Commercial Songwriting Techniques

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(Difference between revisions)

Current revision as of 19:14, 29 January 2012

Songwriting Infobox
Songwriting
Song Model
Lyrics - Melody - Harmony - Rhythm - Form
Song Form
Title - Chorus - Verse - Prechorus - Bridge
v • d • e

Lyric Infobox
Lyrics: Top Level
Title - Song Plots - Rhyme - Rhyme Scheme - Lyric Triad Patterns - Lyric Writing Checklist - Scratch - RhymeZone - Titles - Category:Lyrics - Template:Rhyme - Template:Lyric
Lyric
Lyric - Melody - Harmony - Rhythm - Form
v • d • e

Harmony Infobox
Key Signatures
Major Modes	Ionian - Lydian - Mixolydian
Minor Modes	Dorian - Aeolian - Phrygian - Locrian
Other Modes	Major Pentatonic - Minor Pentatonic - Major Blues Scale - Minor Blues Scale
A-flat - A - B-flat - B - C-flat - C - C-sharp - D-flat - D - E-flat - E - F - F-sharp - G-flat - G
Harmonic Tools
Modal Comparison Charts - Power Progressions - Cadences - Chord Finder
Harmony
Lyric - Melody - Harmony - Rhythm - Form
Songwriting: Harmony
v • d • e

Melody Infobox
Melody
Lyric - Melody - Harmony - Rhythm - Form
v • d • e

Form Infobox
Form
Lyric - Melody - Harmony - Rhythm - Form
v • d • e

Andrea Stolpe

Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling

Destination-Write and Create Columns
Find Rhyme Pairs

- Perfect
- Family
- Additive/Subtractive
- Assonance
- Consonance

Choose a Rhyme Scheme and Toggle Pattern
Add Prepositions and Conjunctions
Choose a Plot Progression
Destination-Write Again using Thought/Feeling Language. Look for titles and chorus material.
Look for Titles and Write the Chorus
Construct Second Verse and Pre-chorus
Construct Bridge
Assess Verbs, Tense, and Point of View

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 * [[Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling]]
-# Step 1: Destination-Write and Create Columns
-# Step 2:  Find Rhyme Pairs
-*# Perfect
-*# Family
-*# Additive/Subtractive
-*# Assonance
-*# Consonance
-# Step 3: Choose a [[Rhyme Scheme]] and [[Toggle Pattern]]
-===Step 4: Add Prepositions and Conjunctions===
+# Destination-Write and Create Columns
+# Find Rhyme Pairs
-Connect the phrases of your toggled verse with prepositions and conjunctions.  Try exchanging "and" for "but," "as" for "when," and pay close attention to how it affects the conversational quality of the lyric.
+** Perfect
+** Family
-===Step 5: Choose a Plot Progression===
+** Additive/Subtractive
+** Assonance
-Choose from the two possibilities below and develop the song content.  Write the pre-chorus according to your chosen strategy.
+** Consonance
+# Choose a [[Rhyme Scheme]] and [[Toggle Pattern]]
-====Possibility 1====
+# Add Prepositions and Conjunctions
+# Choose a [[Plot Progression]]
-Verse 1: What is the problem in detail? What was the past like?
+# Destination-Write Again using Thought/Feeling Language. Look for titles and chorus material.
-Optional Verse 2: Describe more of the problem in detail.
+# Look for Titles and Write the Chorus
-Optional Pre-chorus: Can it be different? Does it have to be this way? Is there hope?
+# Construct Second Verse and Pre-chorus
-Chorus: What would different feel like?
+# Construct Bridge
-Bridge: What struggles must be overcome?
+# Assess Verbs, Tense, and Point of View
-====Possibility 2====
-Verse: The way things used to be. The way I'd like things to be.
-Pre-chorus: Is there hope?
-Chorus: The way things are
-Bridge: Everything's gonna be okay
-===Step 6: Destination-Write Again using Thought/Feeling Language===
-You're looking for titles and chorus material this time.  Destination-write again, only this time, talk about your thoughts and feelings.  Start by reading through your original destination writing and begin where you left off, speaking from the mind of your main character.  Underline the external and parenthesize the internal words and phrases of your new destination writing.  Transfer your favorite phrases into the columns you already formed from your original destination writing and find additional rhyme pairs.
-===Step 7: Look for Titles and Write the Chorus===
-Look for titles within your original and new destination writing.  Follow your toggling pattern and write the chorus.  Remember the body-guard and power position.  Add conjunctions and prepositions.
-===Step 8: Construct Second Verse and Pre-chorus===
-Follow the plot progression and use pyramiding to write your second verse and pre-chorus.  Use the toggling pattern of your first verse, but involve more internal detail this time.  You may choose to use the same pre-chorus or write a new one to add further meaning to your chorus.  Add conjunctions and prepositions.
-===Step 9: Construct Bridge===
-Follow your plot progression and pyramiding to toggle a bridge.  Choose a toggling pattern that contrasts with your chorus and verse for maximum effect.  Consider how your section will add new meaning to the last chorus.  Add conjunctions and prepositions.
-===Step 10:  Assess Verbs, Tense, and Point of View===
-Check your verbs for specificity.  Change the tense of your lyric and see how it affects the overall feeling.  Make sure your point of view—whether first, direct address, or third—is consistent throughout the lyric. Read through your lyric out loud.  Are there any fragmented phrases?  Can you exchange conjunctions and prepositions to better connect phrases?  Do "who," "where," and "when" all appear within the first few lines of the song? Rewrite where needed.
 [[category:Music]]