This is a video that really breaks bass lines down in simple, easy to understand terms. Great for producers or songwriters who have yet to master the bass line.
Video by nfxbeats ( http://www.youtube.com/user/nfxbeats#p/u )
-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.
This video covers one of the fundamentals of songwriting that can often be confusing or simply overlooked: Structure.
Video by UltimateSongwriting ( http://www.youtube.com/user/UltimateSongwriting )
-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.
This is a great video that explains chords and how they’re built within their corresponding scales. Definitely an invaluable piece of information for any songwriter.
Video by nfxbeats ( http://www.youtube.com/user/nfxbeats )
-E.
This is a nice instructional video I found on youtube for writing songs.
Video by shawncheekeasy ( http://www.youtube.com/user/shawncheekeasy )
-E.
Hello,
We are currently seeking anyone who can help us generate interesting and informative music related content for the blog.
If you are interested in writing music related articles, making beat making videos, or creating any sort of music related content and being featured on our blog, please e-mail ET@Freelancelyrics.com and express your interest!
-E.
Hello and welcome to FreelanceLyrics.com
The site is still somewhat under construction, but we will be working on getting consistent and helpful content up on a regular basis.
Please visit us again soon.
-E.
