of interest and energy to a song. .
Most people will listen to a song and judge whether they like it within seconds based on the overall sound. They may love the song, but unless the production invites them, they may never hear it twice.
The biggest mistake people make is to introduce a song with a list of excuses. The plain truth is that a song is a combination of sounds and the listener will hear them all as one and no excuse will change their first experience of the song or how they respond emotionally. Get the production right!