Song Chorus Construction
The majority of choruses adhere to certain guidelines. I say ‘majority' because there are songs that ignore some of the guidelines and still win by the strength of their performance, arrangement and/or production. The title should appear in the chorus, in a way that, by virtue of its placement in the chorus and/or its degree of repetition, we know it's the title. If words or phrases other than the title repeat in the chorus, or in strong positions, the listener won't know which is the title when they call the radio station to request it or ask for it at...
Developing Successful Song Structures
At first, I was resistant to fitting my songs into a commercial format. It felt like selling out, and I thought it would weaken my work. I thought "commercial" was a dirty word, synonymous with having no heart, no genuine emotion, and no creativity. I couldn't imagine ever writing anything that had any real meaning for me (or anyone else) by using some recommended structure or formula. That seemed like the antithesis of creativity to me. Nonetheless, I slowly came to see that "commercial" simply meant what listeners were drawn to buy--and "commercial" included most of my favorite artists. That...
Song Construction: Hooks
"Hook" is the term you'll hear most often in the business and craft of commercial songwriting. (Well, maybe not as much as "Sorry, we can't use your song," but it's possible that the more you hear about hooks now, the less you'll hear "we can't use it" later.) The hook has been described as "the part(s) you remember after the song is over," "the part that reaches out and grabs you," "the part you can't stop singing (even when you hate it)" and "the catchy repeated chorus." Some of the world's greatest hook crafters are commercial jingle writers: how many...
Assonance & Payoff Lines
Since lyrics are intended to be sung, their sound is sometimes just as important as their meaning. Assonance and Alliteration are just fancy names for specific ways to use the sound of words to add interest to your lyrics. Assonance is the technique of incorporating the same sounds on the stressed vowels of two or more words to create added interest aurally. For example: You say no wayHold on or I'm goneThis time you'll find you're mine Alliteration is the use of two or more consonants that have the same sound. Using this tool can help to make a lyric...
Song Construction: Choosing a Form
Even when your songs come spontaneously, there is a point at which you need to decide which form to use. Usually writers will come up with a single verse or chorus idea first. After that first flash of inspiration and an exploration of what you want the song to say, you'll need to have an idea of the type of form you'll want to use to help you say it more effectively. You may do that unconsciously, as a natural result of having listened to the radio all your life -- you just feel where there ought to be a...
Songwriting Clichés
How often have you heard: feel the pain--by my side--set me free--lost without you --broken heart--all we've been through--hold me close--my foolish pride--all night long--give you my heart--want you, need you, love you--all my love--more than friends--never let you go--more than words can say--when you walked into the room--when you came into my life--when I first saw you--dream come true--call on me--our love is forever, and the ever popular--oh baby? Then there are the cliché rhymes: hold (take my) your hand... understand... be your man, dance... take a chance... romance, kiss you... miss you and on and on. Of course,...
Songs: Follow the Money, Part 1
Many developing songwriters resent having to be a businessperson. I've heard them lament, "I've written the songs--now let somebody else take care of the business." But the reality is that this is the music business. The greatest song in the world will not become a hit if it's neither demoed or brought to the attention of music business professionals. Although it's perfectly acceptable to write solely for your own pleasure, if your goal is to be successful in the music business, you have to pay as much attention to the business as you do to the music. For starters, it...
Songs: Follow the Money, Part 2
In Part One, we defined "Mechanical Royalties" and gave you several instances regarding how those royalties are paid to writers. In this issue, we're gonna talk about the actual rate of payment. The Mechanical Royalty Rate for the United States has been negotiated to allow for increases in songwriters' income through January 1st, 2006. The rate structure, which took effect January 1st, 1998, is as follows: January 1st, 1998 7.10 centsJanuary 1st, 2000 7.55 centsJanuary 1st, 2002 8.00 centsJanuary 1st, 2004 8.50 centsJanuary 1st, 2006 9.10 cents These rates are applicable for compositions of up to five minutes in duration....
Pre-Choruses & Bridges
Within a verse, there may also be a pre-chorus--a two or four line section, rarely exceeding four bars musically, immediately preceeding the chorus. It is crafted to propel the listener, both melodically and lyrically, into the chorus. The pre-chorus is optional. However, if the first verse includes a pre-chorus, all subsequent verses typically also include a pre-chorus section. The pre-chorus is sometimes referred to as the lift, the channel climb or B-section. All pre-choruses in the same song have the same melody.It is acceptable for each verse's pre-chorus to repeat the same lyric or to introduce a new lyric. The...
Rewriting Lyrics
I once read an interview with legendary songwriter Leonard Cohen ("Suzanne"), in which he said that when he writes a lyric, he might spend the day filling an entire notebook and if one line actually makes it into the song, he's had a good day! At first, that seemed incredible to me, but then I realized that most songs don't have more than eight lines in each of two verses (sixteen lines); a maximum of another eight lines in the chorus, and at the most, another four lines of lyric in the bridge. That's a total of 28 lines (and...
Stairway to Your First Cut, Part 1
We've had the good fortune to personally experience, witness and celebrate the successes of many songwriters from the first day they got off the bus to their recent #1 party. (It seems there's one almost every week here in Nashville!). While each writer's success story is unique, we've found there are several common denominators that contributed to their successes. As we looked them over, we discovered five different levels, one building upon the other, with each level having its own "subset" of factors that serve as the bricks and mortar. We'd like to pass those bricks on to you. We...
Stairway to Your First Cut, Part 2
In Part I we explored the first two levels in building the stairway to your first cut. We discussed making a serious commitment to songwriting by disciplining yourself to write and co-write, getting involved in a local songwriting organization and accomplishing daily tasks aimed at thinking like a songwriter. In addition, we began making a connection to the music business by beginning to visit a music center regularly, and pitching and performing your songs there. Now let’s finish building that stairway. If Levels One and Two are in place, it's time to put in the four bricks of Level Three:...
Attention Getting Dynamics
Among the most powerful tools you can use to make your songs more commercial and to impress industry pros with your command of the craft, is the use of contrasts and variations that I call "song dynamics." I've also observed that it's the tool most commonly overlooked and underused by amateur songwriters. In this section we'll look at several devices you should have in your bag of tricks and why they work. There are crucial points during a song at which the audience's attention must be dramatically and positively captured in order to make it effective on radio. I had...
Ten Songbuilding Tips
If you want your songs to stand the test of time, you have to build them solidly from the ground up. These are ten things you'll need: The cornerstone: a unique title, a dramatic situation. The title is the emotional center of the song. Come up with as suggestive a title as you can, one that conjures up a strong emotional situation. If the title itself isn't very dramatic, plot out the most evocative story and situation you can to bring fresh attention to an old title concept.The foundation: a well-defined structure. The structure gives the song shape and is...
The Basic Forms, Part 1
No matter how creative and powerful lyrics or melodies may be by themselves, they take on a whole new life and a whole new power and magic when they're together. The song is greater than the sum of its parts. Whether you're a specialist at one or the other or a genius at both, an essential aspect of your craft is the understanding of how to make the parts fit together to create that magic. In the next few articles I'll cover the elements of songwriting that relate most to words and music as a whole. Form The form, also...
The Basic Forms, Part 2
VERSE/CHORUS FORMSThe varieties of this most popular form provide a maximum of chorus repetition and two or more verses to tell your story. #1#2#3#4#5A Verse A Verse B ChorusA Verse A Verse B ChorusB ChorusA Verse A Verse B Pre-chorus A Verse A Verse B ChorusB ChorusC Chorus B ChorusB ChorusA Verse A Verse A Verse A Verse C BridgeB ChorusB ChorusB Pre-chorus B ChorusB Chorus B ChorusC Chorus Version #1 gives you a maximum verse and chorus repetition. A potential problem is that, if you have a lot of melodic repetition within each verse or chorus, such as an 8-bar...
The Importance of Contrast
As songwriters, what we hate to hear most when we're submitting material for a project are comments like "This sounds good, but it really doesn't stand out" or, "This is well-written, but it just doesn't have that special something." One thing that can make a big difference in this area is the effective use of contrast. Contrast enables us to keep our songs fresh and original, while still sounding familiar enough to sing along with on first listening. Its importance in today's music was perhaps most dramatically expressed by those celebrated teenage music critics Beavis and Butthead. Upon listening to...
The World Changing Song
During the '50s and early '60s, deciding on new talent was a lot easier than it is today. A&R Reps heard a great voice and, whether or not the artist wrote his own material, that voice was usually enough to seal the deal. Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin, and dozens of other great singers and song stylists were signed because of their pipes. The songs themselves could come from publishers and other pro songwriters. But then, on January 25th, 1964, something happened that forever changed the way A&R worked. On that very date, a...
Visualizing a Hit
Part of your job as a lyricist is to get inside the minds of the characters you create in your songs. You need to express what is real for them. You also need to remember that the words that come from your heart and your pen will hopefully be coming out of a performer's mouth someday. The exercise that follows will help you craft lyrics consistent with the images projected by the artists you intend them for: Exercise:Decide which artist, in your wildest fantasy, you would most want to record your song. Be sure to choose an artist who records...
Writing For Specialty Markets
In addition to writing mainstream pop, country and R&B songs, there are many other genres songwriters might choose to explore. These include writing Christian, Latin, Christmas, folk/Americana, comedy, cabaret, and children's songs. When gearing a song to any specific market, it's important to remember that some lyrical and musical elements lend themselves to certain styles of songs and are quite inappropriate for others. For example: while poetic, offbeat, non-linear lyrics may work well in an alternative pop or rock song, they'd be out of place in a children's song or a country song. It's important to use vocabulary and colloquialisms...