Here’s a quick method to learn acoustic guitar that can have you playing and singing at your next get-together in no time.

• Buy a decent acoustic guitar that stays in tune.  There are a handful of new or used acoustic guitars in the $200-300 range that can do the trick here.  (Washburn guitars offer the highest quality, awesomely priced, best values in this range in my opinion)  
• Pick out a song you dream about playing on acoustic guitar.  Try to choose one with only 5-7 simple chords throughout the song.  E.g., don’t pick out a song like “Hotel California” for your first song (you’ll be able to play a song like this a couple of months down the road).  A song like “Best of My Love” by the Eagles would be a better choice.
• Buy or find the sheet music or chords used in the song you want to learn (make sure it’s in the key of C, D, E, F, G, or A – no flat keys – they are easier to learn and play on guitar) and begin learning how to finger the chords on your guitar one at a time.  Invest in a “capo” so you can transpose your song into a higher key if you need t.
• Try coordinating your fingering and strumming from only one chord to another.  Once you learn the first two chords, learn two more at a time until you’ve learned all the chords in the song.  It should take you anywhere between 4-8 hours of practice over 2-3 days to learn these and get comfortable.
• Try playing the chord structure of the song in bits and pieces from beginning to end to learn the entire chord structure of the song.  Practice this until, while hearing the melody sung in your head, your fingers are hitting the right chords consistently.
• Try singing and playing one note at a time until you can play and sing one measure at a time.  Now try to piece the song together in chunks from beginning to end.  For example, play the intro.  Then play the first two lines of the first verse, etc.
• Once you learn the first song pretty well, go on to another song and try to pick a song in a different key, say key of “G.”  With every song, try your best to pick out a song in a different key like the ones mentioned above.
• Repeat the same method with the new song and every song after that.

Before you know it, you’ll be playing songs in 5-6 different keys and your chord knowledge will already be fairly expanded!

Time to get to work!

It’s important, while we have a few performers today who actually do have great singing talent and are worthy of emulation, to look back at history to remember and/or discover true talents that can help inspire us not only to write songs more effectively but to also sing and perform better.

Johnnie Wilder Jr. and his brother Keith Wilder founded Heatwave in the early 70’s upon finishing their tour of duty with the US army and set themselves on a path to relatively quick success.  They eventually relocated to the UK to team up with the extremely talented songwriter and keyboardist Rod Temperton, who eventually wrote their biggest hit songs, including the one you see in this youtube video.

The song “Always and Forever” is a classic pop standard worthy of being studied on many levels.  To say this song has inspired countless other artists is an understatement, for this song, at the time, became the song by which all other love songs/ballads were measured.

Watch and Listen To The Video

Here are some points to take and use from this song in your own music:

• The easy, singable melody with short phrases – that is…until Johnnie Wilder starts hitting those unbelievable notes at the end of the song.
• The power of simplicity in lyrics.  True – a song with these types of lyrics would probably be regarded on today’s charts as cheesy; just not hard-edged enough and too mushy.  But you can easily take the inspiration of the message of this song and write your own love masterpiece, right?

For you male R&B influenced singer/songwriters looking to get signed, take comfort knowing major players in the industry are looking for true talent all-around, but they definitely don’t expect you to sing like Johnnie Wilder!  However, use his talent as a barometer.  If you can even come close to how talented he was at singing, you’ve got a great chance.

Tragically, Johnnie Wilder Jr.  (July3, 1949 – May 13, 2006) was involved in a car crash in 1979, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.  He was never able to sing the same after that; but like the warrior he was, he continued producing and songwriting, and at one time, was the most sought after acapella gospel music producers in the US.

Wilder died in his sleep on May 13, 2006 of unknown causes and left behind his wife, a daughter, and his three brothers, including Keith Wilder.

Rod Temperton went on to have an amazing career as a songwriter and wrote three songs on the best selling album of all time; Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”  The most notable songs he wrote for Jackson were, Rock With You, Off The Wall, and Thriller.

This is because a title reveals the angle or the flavor of  what you intend to write about, and it becomes much easier to write your song with a laser-targeted idea or plot.

Therefore, once you have the name of the song in place, listen to the words of the title and start conjuring up images and options of what the song could be about.

For example, if you named your song something simple like, “I Think I Understand,” it could be a song about a lover who believes he or she understands the other doesn’t want them anymore, or it may be a song about finally understanding a big life’s lesson of some sort, etc. – possibilities are many!

Song titles are everywhere; the first thing you need to do is train yourself to listen for a great phrase or line from a variety of the following sources:

Television Shows and Movies

Many hit songs have been inspired from watching a television show and using phrases from their scripts – this is perfectly legit as long as you don’t swipe a few lines, obviously.  Remember, what you’re looking for are phrases (between 2 to 6 words max).

The same goes for the watching movies, which is what I recommend highly.  Here’s a simple one I heard the other day -”You Don’t Have To Do Anything”  – sounds like a great title for a country song to me!  Note this is a simple line we’ve probably heard a few times in our lives, but now, while you’re training your ears to pick out song titles, it sticks out at you for the first time!

Listening Intently To Conversation With Other People

You’ll find them either while you’re  participating or just listening (try not to look like you’re eavesdropping).  This is another great way to find song title gems; someone always says something that’ll cry to be part of a song!

Other Songs

These are also a great source for song titles; try to pick out words in the lines of the songs other than the actual titles themselves.

Books

They are a great resource – this should come easy to you if like to read novels especially, because the words tend to be more colorful.

Finally, make a list on a writing pad or database on your computer (I use a text file) every time you come up with a song title; this way, once you have a fairly long list, you can pick and choose a song title with ease.

The trick to training yourself to pick out song titles is to be in a dormant songwriting mode and be a good listener.  For the first few times, don’t be afraid to shake someone’s hand, have a conversation with them, and in the back of your mind think; c’mon dude, I know you’re about to say something I can use as a song title!  You’ll find one.

While watching TV or movies, sit there waiting for the darn title to pop out!  It gets easier with practice.

The new look is a very straightforward and simple one which looks tighter and more focused, allows for easier navigation, and gives you much quicker page loading times.  We’ve kept it very plain in keeping with the grass roots flavor it’s always had. 

The original website, SongwriterAdvisor.com, is also going to be simplified and expanded in the coming months.

We thank you for your loyalty.

- Orlando
The Songwriter Advisor

In most every business, networking is not only the best way to have a chance to impress people with your talent; it’s usually the only way.  Think about it; it really is who you know, 99% of the time.  If you can’t get your foot in the door of the music business industry, don’t expect a record executive to come knocking on your door.

But first, if you’re serious about “making it” you have to put yourself in a position where the “it’s who you know” becomes a part of your daily goals; network, network, network!  You must take initiative if you want to be successful in the music industry whether you’re chasing a music publishing deal, record deal, or any other type of position in this competitive industry. 

Here’s a foolproof plan to get a publishing deal for talented songwriters:

1. If you are talented, you will be successful.  I spent a good part of a year hearing the same old thing from family and friends; the industry is too competitive, you’ll never make it.  To this day, I resent what a few friends and family members said, and yeah, I still love them, but I secretly hold it against them.  I made it because I made my own breaks while networking, but most importantly, because I could back up my words with my talent. 
2. Don’t ever let anyone convince you you’ll never make it; there’s no way to control their beliefs – I can only think of a few worse things in this world than family and friends who don’t lend moral support to musicians.  So keep pushing and start your journey with a positive mindset!
3. Look for the major players who are accessible in your local music scene, and find a way to introduce yourself.  These can be anyone from club owners to A&R Reps to entertainment attorneys.
4. Be consistent in getting your music heard so you stay fresh in the peoples’ minds and to keep your momentum going.  If you make a great first impression after inviting one of your contacts to watch you perform or (if you don’t perform) to have your songs performed, you can create a domino effect.  One industry person will tell another and so on and so on…
5. Don’t forget about the media; one great interview showing up in a weekly local entertainment newspaper can help you gain much exposure.  Tell them humbly how you wrote the latest song for that great local band getting attention!
6. Actively search for a personal manager or entertainment attorney.  Network, and be relentless in searching for the best one.  Be prepared to clearly explain your goals and have something to show a prospective manager in the form of a press kit, demos, or simply invite them to watch you perform live; talk yourself up in a big way and get him or her excited!  If you’re turned down initially, be persistent but not irritating, and if you have sufficient talent, you will eventually connect with someone.   
7. If you’ve networked enough you can find yourself writing songs for a local artist or band getting ready to break out in a big way.

Also, don’t overlook smaller music publishing companies; keep an open mind, and remember, many smaller publishing companies have grown into major successes.  

The easiest way to get a music publishing deal is to be relentless in networking and finding someone with power to represent your best interests, and this is why; your talents are more appealing to companies when you have someone representing you who’s trusted and believes in your talent enough to put their name and reputation on the line!   

My findings will be based partly on facts and a lot of objectivity and subjectivity, and those songs found in violation will be subject to the full extent of songwriting law!

As a free song reference, I can click virtually anywhere and audition either the promotional video or hear the audio file. For this song, I visited AOL music to hear and analyze the single.  Like any other consumer, If I like what I hear I will purchase his CD to support and enjoy his music.
Most artist web sites provide lyrics as a courtesy for their fans.  So grab or write down the lyrics and follow along:

=================================================================
                        “Im Still A Guy”
=================================================================
Writers:
Brad Paisley, Kelley Lovelace, Lee Thomas Miller

                  Here are the first few lines:

When you see a deer
You see Bambi
And I see antlers up on the wall
When you see a lake
You think picnics
And I see a largemouth up under that log……
……..

To conduct my investigation, first I’ll run the song through the song checklist found at:
http://www.songwriteradvisor.com/songwriting-checklist.html  I will then point out good techniques used as well as possible flaws in the song’s construction.

Most importantly, at the conclusion I’ll list all the cool techniques we can all apply to improve our songwriting.

 
=============
1. Song Title
=============
As in many country tunes it appears the title came before any of the final lyrics in this song because of its purposeful lyrical structure totally based on the theme, “I’m Still A Guy.” **Picking the song title first is the best and easiest way to structure lyrics around the theme because it is always clear from the start!
   

I guess I’ll have to ask one of the writers if the title was picked first, but until then, let’s just use that assumption for the rest of this song investigation.
   

The meaning of the song’s title becomes abundantly clear after the first verse, and this works well for this song.  But another great strategy would be to delay the payoff of “I’m Still A Guy” until somewhere in the first chorus, or even the final verse or chorus!

============
2. Song Form
=============
The song is in Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Instrumental-Chorus-Verse (AABACBA).  Wow! Talk about an interesting song form!  This song form has been used before, but you can hear how interesting this song becomes when, after the third verse, the song goes into an instrumental instead of the usual chorus.
      
===============
3. Hook/Chorus
===============
The phrasing in the chorus starts with lead-in notes before the downbeat of the chorus (And I’ll pour out my heart…..).  This is usually the 2nd most powerful way to begin vocal phrasing in a chorus (right on the downbeat is usually the strongest)–but this depends on many variables such as song tempo, lyric structure of other sections, etc.
  

Notice the hook “I’m still a Guy” is NOT contained in the chorus.  It occurs in the end of each verse and ends up making the verses more memorable than the chorus.

========================== 
4. The Verses/Pre-choruses
==========================
The intro begins with a sweet acoustic guitar until the vocal starts in the first verse.  During the 4th bar of the first verse (And I see antlers up on that wall) an electric guitar plays an ascending riff into the third line (when you see a lake….) making the third line explode powerfully into the rest of that verse. 
   

The second verse builds even more momentum by incorporating a cool, busy, underlying electric guitar riff until the chorus strikes!  The song continues to build momentum into the first chorus and the first chorus has only slightly more intensity than the second verse. 

    ****If you were to play this song with a solo instrument, you’d start quietly for the first two lines, add intensity for the 3rd line by playing notes louder and perhaps adding more notes with your finger picking (guitar) or finger work (piano) for the rest of the two verses, and finally add even more intensity during
the chorus by playing straight chords.

==============
5. The Bridge
==============
The song doesn’t contain a bridge but it does have an instrumental part after the third verse, just as we’re expecting the second chorus, and it works well!  Let’s put this one into our neat little bag of tricks.

================ 
 6. Point of View
=================
It’s hard to argue with the successful point of view used by Brad Paisley in this song, 1st person narrative. 
Paisley uses tongue-in-cheek humor about his perspective on how guys and girls have different views, something he’s already sung about before.
   

However, this song could also have been easily written in 3rd person—check this out:

{Chorus}
And he’ll pour out his heart
Hold your hand in the car
Write a love song that makes you cry…..

Also as an example, in 3rd person, the 1st verse would be:

When she sees a deer she sees Bambi
And he sees antlers up on the wall
When she sees a lake she thinks picnics
And he sees a largemouth up under that log

The point here is:
Always try your song in all three different points of view.  I actually think this song would be even funnier and more interesting if the writers would have chosen 3rd person narrative.  I’ll bet you these pros at least thought about it!

=========== 
7. Rewrite
===========
Like most country songs, “I’m Still A Guy” appears to be rewritten and polished to near-perfection.  There’s hardly a wasted word and the song moves logically forward. 
   

It’s hard to find country songs by major artists that are not super-polished, because the Nashville, TN music industry demands it!  There are so many great songwriters in country music and many industry pros swear the best songwriting in the world is right over there in that city called Nashville!  It’s easy for me to believe that based on the acts I’ve seen and heard performing at Music City.
   

I’m a firm believer that if you want to learn general songwriting principles these days, you should consider studying some of the best modern country songwriting and perhaps country songs that cross over into the pop arena. 

 =======
 Verdict
 =======

Although this is not my favorite Paisley song it’s a strong one that points out a few helpful songwriting cues for all of us.  see LESSONS LEARNED below>>> 
   

It’s easy to see why this was such a monstrous hit.  Although it’s a great song, if you’re a devout country music fan, if you could have listened to the top ten country songs as of July 15, 2008 you probably would have heard what I heard–the top ten was a little below usual standards as far as quality. 

But this happens in every genre, and usually doesn’t last very long–there are simply too many great writers and artists in this genre!  
   

There have been no detectable songwriting crimes committed in this song, so Mr. Paisley, you don’t have to worry about an officer knocking on your door and confiscating your guitars and notepads via a search warrant.  Tell your co-writers to rest easy and write another one of your monster hits for our listening pleasure!

=============== 
Lessons Learned
===============

It’s hard to pick out any obvious flaws in this song’s
construction.     
==============================================================
Here are techniques and cool tips we’ve learned from this song to improve our songwriting:
—————————

1. Write a song by coming up with a clear-cut, deliberate title, referring to a person’s characteristic traits, and how they affect you.  An obvious hit that used this approach was Shania Twain’s single “You’re Still The One.”

2. Put your hook/song title at the end of each verse for a change and either include or exclude it from the chorus.

3. Vary your verbs, i.e., When you see a deer you SEE Bambi
                         when you see a lake you THINK picnic

4. Instead of going into the 2nd chorus after either the 2nd or third verse; go into another section such as an instrumental or a bridge. 

5. If you’re using humor in your song, use it throughout the song or in a consistent manner such as the next-to-last line of each verse or any other section you see fit.

6. Consider adding intensity during the middle or end of the first verse instead of the usual 2nd verse or prechorus.  

7. Remember to try all “points of view” either during your songwriting or during a rewrite.

A song demo is exactly that – a demo!  This is why they are and SHOULD BE far less expensive than a recording for a CD release.  Therefore, what you want to look for instead of a company promising you a “radio-ready” recording with all the bells and whistles, is a company that’ll be able to provide a clean, pro-
sounding recording to give your song the best possible chance.
 
To find a great song demo service you’ll need to start right in your own hometown!  Take the time to contact and visit studios performing these services in your area, ask to hear examples of their work, and try to establish some type of rapport or relationship with them so they can take you more seriously and
not see you as JUST ANOTHER CUSTOMER.  

There are many studios offering excellent demo services but you have to do much initial legwork to find one that works for your songwriting goals.  This involves comparing several companies before making a decision. If you don’t have any companies offering these services in your vicinity, then as a last resort
you may have to consider an online demo service, but you should proceed with caution.

Demo services are very competitively priced these days and many offer flat rates with optional costs such as background singers, extra instruments, etc.  Starting rates vary from as low as approximately $100.00 to $800.00 per song, and you generally get what you pay for!  Recording is not cheap, and if you’re not a music producer or an arranger, remember, these companies try to provide all of these services as inexpensively as possible in one package! 

Beware, there are companies out there that give legitimate ones a bad name by drawing you in and charging you extra with each visit to cover what they say are their increasing recording costs.  Songwriters and other musicians have found themselves in a bad situation where they’ve literally spent hundreds with no decent product to show for it.  Negotiate a flat fee with a demo service, get it in writing, and stick to it!

Also, when you do find a demo service you want to try,it’s wise to commit to only ONE RECORDING AT A TIME.  Remember, this is a business, and demo companies need your business, so some will try to make you commit to more than one recording because it benefits them! 

Keep total control by recording only one song at a time until its completion-this way, if for any reason you are dissatisfied with your first recording, you can pick up and go elsewhere and you will not have needlessly wasted money on other songs.

Of course, the best possible scenario when recording your songs would be to do it yourself in your own home studio.  Recording setups have become increasingly more inexpensive and if you’re planning on chasing a professional songwriting career, it would be wise to try your hand at production even if it means being able to record only a piano or guitar/vocal of your songs.  By choosing this route you can actually save yourself the $1500 or so you would have spent on a three song demo, and instead use that to build your own songwriting studio in your own home!

Many amateur and pro songwriters have their own little home studio setup with some of the equipment or similar items shown on this page:
http://www.songwriteradvisor.com/build-your-studio.html

The only drawback to having your own studio is it takes few months to really learn your equipment and make effective recordings.  But in the end, it can be the best investment you’ll ever make in your songwriting career-you’ll never have to pay for a song demo service ever again!

In this installment of advanced songwriting tips, I’ll show you how some songs can sound absolutely phenomenal with just a voice and an accompanying instrumentsuch as guitar or piano.  Some songs can come through perfectly with merely arpeggiated chords played straightforward with a simple vocal arrangement, but these are rare, and most songs end up needing that extra special ingredient to make them stand out as worthy songs.

There are many flavorful ingredients you can add to your songs once you have the basic chords and melody in place.  So dust off your songwriting spice rack, add the following flavors, and watch your listeners start to drool with hungry anticipation and delight during your next open mike night as you cook up the place with these tips:

1.  Start your song with a “hooky” melodic intro for a few bars before you get to the first verse.  This will make people grip the underside of their chairs as they smell the unmistakable aroma of an interesting song and hold on for what they believe will be a magical ride! 

You can use the same underlying instrumental part you use in the verse, chorus, any other section, or you can pick out a totally different chord-structured prelude that takes the audience on a musical journey before arriving at the first verse. 

To illustrate one step further, if you play the guitar, hold chord shapes while you fingerpick or flatpick a distinctive melody, or with piano, let your left hand hold chord shapes while you play motifs with your right hand.  Try to make chord transitions as smoothly as possible.  This can take lots of practice and rehearsal but it’s well worth the payoff when you see the crowd appreciate your one man band that sounds like there are two players.

2.  You’ve got to strike people in the chest with the first line of your verse or they’ll turn away, make an excuse to go potty, or worse yet, shout from the top of the bar, “That’s brutal.”  Man, what a tough crowd!

If you’re singing a ballad, play the intro with much feeling and when you hit the first verse, let the song breathe by varying the vocal and instrument dynamics.  Then intensify your song as it reaches the first chorus and seal the deal by almost letting it all hang out when the chorus appears.  Try not to go totally overboard during your first chorus.

You want to save even a little more intensity for the second and third chorus, so you can take your listeners on a mountain climbing journey where they can dream about what awaits them on the other side when you reach the top!  Also note that using intensity doesn’t have to mean you have to sing at the top of your lungs.  It can come in the form of vocal inflection, the meaning of  lyrics in certain parts, or the instruments to name a few.

If the song is midtempo or uptempo, play and sing the verses softer than the chorus if your song calls for it so you can take advantage of contrast, which will help hold the listeners attention. 

3.  During the verses, try using an interesting melodic line with your instrument underneath the vocal instead of merely arpeggiating your chord shapes.  By repeating a certain motif while you sing, you can add a wonderful liqueur flavor to your song that’ll have them begging to taste more of your songs and the bar owner will be jumping for joy in his office behind the one-way mirror!

When you get to the chorus, change up the motif by playing a different line, perhaps in quicker fashion.

4.  If you’re using a prechorus in your song, make sure you arrange your song so that everyone feels the prechorus’s intensity rising.

You can achieve this by adding more chords, by varying the percussive feel, by singing  quicker phrases, etc.

5.  Your chorus can shine if you make use of repetition in certain parts, through louder dynamics, a different harmony and/or rhythm, and by different chord structure.  The chorus must stand out like a big T-bone steak sizzling to perfection in the chef’s kitchen, and you’ve got one chance to really spice it up with your favorite condiments, so don’t waste that chance!

Finally, take the time to work out an arrangement for every one of your songs.  This is the mark of a true professional, or, if you’re an amateur or hobbyist, it’s the mark of a dedicated one.

There’s nothing that impresses most record label executives than a singer-songwriter who can dazzle an audience with nothing but an instrument such as a guitar or piano, and an expressive voice!

Stay tuned for more advanced songwriting tips!

After receiving a confidential informant’s report that“She Was” by Mark Chesnutt was one of the greatest all-time Country Music tear-jerkers, I was left with no choice but to investigate further to see if it could benefit our readers:

My findings will be based partly on facts and a lot of objectivity and subjectivity, and those songs found in violation will be subject to the full extent of songwriting law!

As a free song reference, I can click virtually anywhere and audition either the promotional video or hear the audio file. For this song, I simply played the song on acoustic guitar from memory to really hear and appreciate it in its simple form.

=================================================================
“She Was”
=================================================================
Writers:

Jimmy Melton
Neal Coty

She started her new life ten dollars in debt
That’s all it took to get started back then
A trip to the courthouse across that state line
No one could stop her
She’d made up her mind
He was eighteen,and she wasn’t

But she said she was
And never thought twice
And came back home as my daddy’s wife
She just shook her head when her mama said:
“Are you sure he’s the one?”
And she was

He took a job and farmed on the side
He made the ends meet,but she kept’em tied
Changes were comin’ to their little world
She said “What would you like?
“A boy or a girl?
And he said,”Are you?”

And she said she was
And never thought twice
‘Bout takin’ the next step in building their lives
Soon there were three and she tried to be
Everything to us
And she was

Those precious moments turned into years
In what seemed like the blink of an eye
I held her hand as I leaned down to ask her
“Momma,are you ready to say goodbye?”

And she said she was
But she thought twice
Holdin’ my hand as she let go her life
Daddy always said a woman like her
Would be hard to give up
And she was (She was)

If there ever was a picture of love

She was

===========

To conduct my investigation, first I’ll run the song through the song checklist.
I will then point out good techniques used as well as possible flaws in the song’s construction.

Most importantly, at the conclusion I’ll list all the cool techniques we can all apply to improve our songwriting.

=============
1. Song Title
=============
The song title was effectively used in this song. It provided a way to help color the end of each chorus differently.

E.g.,

End of 1st Chorus

—She just shook her head when her mama said:
—”Are you sure he’s the one?”
—And she was

End of 2nd Chorus

—Soon there were three and she tried to be
—Everything to us
—And she was

End of 3rd Chorus

—Daddy always said a woman like her
—Would be hard to give up
—And she was (She was)

End of song

—If there ever was a picture of love
—She was

*************
If you read the above you’ll see how this well-written song makes sense with just the last few lines of each section.
This is a common pro technique used to bring the song into clear focus. If you’re writing a “story” song and you plan on changing the chorus lyrics throughout your song, you can
start a song by writing the last few lines containing the song title/hook and make it the end of your first chorus. Then proceed to the 2nd and 3rd chorus,and do the same while moving the story forward.
**************

The song title also gives us interesting possibilities in that it used a personal pronoun (She) followed by a past tense verb (Was).

—(Personal pronouns) I, you, she, he, it, we, they

I can immediately think of a few potential titles with this
method:

I Knew……………I might use it for an (R&B) song
You Lost………….” ” ” (Country) ”
She Tried…………” ” ” (Country)
He Prayed…………” ” ” (Inspirational)
It Hurts………….” ” ” (Pop, R&B)
We Listened……….” ” ” (Rock)
They Lived………..” ” ” (Rock)

I wrote the “genres” so you can see my personal idea of the type of song which popped into my head based on the titles.  Obviously, everyone would have a different opinion on what type of song to write based on the titles because all of us have different perspectives and influences!
—————————————————————–

=============
2. Song Form
=============
The song form used in this one is:
verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus

This classic song form is virtually foolproof when it comes to attracting the masses because it’s the one most people are familiar with in popular music, regardless of the genre.

The writers definitely chose the correct song form to drive home the song’s message with each verse and chorus. In each section the singer tells the story in logical progression:

1. Before he was born, his mother assured her own mother his father was “the right one” before marrying him.

2. His parents struggled but were successful in build a quality life around their three children.

3. Time passed ever-so-quickly, his mother passed away, and his father had always told him “A woman like her would be hard to give up” to which he affirmed “She was!”
—————————————————————–

===============
3. Hook/Chorus
===============
The melody in the chorus shows contrast by having generally higher notes and right off the bat, the phrasing of the first two lines in the chorus are shorter than any other phrasings in the song:

—But she said she was
—And never thought twice

The contrast makes the first two lines of each chorus stick out like a sore thumb that’s been healed!

Notice also how the lyrics in each chorus change after the first two lines until the hook “She was.”
—————————————————————–

==========================
4. The Verses/Pre-choruses
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Notice how the verse immediately grabs you with the totally original line, “She started her new life ten dollars in debt.”

The verse contains an uncommon amount of bars; 10 instead of the usual 8 to 16! The last two bars contain the lyrics, “He was eighteen,and she wasn’t.” This is an excellent way to get to the chorus quickly. You simply add a line after the 8th bar, and just leave it out there suspended (as if it were dangling) with
or without a rhyme to create anticipation into the chorus.
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5. The Bridge
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The bridge takes you into a totally new dimension because it’s much higher in pitch than any other section, then it drops back down in pitch before the final chorus. The result? After the final chorus lines, “And she said she was, But she thought twice,  Holdin’ my hand as she let go her life” the song busts out with more intensity than ever with the help of the following simple technique: You can use this technique at any point in a song and create surprise and momentum by lowering the intensity of musical and vocal delivery,then by intensifying at a point you feel it will give the song the most impact. Experiment!
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6. Point of View
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The writers successfully used “third person narrative” which is custom-made for story songs.
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7. Rewrite
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The song was obviously rewritten and polished. There are no wasted words.
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Verdict
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Lessons Learned
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Here are techniques and cool tips we’ve learned from this song to improve our songwriting:
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1. You can structure the idea of your song more effectively and keep the story progressing logically by writing the last 2 to 3 lines of any section (verse, chorus, etc.) before writing any other part of the song.

2. If you’re writing a story song and you would like to change the lines of each chorus, use the above method and remember to use the title consistently in those lines.

3. We found a cool way to develop song titles; Use a personal pronoun = (I, you, she, he, it, we, they), followed by a past tense verb.

I.e.,”She Was” – “We Listened” – “They Lived”

4. We were reminded the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus not only still works well in modern music, it’s the easiest way to write a song that appeals to listeners.

5. At the beginning of a chorus, to add contrast and make your song more interesting, create the first two lines using shorter phrases while singing that part with generally higher notes than in the verse or prechorus.

6. Spend time creating an awesome opening line or lines; the rest of your song will be much clearer and more importantly, your listener will be hooked immediately.

7. Experiment by using 6, 10, and 14 bars on the first verse instead of the usual 8, 12, and 16!

8. If you add a line for 2 bars at the end of an 8 or 12 bar verse without rhyming it, you can draw focus to that line, and it’ll add anticipation and intensity to the chorus.

9. If you want to emphasize a certain part of a song, sing and play the part immediately before it, with much less intensity.
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Enjoy!

There are many methods you can use to start to write songs such as playing some chords on guitar or piano, coming up with a melody or hook in your head when you least expect it, listening to a favorite song and writing something similar, etc.; the number of ways you can begin to write your own songs is almost endless!

But have you ever wondered how to really dig into your innermost thoughts, so profound in fact that you have no choice but to write something so deep the fish will be swimming around you and clapping their fins in approval?

The music world is full of shallow lyrics by big-name pop recording artists and many are hits for a short while, but haven’t you noticed in the last few years how forgettable most of the pop songs of today are?  It’s because while the melodies are usually very good, the lyrics are usually poorly-crafted, and the public knows it! So, we hear the songs and love them for being the song of the moment, but we could care less if we ever heard the song again thereafter!

But when a song with substance is released such as Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, the world takes notice!  It’s no coincidence that this song has turned out to be Coldplay’s most successful single to date.  Compare this song to others on the top 40 charts, and you’ll immediately hear and see the difference.

In order to write songs with feeling, follow this example of a common pop idea:

1. Write and map out an interesting, original idea or story for your song.  Ask yourself questions such as, “What opinion or feeling do I want to express in this song?” “Who are the characters in my song?”

2. Then, make a list of what you want each song section to be about starting with the first verse all the way to the last chorus, and write any words or phrases that come to your mind
that may describe each section.
For example,

1st Verse:
You don’t understand how complicated this situation is becoming.
Words/phrases:  confused, complicated, I’m sorry this happened  

Prechorus:
You and I are getting in too deep and I fear we’re getting close
to a point where there’s no turning back.
Words/phrases:  drowning, return, scared 

Chorus:
Stay away from me; although it hurts, this is how it has to be,
and there’s nothing you can do or say to change my mind.
words/phrases:  memory, the past, the truth, be real

Continue for every section of your song.

Then make a word list by accessing http://www.songwriteradvisor.com/rhymezone.html and expand your words and phrases for each section before committing to writing the lyrics.

You’ll find using this method will allow you to learn how to write songs with much more focus than if you simply come up with line after line as you go.  It could mean the difference between a “so-so” song and a great one!