Comparing Rhythmic Activity of the Verse and Chorus Lyric

Longer note values work better in the chorus, as a way of enhancing emotional impact. ____________ Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6-eBook Bundle, and get back to the basics of why hit songs sell. _____________ There’s nothing like a song that allows the listener a powerful emotional release. It’s got to be done right, though, because songs […]

Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer” – A Study in Lyrical Layering

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting 6-eBook Bundle“, and become a top-level songwriter! ______________ Every distinct section of your song (verse, chorus, etc.) should treat lyrics differently and have a different goal. Lyrics, when done well, should show a clear 2- or 3-level design. Messing this up can cloud your message, and your song can fail to produce […]

5 Ways to Give Your Chorus More Emotional Punch

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 E-book Bundle. Become a top-level songwriter, starting now. _________ When you look at hit songs from the past 50 years, patterns and commonalities become apparent regardless of era or genre. Those patterns, those “things songwriters do” become the basis of what we usually call the “rules” of songwriting. And […]

After that Initial Great Idea… Then What?

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 E-book Bundle, and kick-start your songwriting career! _________ It can be interesting to debate the role of inspiration in good songwriting. I’ve written quite a few blog postings about that topic over the past few years. And to sum up my position: inspiration doesn’t really impress me all that […]

The Hurtin’ Song: Give it an Emotional Focus

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 E-book Bundle, and become a top-level songwriter! __________________ There’s nothing like a good hurtin’ song. But there’s nothing worse than a singer who gives us a verse lyric that moans about his miserable existence, moving on to the chorus where we learn that he really feels miserable, in case we […]

Good Lyrics Don’t Describe Emotions, They Create Emotions

Download “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” 6 e-book bundle, and kick-start your songwriting career! ____________ A good lyric needs to be able to connect easily with the audience. Most of the time, that connection is primarily an emotional one. A good example of this is love song lyrics. As a love song progresses, you want the […]