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ldeas You might want to invest in a small digital recording device

Start by writing down a word or few words that you think that can be
might be able carried really easily to get that instant idea down. This is the
to be made into a song idea. By this I mean leave out best
artichoke or zebra. solution as you can get the WHOLE song down music and all.
Well ok, go right ahead use them if you really want to Just the right rhyme in your song can make all the difference.
Try to
write about these
avoid the obvious clich6d done to death - heart / apart etc.
things.
Words that technically don't rhyme but sound good are called
What kind of mood are you in, are you leaning toward a
near
romantic ballad, rhymes. I use them all the time.
rock, country. Doesn't matter.
Draw yourself a tree with branches and leaves.
Let's start with a word, say, Moonlight
Okay write moonlight at the base of your tree. On your
branchEs write a HOOK LINE AND SINKER
different word or phrase that your imagination brings to "The Hook, The Hook"
mind regarding Yes, the hook is everything,
well almost everything
moonlight. Hopefully your words will be different aspects It's totally meant to bend the ear, but a hook is something
or ideas that that should not be feared.
Moonlight brings to mind. Words may be sfars, reflection, I am personally convinced that without a good hook line you will not
bright, shine, have a great song.
All the really great songs recorded throughout history have had a
silver, clouds, etc. Phrases may include her/his eyes,
great line in the song that has been
saying goodbye, repeated throughout the song that the listeners can grab onto and
meeting for the first time, going for a swim or sitting remember easily.
around a campfire That is what a hook is.
drinking beer.lt doesn't matter. FINDING YOUR SINKER
The rest of the lyrics
Creativity, Play on Words, Tricks of the Trade
Words And Rhymes To rhyme or not to rhyme, Should you or Shouldn't you,
Words are devious little people. One word can make all the Depends on the flow from deep inside your pen
difference.

The Vital Title


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Ifind ideas flow easier when I have a title to build upon.
There is a motto "vital title" which is a good one to Chord Progressions The Meat and Potatoes
remember. Let's start with a chord progression that is widely used in popular
Titles must convey the meaning of and speak for the whole music.
song, The 1 > 4 > 5 progression.
In the key of C the 1 > 4 > 5 progression is C, F, and G7
kind of like a commercial for your product. I know there are
This is called the 1 > 4 > 5 progression simply because C is the 1st
songs out note of the scale
there where the title is not even in the song such as The F is the 4th note of the scale and
Weight but we'll G is the 5th note of the major scale.
ignore that. To emphasise the importance of the title in
relation to the
song let me tell you of my own experience.
A few rules to remember about titles are:
1. Your title should be recognisable after one hearing
2. lt should make the listener want to hear the song over and
over
3. lt should convey and summarise the idea behind the lyric

Structure Song Form Elements of Music


lf you are primarily into writing pop, rock or country your song will most Pitch register (high or low); Organization of pitches with a pattern
likely be made up of verses, a chorus and maybe a bridge. of intervals between them creates scales; Words we might use to
Generally speaking a verse is that section of a song where the melody describe scales: major/minor, chromatic, gapped, pentatonic.
and harmony repeat but the lyric changes. Rhythm the time element of music. A specific rhythm is a specific
A chorus usually repeats musically as well as lyrically. pattern in time; we usually hear these in relation to a steady pulse, and
The bridge usually appears only once in a song both musically and mentally organize this pulse or tempo into meter (sometimes called a
lyrically. "time signature"). Meter organizes beats into groups, usually of two or
These sections are referred to as A,B and C. three; beats can be divided into small units usually 2, 3 or 4 subdivisions
Tempo rate of speed of a song.
The most popular song structures in commercial music are:
Melody, or musical line, is a combination of pitch and rhythm (some say
AABA ------- (verse, verse, chorus, verse)
"duration"). Sometimes a melody is considered to be the theme of a
ABAB ------- (verse, chorus, verse, chorus)
composition. We might characterize melody by its contour (rising or
ABAC ------- (verse, chorus, verse, bridge)
falling) and the size of the intervals in it. A melody that uses mostly small
ABABCB --- (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus)
intervals (or scale steps) and is smooth is said to be a conjunct
BABABB --- (chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus)
melody. Not surprisingly, a melody that uses large intervals is called
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a disjunct melody. A motif (or motive) is either a very short melody or a many artists over the years and most of these songs have been written
distinctive part of a longer melody. in collaboration with other writers.
Dynamics loud or soft. A composition that has extremely soft passages Not everyone can complete a song by themselves, so the answer is
as well as extremely loud passages is said to have a large or to Co-write. Co-writing can be fun but there are some guidelines to
wide dynamic range. Dynamics can change suddenly or gradually
make
(crescendo, getting louder, or decrescendo, getting softer.)
the creativity and the fun flow more smoothly. Most times I tend to
write
Let's Get Together with just one other collaborator.
As a songwriter I've been lucky enough to have my songs recorded by

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