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•"The Essential Secrets of Songwriting - LESSONS" gives you lessons and activities that make you a better songwriter. Read more...

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... and you really should take the time to read this important article. It will show you seven basic songwriting errors, and how to avoid them!

LESSON 5

STRUCTURING MELODIES


A GOOD MELODY
We learned from Lesson 4 that what makes a good melody is often not the melody itself, but how it interacts with other compositional elements. Even though we can't be specific about what makes a good melody, we can make some generalizations:
VERSE: 
A verse melody needs to feel somewhat inconclusive, so that the listener wants to keep listening. The kind of lyric you'll use in a verse will talk about things in a somewhat narrative way. So you tell the listener about what's happening, without being overly conclusive about what that all means emotionally.

 In melodic terms:
  • A verse melody will work well if it doesn't dwell on the key note of the piece. If your song is in A-major, make your melody hit other notes from the A major chord (C# and E) and reserve frequent use of the tonic note (A) for the chorus.
  • The general range of the notes of a verse should be lower than a chorus.
CHORUS
 A chorus melody needs to feel more conclusive, so that the listener understands what the emotional impact the verse has had on you. The kind of lyric you'll use in a chorus will tell the listener not just what you're feeling, but ultimately what it all might mean.

In melodic terms:
  • Stronger lyrics will make a stronger impact if you hit the key note (tonic note) more often in your chorus than in your verse. If your song is in A major, melodies and melodic fragments should keep coming back to the note A.
  • The general energy of a chorus should be higher than the verse. So in general, the notes of the melody should be higher than the verse.
BRIDGE
 A bridge should represent a bit of an emotional outpouring, so the audience feels the true impact of the topic on you. The lyric may want to focus on certain emotional material, and it works well if certain words keep getting repeated.

In melodic terms:
  • The melody will want to be hitting notes as high or higher than the chorus.
  • Some bridges will keep the energy sustained so that the final chorus that comes after benefits from the added energy. Some bridges will allow the energy to dissipate, particularly if you plan to have another verse before the final chorus.


There are other components of songs that can be considered. For example, what is often termed a pre-chorus is a short tag of four to eight bars at the end of a verse, but before a chorus begins. Intros and outros are ways of beginning and ending songs that, more often than not, are chord-based rather than melody based.


REMEMBER, THEY'RE JUST GENERALIZATIONS
Remember that no two songs are alike, and just because your song may not fit the plan given above does not mean that you've made an error. Some songs are just a collection of verses, with no chorus, bridge, or anything else at all. Some lyrics are totally unremarkable. Some verses feature the key note over and over, with the chorus not using it at all. And some songs simply defy analysis.

Following the plan above will certainly produce songs that have a fighting chance of working, but doesn't guarantee anything. That's because any good song is greater than the sum of its parts. If a song is good, it's not usually because any one component is so good, but more because the way the components work together is good. That's the magic part of it all - the fun part.

You can read much more about how melodies work by reading Chapter 5 of "The Essential Secrets of Songwriting."

ACTIVITIES for STRUCTURING MELODIES

1. UNDERSTANDING THE VERSE-CHORUS PARTNERSHIP
Using your guitar, piano, or other chording instrument, invent several short four - to - eight note melody that is placed low in your voice, one that could serve as a beginning for a verse. (Don't create lyrics). Now, for each melody you created, and using the same chords, create a similar-sounding melody that hits the tonic (key) note more often, one that could serve as a beginning of a chorus. NOTE: Don't use all major or minor keys; create melodic fragments in both. Record or write down your solutions.

2. OPPOSITES ATTRACT - MORE PARTNER MELODIES
As a melodic exercise, create some short melodies as in the previous exercise. For each melody you create, try singing a melody that represents the inverse of that melody. For example, if you create a melody that starts on a midrange note and wanders upward by tones and semitones, create a melody that starts on the same note and wanders downward. Record or write down your solutions.

3. OPPOSITE MODES
Now, using the melodic fragments that you created in Activity #1, Try creating a similar melody in the opposite mode. For example, for every melody that you created in a major mode, try devising an equivalent melody in the minor mode. Record or write down your solutions.
 

...on to Lesson 6 - INTEGRATING LYRICS WITH MELODIES

-Return to The Essential Secrets of Songwriting-

Lesson 1 - Focusing your Lyrics
 Lesson 4 - Writing Melodies that Work
 Lesson 7 - Choosing the Right Chord
Lesson 2 - Writing Creative Lyrics
 Lesson 5 - Structuring Melodies
 Lesson 8 - Mixing Strong and Fragile Progressions
Lesson 3 - Writing "Familiar" Lyrics
 Lesson 6 - Integrating Lyrics with Melodies
 Lesson 9 - Considering Form

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I'd love to hear from you! If you find these lessons useful, or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to write me (Gary Ewer): gary@pantomimemusic.com
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