How to write a song
Ever wish it was your song playing on the radio? Could be. It is not that difficult once you know the formula. With a little creativity, a little knowledge, a little luck, and a good formula to follow, your song could be one of the next big hits.
Songwriting is easy for some and very difficult for others. In fact, I wrote songs while I was sleeping, and immediately after waking up, I wrote them as fast as I could write the words on paper.
What I want to discuss here is popular songwriting, like the songs you hear on the radio. A good pop song, be it rock, country, midway, is made up of two things: a catchy tune and some good lyrics.
There is a formula that most great songwriters use to write great songs. It refers to the structure used to write a song. Of course, it is music and it is art, so the rules are not hard and fast. But if you want to increase your chances of getting your song on the radio, it’s a good starting point.
Here is the formula. Verse, chorus, chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus.
Write it down on a piece of paper leaving plenty of space between each word and this will be your script.
Pour
The verse is the part of the song that tells the story, the part that leads to the chorus. Each verse is usually different, tells a different part of the story or adds to it. Usually he explains how he got to the things he’s singing about in the choir.
Chorus.
The chorus is the part of the song that is repeated after each verse. The lyrics are usually the same every time the chorus sounds. The verse usually leads to the chorus, and the chorus is usually the reward for hearing the verse. Makes sense?
Here’s a poor example (you didn’t think I’d give you my best work, did you?):
(pour)
My dog is sick, he has a tick.
He’s my best friend, don’t let it end
(chorus)
Oh woe is me, can’t you see?
Woe is me, will I ever be free?
(pour)
My car broke down, just outside of town.
It was towed, but it’s broken again.
(chorus)
Oh woe is me, can’t you see?
Woe is me, will I ever be free?
Now if you will be kind enough to stop laughing at my silly song for a minute, I want you to think about whether or not you understand my point. Writing songs is telling stories. The verse tells the problems, the chorus expresses the results or the emotions.
All right, now that you’ve got it mastered, let’s tackle the bridge. Ah yes, there is more to the song than pain and release. We need fun. That is what the bridge is; It is the deviation of the verse and the chorus.
The bridge may have a slightly different melody, or it could even have a different beat or tempo (Elvis’s “Suspicious Minds” did a great job on this technique).
Let’s go back to the boring song and add a bridge:
(pour)
My dog is sick, he has a tick.
He’s my best friend, don’t let it end
(chorus)
Oh woe is me, can’t you see?
Woe is me, will I ever be free?
(pour)
My car broke down, just outside of town.
It was towed, but it’s broken again.
(chorus)
Oh woe is me, can’t you see?
Woe is me, will I ever be free?
(bridge)
Tomorrow is a better day, I have a new truck on the way
It looks like my dog just had a flea, so once again I will live my dreams
(chorus)
Oh woe is me, can’t you see?
Oh me, but now I’m free
The bridge offers a solution to the problems I was having. You don’t want to leave your listener on the brink of suicide, you want to give them hope.
Notice, I also changed the wording of the choir. This was done to reflect my newfound joy.
One more thing about the formula. It can be however you want, but most verses and choruses come in lines of 4. So instead of this:
(pour)
Oh woe is me, can’t you see?
Woe is me, will I ever be free?
(pour)
My car broke down, just outside of town.
It was towed, but it’s broken again.
could be:
Oh woe is me, can’t you see?
Woe is me, will I ever be free?
My car broke down, just outside of town.
It was towed, but it’s broken again.
The same goes for the chorus. Again, if you are creative, do it however you want. But for a new composer, this gives you some guidelines to cross out and start carving your new creation.
One more thing, don’t make the melody notes so high that your fans can’t sing. We are certainly not all Stevie Wonder.
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