Music Theory - Hopkins, Gary - Improve Your Songwriting PDF

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Improve Your Songwriting
A few tips on how to write your first smash hit
Whether you want to go solo, be an active writing member of a band or simply be a pure songwriter you'll need
that vital ingredient - good tunes. A few tips on how to write your first smash hit.
Get in key
Initially, if you are thinking of performing the song yourself, you should think about what key you are going to write
the tune in. You'll be much better off writing a song in a key that's comfortable for your voice and the style of
music you want to play.
The very fundamentals of a song are the chord structures and you'll need to find a decent chord pattern. If you are
just starting out then a good way of exploring chord structures and how the top writers work is to simply dissect a
song and see how it has been put together.
Alternatively just buy the printed music or songbook of your favourite tune. Of course the old nutmeg is music first
or lyrics first? That is entirely up to you and how you work.
Wax lyrical
Lyrics are probably the most often neglected skill with those embarking on a career in songwriting. You probably
think you're there when you've come up with a great chord progression or storming guitar riff. But you've only just
begun - you've got to put words to it unless you're thinking of writing a Vangelis instrumental opus.
It is often true that many fall into the trap of simply bunging a few words together on the back of a matchbox. You
know - "wanna love you all night". Sit back and think about something you've seen or that has happened to you or
someone you know. Treat the lyrics like story with a beginning, an end or with a point you want to put across.
Naturally you will want to come up with a big sing-a-long hook for the chorus that is instantly memorable. Some
good guides to writing lyrics are a dictionary, rhyming dictionary and a thesaurus.
Arrangement
Think carefully about how the drums, bass, guitar and keyboards are going to fit in your track. The main point is
you don't want your hit tune swamped by layers of grinding guitars and banks of swirling keyboard pads. You want
to be minimal to get the best effect and to let the song breathe. We've all been guilty of adding a bit too much
when we get carried away but try and be disciplined to retain clarity.
Structures
Try and get into the song quickly rather than plump for an overbearing one-minute intro. This is for impact as well
as for the possible ears of record company bosses.
Think about how you want your song to go - whether it be verse, chorus or if you want to sandwich a pre-chorus
or bridge in between. You might want to commit to a double verse before hitting the chorus.
Also think about a middle eight - does the song need one? Many top chart hits don't necessarily have a big
change in the middle. Middle eights were championed by the Beatles when many songs at the time simply rotated
along the same chord structure.
Influences
Try and listen to as many types of music as possible to check out the variety of songwriting techniques. Listening
to music and then writing your own is not stealing - as long as you don't copy whole passages. Rather let other
people's music inspire you to write your own.
Solitude
Many people have various techniques to approaching songwriting. On the whole many find solitude the best way -
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many top stars shut themselves away in remote farmhouses to write their next hit album. That was certainly the
case with Abba. The boys Benny and Bjorn would hideaway in a small holiday home on a remote and tiny island.
Obviously you need some peace and quiet to concentrate so a motorway service station is a bit of a no -no
although you might get some inspiration from something you see there!
Themes
Decide what you want to write about - sex, love, relationships, violence war, politics or even Manchester United
FC. But don't try and write about something you know nothing about or you have never experienced just because
it appears hip. The end result could be embarrassing as well as disappointing. You would be betraying your own
background, upbringing and experiences if you start writing about something totally alien to you so stick to what
you know.
Get scribbling!
Gary Hopkins
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intermusic.

Improve Your Songwriting

A few tips on how to write your first smash hit

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