This is an article from Joey C, with some great tips on succeeding as a music producer. Most of these also apply to song writing as well.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5726730_succeed-accomplished-music-producer.html
-E.
When writing a song, rhyme can be one of the most important yet difficult things to execute properly. Luckily, rhyming has been around for a very, very long time and there is somewhat of a science to rhyming.
Most people are the master of the end rhyme. Having a creative vocabulary and applying it to this device, however, is another article. In this article, I want to address poetic devices besides the typical end rhyme.
There are three main poetic devices that I want to cover in this article. The first is called Alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of a word. This device can be used to make a line more cohesive and make it flow better when recorded. Often, it’s easier to record faster lines when they contain alliteration.
Example: “Taking a tonic and talking till it gets toxic.”
This line reads and sounds a bit better than something similar that does not contain alliteration.
Example: “Taking a drink and speaking till it gets sickly.”
By reading these lines, you can instantly see how alliteration can add to the vibe of a line and help it stand out from other lines. As a side note, these two examples also exhibit how word choice can affect how easily a line rolls off of the tongue.
Alliteration is a simple enough concept. Many of us have already used it, read it, and know it well. Often it can arise without even trying. But when combined with the next poetic device, alliteration can begin to evolve beyond a simple device.
Consonance is the repetition of a consonant sound within a word. When combined with alliteration, it can begin to make a line even smoother.
Example: “Ramping a ramble of random sand dwelling mammals.”
Here, we begin to get a little more abstract with the application of these devices. This line contains a few different examples of consonance and alliteration both, as well as the next poetic device that we will discuss. “Ramping a ramble” employs both alliteration, in the repetition of the “r” sound. It also contains consonance, in the repetition of the “m” in the middle of each word. Going further, “random” is also tied in to “ramble” and “ramping” via alliteration. “Mammals” is tied in to “ramping” and “ramble” in the repetition of the “m” sound.
One thing I want to note is how important the “filler” words are. In this line, the filler words are “a” and “of”. These words help the line flow and do not intrude on the imagery or message of the line. These words are also often the cause of having too many syllables in a line. They can be used either to shorten the syllabic count of a line by removing them or lengthen it by adding them, since they are non intrusive and rarely interrupt the feel of a line.
Next, we move on to assonance. Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound within words. The previous example line will suffice for this device as well.
Example: “Ramping a ramble of random sand dwelling mammals.”
Here, in addition to consonance and alliteration, assonance plays a large part in making the line smooth. “Ramping”, “ramble”, “random”, “sand”, and “mammals” are all tied together via assonance from the “a” sound.
These devices are important in song writing. As I have illustrated, when used together, they can make a line more cohesive and smoother to read and record, as well as help them sound a bit more complex.
I encourage you to go beyond this simple introductory explanation of these devices and learn more about them and how to use them.
-E.
Meter, in poetry and song writing, is the rhythmic structure of a piece. Meter is especially important in songs because of the need for the lyrics to fit to the instrumental. The scansion of a poem or song is the analysis of its metrical structure.
For now, it’s important to understand meter. Meter can be broken down in simple terms, as the amount of syllables in each line, and how they relate to each other. To have a smoothly flowing song, you must have a well defined meter to follow throughout each segment.
For example,
I’m taking a walk down a road today,
Hoping to find a golden bay,
This pair reads smoothly, because the syllabic count of each line is similar. The first line is ten syllables, and the second line is eight. Often times, a slight variation will add to the rhythm of the lyrics, but in order for them to continue to read well, one must build on that pattern as opposed to straying from it.
I’m taking a walk down a road today,
Hoping to find a golden bay,
In my mind,
I don’t know what I will find,
The shortened third line throws the rhythm of this quatrain off. This, of course, varies from song to song. In hip hop, this segment would be very difficult to have flow naturally. In pop or R&B, however, a lengthening of a word may set it right again.
No matter what genre you write, you should try to keep the syllables of each line within range of one another. It will help the overall feel of the piece and make it read much easier than if it were like the previous example.
I’m taking a walk down a road today,
Hoping to find a golden bay,
But who can say what I might find,
When I’m walking in my mind,
This quatrain reads much easier than the previous example. The syllabic count of each line, in order, is 10-8-8-7. So you see here that the syllables do not have to perfectly match from line to line, but it’s important to keep them within range of each other to avoid drastic leaps in line length.
In poetry there are ways to measure and determine which words are stressed and unstressed. In songwriting, it’s less important to map this out definitely, as a well delivered lyric should sound natural and not as if you’re following a set course in your emphasis.
Something that is important in songwriting, however, is referred to as a “caesurae”, or a cut in words. These are pauses inserted between certain syllables of a verse. This device is used often in song writing to make lines that may not be syllabically compatible mesh with the other lines in a segment. By inserting pauses and breaks, you can virtually extend the syllables of a line without inserting words that may cause it to stray from the intended purpose.
I’m taking a walk down a road today,
Hoping to find a golden bay,
But who can say – I might be wrong,
To write about it in a song.
This segment reads very smoothly with the assistance of the pause, indicated by the “-“. Often, inserting pauses can help add to the conversational mood of a piece. Pauses should be inserted as they would naturally occur in conversation. This will help you avoid making your lyrics sound robotic and unnatural.
Overall, having a good grasp on the syllabic count of your lines and segments will help you create a much smoother reading, easier to record piece.
-E.
Hello all,
Here at FreelanceLyrics we’re all about taking music in to your own hands. Learning to write, produce, and record are all a part of that.
Beginning today we will now be accepting submissions for our Indie Artist Review. Each week, we’ll choose one independent artist to review on our blog. This will help our featured artists get positive exposure as well as constructive feedback.
If you’re an artist and would like to submit to us, send a link to your music (single, album, demo, etc.) to ET@FreelanceLyrics.com or contact us via the “Contact” tab at the top of the page. Any genre or style of music is welcome!
We hope to hear from you soon,
-E.
Anyone can write a song. The challenge for most, however, is to write one that is effective at both conveying a story or message as well as capturing the interest of the listeners. This is the biggest challenge of songwriting, and sometimes sacrifices must be made.
For example, you may choose to keep your message or topic simpler in favor of a more commercially viable piece. Others, however, may sacrifice the auditory aesthetics of a piece in order to convey a powerful message. A good songwriter knows when to make sacrifices and when not to. A great songwriter can write a catchy, commercially viable piece with a great message, but knows that this is not always the client’s desire. Often, especially in certain genres, you will be required by either necessity or the client’s directions, to create a piece with little intellectual value but much viability on the commercial market. As a ghostwriter, I leave such decisions up to the client entirely, but when I write pieces for myself I must find a comfortable balance between the two extremes. Often a commercially viable piece that seems to have little merit in its message may be quite the opposite, just well disguised.
In this article it’s not my intention to imply that a piece can only be either commercial or intellectual, but rather that sometimes it is the duty of a songwriter to decide which direction to go with a piece, and that we cannot always satisfy all facets of our craft.
So with this in mind, the first challenge that I face when writing a song is the direction. Which road should the piece take? Often times this decision is influenced by the instrumental to which I am writing. If the instrumental has a darker, more somber mood it will typically be a more thoughtful piece. A faster paced, lighter instrumental will most likely end up being a more light hearted song. Another influence on the direction of a piece is the purpose of it. Is it meant to be a single? Is it going to simply fill an empty slot on an album? This is all very important to consider when deciding on a direction.
In writing for my clients, they will often dictate the direction of a song. It is then my duty as the writer to fulfill their needs while giving them a great piece that is worthy of their project. Just because a piece is meant to be a club anthem or party song, doesn’t mean it will have no artistic merits. It is our job as songwriters to infuse artistic merit in to every project we undertake, even if it may be over looked in the song’s final form.
A rule that I have learned applies to both production and songwriting, among other things, is that simplicity is likely the best path. When things become too convoluted, it can be difficult for the listeners to discern the true purpose of the song, and therefore difficult for them to connect with it.
In writing, I have encountered a few categories that seem to encompass most projects:
- Party songs.
o These pieces have little obvious intellectual merit, but contain catchy melodies and phrases.
- Story songs.
o These pieces can be catchy (as demonstrated well in the country music genre and many older hip hop pieces,) but always convey some linear or non linear story that progresses throughout the verses, often tying the chorus in as a repeated scene or piece of dialogue.
- Conscious songs.
o These pieces are strong in their message, usually covering serious and important topics about the state of society and the world.
Using these simple classifications, you can typically categorize any song.
The ideal song, however, would contain elements of all three of these categories. Catchy melodies and phrases, a linear or non linear story, and in that story some message about an important topic that the artist feels they should express their opinions on. A song that successfully ties in all three categories is one that the listeners can connect with and relate to, and thus has much more commercial viability as well as potential longevity.
In the end, many songs may defy categorization. For a beginning songwriter or one struggling with a song, however, these guidelines may aid in focusing on a direction for a piece.
-E.
