What makes a good song

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Permalink Reply by Ja-Tun on January 18, 2008 at 1:34pm

What kinds of tips was the book giving you? I've been meaning to pick one up for a couple years now and have just had other priorities (such as: swallowing business books like tic tacs) lol. When I write, I often draw from personal experience but try to make it just vague enough that other people can remember a moment when they felt similarly or can make my lyrics their own. I also stick to a pretty standard song structure but I bet that was one of the first things the book told you. I didn't realize how structure could change from a live band set-up verses studio tracks until last fall, though. I thought that was interesting but I guess it makes a lot of sense when you think about radio versus live delivery....

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Permalink Reply by Epic Songs on January 23, 2008 at 6:42pm

At the risk of sounding overly gracious, I’ll submit that what makes your song great is the fact that you authored it. I’ll attempt to qualify this, if you’ll pardon my upcoming rhetoric, and eventually provide some tips I hope you find useful.

All forms of human communication, especially the arts, cannot avoid subjective interpretation. Thus, what I deem great may be considered a wall of noise by someone else and vice versa. This personal bias adds quite a bit of complexity when attempting to satisfy someone else’s concept of greatness.

For the sake of objectivity, let’s assert that a great song is one that achieves large commercial success (a flawed assumption, but we need to start somewhere). It would then follow that ‘Yesterday’, ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Baby Got Back’, and ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ can all be qualified as great songs, regardless of personal preference.

Trying to derive one standard pattern for greatness using only these examples is futile, but it is safe to say all contain the unifying elements of music and lyrics. The liberating beauty in this revelation is that any music composition possesses the potential for greatness. The next step is to take this philosophical generality and apply it to something a bit more practical, which addresses the essence of this blog’s question.

To create a great tune, I would first define the type of song I’m looking to mold by identifying its genre. Then, I’d assess the song’s intended audience by asking whom I am most looking to please (myself, my significant other, the regulars who hang out at ‘The Hottay Latte’, record execs, the whole world, etc.). Next, I’d determine what type of reaction(s) I want from that audience when my song is performed (dancing, singing along, weeping with unabashed empathy, walking away thinking I’m the greatest songwriter known to all mankind, etc.) With that, I’m now able to tighten or broaden the song’s scope so that it conforms to my desired consumer base and affect.

If my hope is to reach a mass market, I’d devote considerable effort listening to songs in the style selected that have received heavy amounts of commercial radio airplay and take note of elements that I feel make each particular selection great. I would then take these elements and reference them when crafting my original work. (Note: By elements I mean particular note intervals, vocal phrasings, or lyrical images that grab attention. By reference I mean tweak and personalize, not blatantly steal and repeat)

For a standard pop song, I’d likely use a typical structure such as Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Bridge/Chorus, but there are so many legitimate others to choose from, it’s not realistic to say which is best. Lyrically, I’d keep the message personal enough to be emotionally delivered yet broad enough for mass appeal (as has already been mentioned). I’d also try to avoid gender specific lyrics unless I was specifically writing with a particular performer in mind. I’d be sure to incorporate a strong melody for the verses – using referenced elements noted in my research, a catchy hook for the chorus – again using referenced elements noted in my research, and a dramatic twist for the bridge, possibly via transposition or a chord pattern that leads to a transposition for the final chorus.

These tips only scratch the surface of traditional hit songwriting. For additional guidance, there are numerous instructional books which can aid the creative process (which you've already discovered). The better guides will address all areas of song construction including: basic music theory, verse/chorus/bridge format and placement, lyric composition, accompaniment and arrangement, etc. Often times, these resources can be found at major bookstore chains (Barnes & Noble, Borders) or a public library. I haven’t researched this personally, but suspect the internet is full of free online tutorials as well.

There are also songwriting groups, mentors, and workshops available all over the U.S, but attempting to get fully involved with their offerings can get prohibitively expensive. A potential alternative could be hosting a local group that meets on a particular night to brainstorm songwriting ideas. Keep in mind, however, that any listener’s subjectivity will come into play. The Beatles were passed over by numerous record execs, much to their chagrin.

I’ll wrap up by paraphrasing a ‘great’ lyric offered by Neil Peart: ‘Write for yourself, there’s no one else more worth writing for’. I add, “Embrace your creative spirit with reckless abandon, in spite of the suggested rules – therein resides your greatness in its purest form”.

Peace,
BF

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Carvin on August 25, 2008 at 11:49pm

yeah you have to write for yourself, but in that you write for the world

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