Here’s an example first draft of a first verse with the number of syllables in parentheses:

(4)  Another night
(5)  I’ll call out your name
(7)  The only one who answers
(5)  Is the pouring rain

(4)  I will pretend
(5)  I’m feeling your hands
(7)  I’ll let you have your way if
(5)  You don’t leave again

Notice the number of syllables in each section are exactly the same, i.e., “Another night,” and “I will pretend.”  “I’ll call out your name,” and “I’m feeling your hands.”  This lyric, aside from needing work to bring it more into focus, so it makes more sense and flows better, is extremely rigid because the phrasing of the lyrics is too methodical and unnatural.  When writing a first draft, look at each section (from 4 to 6 lines at a time – in this case 4), and try to figure out how to make sense of that particular section so that it sets up the next part.

What we want is something more like this:

(6)  Another restless night                  old line:  Another night
(5)  I’m calling your name                    old line:  I’ll call out your name
(7)  The only one who answers           old line:   The only one who answers
(5)  Is the pouring rain                        old line:   Is the pouring rain

This is flowing much better so let’s continue: 

(6)  Once again I’ll pretend                  old line:   I will pretend
(5)  The drops are your touch              old line:   I’m feeling your hands
(8)  I’ll let them fall all over me            old line:  I’ll let you have your way if
(6)  Until I’ve had enough                    old line:   You don’t leave again

Much better! Notice I took out the stiffness of the first line, “Another night”. The phrasing was changed from this: “Another night” (pa-dah-da-da) to “Another restless night” (pa-DEE-da  DA-da-dah). The phrase “Another restless night” flows and rolls off the tongue more naturally.

So this is what we have so far:

Another restless night
I’m calling your name
The only one who answers
Is the pouring rain

Once again I’ll pretend
The drops are your touch
I’ll let them fall all over me
Until I’ve had enough

In summary here are some ways to loosen your lyrics:

1. Pick out the most important word in each line and try to substitute it with a synonym, related word, or antonym. E.g., in the first line we have so far, I would focus on “night” because it tells us when the song is occurring. If I changed this word  to “day” (antonym), maybe my first line would be, “I’ll spend another day” or “I’ll spend a whole new day,” This would open up new ideas and ways of saying that particular line, and would quite possibly change the whole complexion of the song. One good word can guide and reel the listener in, and one misused one can lose your listener.

2.  Get into the habit of consciously trying to say and sing your lines the way you speak them naturally, and try not to force a word or words into a line because you’re stuck for a word! If you get stuck, don’t settle-move to the next line; chances are that previous line will become clearer to you and write itself!

3. In one line, write two or three words in legato style (phrasing joined together and smooth), and finish that line by pausing for a breath before singing the last two or three words staccatto style. I.e., in Flo Rida Featuring will.i.am’s big club hit “In The Ayer” the first line is simple but a great example of this but in reverse of the above suggestion, “(staccatto) Oh-hot-damn (pause) this is my jam (”this is my” has more of a “legato” feel ).  In other words, let your lyrics breathe and don’t just use too many straight quarter notes in a row unless you’re going after a certain, intentional effect! 

“Being original” in songwriting can mean anything from writing totally “off the wall” songs, to merely having a knack for amazing rhymes and wordplay, to having a certain cool vibe among so many other possibilities.  There are literally an infinite number of possibilities to make yourself a unique songwriter.  In other words, you can have your own “signature sound” by learning songwriting, and allowing yourself to develop naturally while searching for your unique voice.     

With a little patience and persistence, it’s fairly easy for anyone to learn songwriting basics and apply them quickly to your own original compositions.  Regardless of the songwriting genre you prefer, whether it be Pop, R&B, Dance or otherwise, once you have the basics down, at some point you’ll probably wonder “if, when, and how” you will develop your own, original style.     

To set yourself apart from the rest of the bunch it’s absolutely imperative that your songs stand out far above the rest.  It’s important to realize there are many great songwriters competing with you either locally or nationally, and that those songwriters are your direct competitors.  As a musician, I prefer to think of them as “friendly competition.” 

Songwriters who are your friendly competition hold so much valuable information in their heads and most of them are willing to share their knowledge through workshops and while networking through local and regional songwriting organizations just to name a few.  This is why it’s important to get out there and show your work and exchange tips and ideas through whatever type of worthwhile medium you can find.  The more influences and information you have, the easier it will be to find your own, unique songwriting style.

All songwriters have what I call a unique perspective of music, therefore they naturally and instinctively have their own inner music voice.  We all develop different “likes” and “dislikes“ when we first begin to hear music during our childhood years.  What happens?  Here’s what happens as your musical taste evolves; the music you know and love (likes) is absorbed into your brain and becomes an integral part of your being, whether consciously or subconsciously, and your mind filters out music you don’t like (dislikes).

Then, when you begin learning about songwriting, your musical tastes and influences become splattered into your songwriting like paint to a wall!  Oh, it might be a little messy at first but as you keep working hard on your craft the mess soon appears to become an actual work of original art!   

One last, important point to remember; every musician on this planet has been influenced by another musician before them.  The key to eventually being original lies in using those influences to help guide you into new, undiscovered territory!

These days the music industry is much more competitive than ever and one of the most effective ways to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack and get noticed is to write great, original songs.  Music industry reps are always looking for “the next big thing” and this could be you if you prepare yourself!  If you prefer to be a self-contained local or regional act and sell your own CD’s through your own independent record label you’ll find it much easier to develop a loyal following if your songs are strong enough.   

If you’re not yet a songwriter, or if you don’t have a songwriter in your band, your second choice would be to find a local songwriter willing to offer you exclusive rights to performing and/or recording their songs through a contract.  Don’t just settle for second best.  Really go out there and find yourself a great songwriter or songwriters who match your style of music.  It won’t be an easy task, but it can be done-there are many excellent undiscovered songwriters out there!

While we’re on the subject; for you undiscovered songwriters out there with big dreams-you’re time is now! Put the word out that you’re a songwriter with much to offer however you can. Take out ads in your local entertainment publication and be specific about your style of music and what your goals are! Launch a website and feature your songs on it! Visit local concerts and shows, whether at clubs or larger venues, and put the word out by networking. Go prepared and look professional by offering business cards. You get the idea!

Finally, songwriters can help non-songwriting musicians by being supportive and helping them achieve their goals by writing songs that eventually fit their style, even if it takes a few songs and much trial and error. By the same token, non-songwriting musicians usually end up influencing songwriters by exposing them to a new dimension in their compositions. Helping and supporting each other is a win- win situation!

Part 1 of this series talked about how to develop lyrical chops by using The Craft of Lyric Writing by Sheila Davis, and by encouraging you to consider playing either a guitar or piano (the two most widely used instruments used in creating songs)..

In Part 2 of this series, you’ll have enough information to help you learn songwriting quickly and effectively, and you’ll definitely have a distinct advantage over the average songwriter. 

It is not necessary to play an instrument to be successful in songwriting but it does give you an advantage.  An instrument not only helps you work out melodies, harmonies, and chord structures, it naturally opens up another dimension to your songwriting altogether!  Imagine the difference between coming up with a melody and working out an arrangement in your head versus going to the piano or guitar, experimenting with the melody and/or arrangement, and hearing the song develop into something you never would have created without having an instrument! 

To learn or improve the musical aspect of your songwriting:

1.  Let’s review the two main parts of songwriting; lyrics and music.  The music part of songwriting consists of melody, harmony, and rhythm.

2.  Invest in Writing Music For Hit Songs by Jai Josefs as soon as you can!  It is by far the greatest “how to write music” book ever published for contemporary music, and it contains excellent, real-world examples of actual hits and techniques songwriters used to achieve their success!  For this book, you do need to have a guitar or piano/keyboard handy in order to follow the examples. 

In Josefs’ book, you’ll learn how to harmonize with chords in major and minor keys through a foolproof natural music formula in an easy-to-understand format, you’ll learn how to effectively give your music contrast, how to build tension and release, and how to develop melodic ideas just to name a few.

3. Continue writing your own lyrics and melodies as suggested in “Part 1,” and start experimenting with and incorporating some of the chord ideas as well as other principles learned in Josefs’ book such as using chord inversions and pedal points to create bass motion in order to give your songs whatever particular underlying flavor you desire.

4. Pick out a favorite song and find the chord progression used either by buying sheet music or by visiting one of many websites which provide free chords and tabs for educational purposes such as Ultimate-Guitar.com. With your song in hand it’s time to try to determine in which key the songs is written. Without actual sheet music to see the key signature this can be difficult but here’s a useful tip; to find the key listen for the chord that sounds as if it has completely resolved and is at rest in the song. This chord will usually (not always) be found at the end of the chorus if it’s a verse-chorus type song, or the end of the verse in a verse-verse-verse type song.

5. Once you determine the key use the following chord formula built on the tonic note of the key:

I – IIm – IIIm – IV – V – VIm – VIImb5 (e.g., in the key of G, the tonic note would be G, and the basic chord formula would be):

G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F#mb5

6. Play these chords in succession and hear how they move up the scale. Notice how they sound similar to the single note scale in the same key, i.e., (single notes) G. A, B, C, D, E, F#

Using the above formula you now have seven chords you can use in any key to harmonize your songs!

So, the music industry secret is right here!  Yes there are other good songwriting books out there and some being written as we speak, but by using these two proven books, The Craft of Lyric Writing and Writing Music For Hit Songs as your songwriting reference books, you’ll have the most solid foundation to build your songwriting upon, just like many pro songwriters!  By the way, there’s enough study material in these books to last you months to years, and you’ll find yourself referring to and reviewing these books throughout your songwriting career!   

Without getting too technical (I might confuse myself) I can tell you our minds filter all the stimulation we absorb through our five senses, and if you’re a songwriter, with proper training and knowledge, you can subconsciously harness all that power running through your mind’s filter and eventually allow song ideas to spring into your head! 

“How do I do that?” you ask.   The answer is less complicated than you probably think.  This is what you have to do, step-by-step:

1.  Learn all the songwriting basics necessary to write songs.  Check out this free beginner songwriting guide, this free step-by-step songwriting guide, or consider a more complete but lengthier songwriting guide such as Six Steps to Songwriting Success, Revised Edition (Due out 10-02-2008): The Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songswritten by Jason Blume.

The point here is to learn all the necessary songwriting basics so you have strong knowledge of all the sections used in songwriting. These include; intro, verse, prechorus, chorus, bridge, instrumental, raps, and spoken word parts. You need to train yourself to automatically recognize the different sections that make up songs and how they are used. This takes studying songs and actually writing your own songs (although it’s helpful, you don’t even have to know how to play an instrument to learn songwriting basics).

2. Listen to your favorite songs and pick out the most interesting parts such as the song hook, parts of a verse, a certain rap line, etc.  Now, what you’re looking for is a short catchy line that stands out as being the most memorable part of the song.  As mentioned in Part 1, these are also song areas for you to study and analyze: 

1. a great original song title
2. a catchy melody (usually a short musical phrase)
3. an interesting lyric
4. an infectious rhythm
5. a pleasing harmony
6. any other song component

For example, in Leona Lewis’ smash hit single “Bleeding Love” the part that stands out most to me is, “I keep bleeding I keep, keep bleeding love.”  This is a very short phrase that keeps repeating as the song’s hook.  It contains interesting lyrics and a catchy melody, the most common example as it relates to this exercise.  A great original song title is also there to boot!  This short phrase could have definitely been an idea that just popped into a songwriter’s head!  This sort of thing happens all the time to hit songwriters and you can do it, too. 

3.  Once you know all the songwriting basics and you’re able to recognize different parts of songs, the next step is to really dive deep into writing your own original songs.  You may have already started to compose your tunes by now anyway, but I’m talking about continually and consistently trying to write songs.  You will eventually reach that “zone” where song ideas spring out like water from a faucet!  Many pro songwriters swear they become so consumed by songwriting in phases (usually a few weeks) several times a year because the ideas just don’t stop!    

The trick is to know all the songwriting basics, to know what to look for in songs, and to become really active in your songwriting by continually trying to compose songs. 

The more songs you write, the more experience and knowledge you gain, and before you know it, you will reach that “effortless zone” those pro songwriters seem to reach all the time.  For some songwriters, reaching “songwriting mode,” a condition created by yourself whereby you effortlessly come up with great song ideas, can take a few weeks to several months to a few years.  It depends on how hard you really want to work at your songwriting craft.     

 Be patient-with experience and practice, there’s no doubt you will eventually get to a point where great song ideas stream into your head.  Just don’t try to force the ideas into your head-this will create too much stress, and you’ll actually regress instead of progress.  I know-’cause I’ve been there!

You see, chances are that many people have experienced much of what you have, so they’ll be able to identify with your songs!

On a sheet of paper or on your computer, start listing moments or periods in your life that you believe people will be able to relate to.  Using my own life as an example, here are just a few:

1.  I’ll never forget the first day I saw my wife–it was at a hot Miami dance club.  She walked in and looked a little out of place (because I didn’t want to believe she was a barfly-boy if she reads this I’ll really be in trouble!).  Anyway, I struck a conversation with her, and she blew me off, basically saying she was not interested!  (*****I wrote a country tune to this called, “She Doesn’t Know It Yet”)     

2.  I had a good friend who was facing a gigantic family crisis and I lent as much moral support as I possibly could.  My friend eventually got back on track and was very grateful.  (******I wrote an R&B ballad to this life experience called, “Find Your Way Back Home”)

3.   Living on South Beach for a few years, I remember people-watching, specifically while having an early morning breakfast at the 11th street diner at 3:00 A.M. every now and then as the most original, peculiar people would pass by.  (*****I haven’t written anything to this yet, but the title, “Why Be Normal?” is dancing in my head for perhaps a dance song)

4.   Like most every person on this planet (hint! hint!-this has to be a great, universal topic) I’ve lived through many ups and down, joys and heartaches, failures and victories. (*****I took one specific, proud period in my life and turned it into an inspirational song called “I Shall Prevail”)

I can literally go on and on!   But I’ll stop right here and give you one last tip; Once you pick a song idea out of one of your life experiences, concentrate on specific things that occurred, i.e., “She strutted in through the double-doors/and into the smoky room/her ruby-red lipsticktold me I was doomed……..  You get the idea! 

This is how it’s always been.  But why????  No, I don’t believe it’s because we all enjoy each other’s misery even though we’re not too far off when we make this assumption.  It’s probably because we as human beings find conflict much more interesting than sappy love stories.  Maybe there are genetic factors involved regarding our species.  I don’t know one person who can tell me they didn’t try to get closer to get a good view of two boys beating each other’s brains out in a high school hallway instead of leaving the area to go get help.  We all have that primal instinct that conditions our brains to zero in intently and curiously tune in when trouble is brewing!   

Songwriters can take advantage of this concept by writing and having at least a handful of “conflict” songs when they’re pitching material or picking out songs for their next release.

For you staff writers in the Major Leagues of songwriting where you’re continuously competing for song pitches to different artists, you know how challenging and difficult it can be to actually place a song with the artist of your choice.  Your chances go up dramatically when you’re able to show a great, troubled song, because aside from songs like this being extremely marketable, the majority of singers can relate to these songs out of personal experience. 

Performing artists want their listeners to feel their music.  And in this world where there are much too many lonely, hurt people even when they’re in a relationship, it’s easy to see why a song with conflict has a distinct advantage!

As I’ve said before, our favorite songs actually contain much valuable information when it comes to learning the craft of songwriting, so the next method of creating powerful opening lines in your verses probably won’t come as a surprise.

An outstanding way to never run out of ideas is to take the first line or two of every song you’d like to analyze, and make a list, describing what the line is generally saying.

 
Here’s an example taking songs from the current top ten on the Billboard Pop Charts:

 <……………………………from Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”

The two opening lines make reference to “What I didn’t expect,” because the lines say it wasn’t the way I planned it and it wasn’t my intention (it was totally unexpected).  So, using this idea, if I titled a song, “Leave Me In The Dust,” my opening line could be something like, “The shock of your disappearing act hasn’t sunk in yet.”     

Here’s another example:

<……………………………from Rihanna’s “Take A Bow”

You can categorize these two opening lines as “What does he, she, or they look like?” as it relates to the song’s idea or title.   Well in this song, the guy looks dumb as he’s standing outside her house.

As another example, in George Strait’s country song titled “You Look So Good In Love,”  the first lines are, “Oh how you sparkle, Oh how you shine, That flush on your checks is more than the wine.”   In both songs, the singer is setting up the plot of the song by painting a picture of “What that someone in their song looks like.”

3.  So now we’ve studied two opening lines of songs. 
On a lined sheet of paper, title it “Opening Line Ideas” and start listing the opening line ideas on the top line:

 Let’s continue building this list with the following song’s first two lines:

<…………………………….Miley Cyrus’s “7 Things”

Pretty simple two lines, right?  We can categorize this one as “What happens to me (or you, or them, etc.)” or “What kind of feeling do I get?”

 So, if we continue our Opening Lines Idea sheet it will now look like this:

******You can always substitute the pronouns with other pronouns.  I.e., in “What I didn’t expect” you can use the idea ,”What he didn’t expect, what you didn’t expect, what they didn’t expect, etc.  

 As you can see, the possibilities are endless.  Use this article as your starting point and keep building ideas by studying the first two lines of songs, and you’ll never run out of strong opening line ideas!

By the way, this method often generates great song titles, too!

1.  Once you’re comfortable enough playing your instrument while singing in your bedroom or practice area, and you have a few cover songs and perhaps an original one in your repertoire, start playing in front of a small audience such as your significant other and maybe 1 friend.  The idea is to initially keep your audience small so you can gain confidence and immediate feedback.

2.  When you become confident playing in front of that small audience, graduate to playing a few songs at a small family gathering or a setting with a few more people when the time is right.  Be careful with family members though, because they will call you out onto the stage in their living room moments after uncle Charlie and his family of 23 people walk through the door, tired and in a bad mood after a horrible 5 hour flight from Minneapolis.

The point is; don’t let friends and family pressure you. You have to make the call on when the time is right. When you do play your songs, make it a short set-3 songs at the most! This is because after 2 or 3 songs 10 minutes will have probably elapsed and people generally have an attention span of 10-20 minutes before their minds move onto something else unless you’re absolutely phenomenal!    

Even if you eventually stink up the place, you’re making progress because you’re actually performing in front of a live audience, you will have finally gotten it out of the way, and you’ll be more and more comfortable with every performance. 

3.  Know when to stop!  Whenever you play, if you have 3 killer original songs and 2 “so-so” songs, don’t play the last 2 originals!   Instead, play a couple of cover songs that people know and love if it gets to the point where they want to keep listening.

4.  You’ll know when you’re ready to finally perform in public.  You’re consistently getting a favorable reaction while playing in front of your friends, you’re comfortable playing in front of them, so the next logical step is–yep!  You guessed it.  Invite all the people you’ve been playing in front of, to an open mike night.  It’ll be almost like playing in front of them once again, only this time with a few invited guests (the bar patrons) at an unfamiliar but friendly house!

There’s nothing worse than getting up on a stage unprepared only to fail miserably!  Prepare yourself logically, by working your way up to finally playing on a stage.  An audience clapping in approval will inspire you like nothing else on this planet to continue making music!            

There are some songwriters who seem to have an internal button that pushes itself to let them them know that “PING!”……that line needs work, the hook/chorus is lacking, or the song itself is just O.K., not very good at all, etc.  On the other hand, there are some songwriters who write a song and think it’s the greatest song since “Stairway To Heaven” only to get a cold reception and an “I don’t think so, dude,”  from an audience every time they play it.

A huge part of becoming a great songwriter is to learn how to be completely honest with your work so you can continually improve. 

To train yourself on how to guage your songwriting properly in order to benefit your songwriting tremendously, follow these tips: 

1.  You can start by listening to your favorite music and giving each song an honest opinion about the lyrics, melody, harmony, rhythm, etc.  Don’t fall into the envious trap of thinking, “Oh that song completely sucks, my songs are better,” without figuring out why you think the song is so bad.    It’s human nature to put down another songwriter’s work especially when you believe it’s true, even if you just say it to yourself, but why not dig deeper to see how correct you are and justify why you’re making this determination for your learning experience?   

If you approach it this way, you’ll probably find that many of those songs you don’t like are simply not your cup of tea!  You see, while there is some fluff out there, there’s usually some quality such as the recording artist to the infectious melody to the catchy rhythm that makes the song appealing and successful.

2.  After writing and rewriting your song, rehearse your song and record yourself if possible, even if it’s a mini-recorder.  If your song is more electronic-based and depends more on a groove such as  R&B, some types of Pop, Rap, and Dance, download the free The Hammerhead Rhythm Station for Windows or the orDrumbox for Mac, learn how to use the free software machine, and sing or rap to the beat.  If you have a recording studio of any size at home, or access to a studio through a friend, this is the ideal route to take.   By recording yourself, you will be able to hear good parts as well as flaws that need work.  

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sung in a recording studio thinking the song was excellent and the vocals O.K., only to come out of the vocal booth and find the song as well as the performance stunk!

3.  Run your song(s) through one of the many great songwriting checklists on the web to make sure it’s your best possible work.

4.  Test the song(s) out with family members and friends (when everyone’s sober!), look at their immediate reaction,  and ask what they like and/or dislike about the song.  This is by no means a perfectly accurate way to gauge your progress but it gives you a general idea of your song’s impact on people. 

5.    If you find your songwriting is lacking in some general area such as verse development, go back to the basics, review verse development techniques and rewrite your verse or verses once again.  With patience and persistence, you’ll eventually get it right and be pleased with your work! 

If anyone’s experienced a great way to be honest with their own songwriting or musicianship for that matter, I’d love to hear what you did and how you did it!