Amateur School

I hope this section will give you a better understanding of the dynamics of songwriting. Writing songs can be fun, but it can also be very frustrating. But just as art has no limitations as far as content, it does have rules and certian guidelines that must be met to be considered art, so does songwriting(at least that's my view).

Take a few minutes to look over some of the ideas presented here, and if you have any input as to how you think a song should be structured let me know. I'll post it ;-)

Rhyming

When it comes down to it, songwriting seems to sometimes depend on the specifics of your rhyming capabilities. I think everyone knows what I'm talking about. The time wasted in trying to find that certian rhyming word to a line, without making the song totally goofy, can be an exhausting and tiresome task. In some instances an entire line has to be stratched or rewritten to be able to fit the desired mood or setting because of a rhyming conflict.

What we'll try to do here is try and suggest alternative ways to make ryhming lines easier and more effective for your audience. Also we'll try and use rhyming to help us compliment the theme of the song, that is use rhyming to tie the song together with one string.

First of all since this site is brand new I will again ask for people to send me their thoughts, techniques, opinions and advice on how they use rhyming in a song. Any advice e-mail me at: tamias3@hotmail.com

Do I need to Rhyme?

One question I often recieve is if you have to rhyme in a song. Not at all, if you want to you can write an entire song without a single rhyme. However this poses a problem if you want to write for a large audience. If it's a song for your girlfriend, boyfriend etc.. Hey that's fine. But everyone in general is acustomed to ryhming , expects it, and somehow needs it to follow the song to the ending.

Remember the first rhymes you heard? Like: One,Two, Buckle my shoe. Three, Four, Shut the door. Five, Six, Pick-up sticks. From an early age we are taught that rhymes help us remember things quicker and it's fun, in a childish way. Rhyming allows the audience to participate in a fun way, and gives the notion that the next time they hear the song played they'll be able to follow it easier knowing that certain parts of the song rhymes.

Some of you I'm guessing are going "Hello? Duh, I already knew that, who doesn't Jay?" Ha, Ha, well some don't and now they do. And as far as those who already knew, well, now you won't ever forget it. ;-)

Rhyming also gives the audience a sense of timing. With a sense of how the words and beat go together the listener can follow along at an easier pace. Don't make your audience sit and consentrate on how the lyrics fit phonetically in with the beat. If you keep changing the way your lines are sung, whether they rhyme or not, you might find that your audience is too frustrated to listen to the lyrics, and spends their time listening to the music. You want repetition to be a major factor. Repetition give the listener time to enjoy the lyrics instead of trying to figure out the way the song is sung.

The Chorus

The chorus is another important part of the song. It must ALWAYS be the main theme of the song. If the song is about your fear of mountain climbing, then the chorus must be about your fear of mountain climbing. You can't write a verse about scaling a rock and then for the chorus go "And my rock climbing shoes don't fit me no more....." "no my rock climbing shoes they don't fit me like they used to.."

The chorus' main function is to remind the listener what the theme or point of the song is about....and it is usually short and sweet, but not always. You may of heard the chorus refered to as 'the hook'. This only means that it takes the listener back to the theme each time it appears in the song.......this is why you see the chorus almost always in the following format:

Verse One
Verse Two
Pre Chorus
Chorus
Verse Three
Verse Four
Pre Chorus
Chorus
Bridge
Solo
Pre Chorus
Chorus

The chorus should be a generalized statement. The chorus isn't the part of the song that explains the Who, What, Where, Why, Or When....that's what the verses are for. For example I'll show you a chorus of one of my songs. Afterwards I will show you the verses one by one....notice how each verse explains the Who, What, Where,and When.....and the chorus does not, it only reminds you what the song's theme is......it brings you back, it 'hooks' you, and makes you focus on what the song is about. Remember a song has limitations. One of them is time. You must allocate that time and use it well. Otherwise if the listener can not follow along and know what the song is about, most likely the listener will just listen to the music. And we don't want that, the music is there to compliment the words, and creates the feeling and/or the scenery for the story you're telling.

chorus:

('Cause she's)Fooling you while you're fooling yourself.
(And you're)Thinking of her while she's thinking of someone else
(She's)Fooling you while you're fooling yourself
(And you're)Trying to love her when she's in love with someone else
(Yeah you're)Fooling yourself, fooling yourself, oh

Ok, so we have the chorus....The theme which is a girl who's tricking someone into thinking she loves them. Did you get that? I hope so..lol Ok, so she's fooling someone while she's in love with someone else (isn't that illegal? ;-P). Ok, now the first verse(remember it's going to relate somehow to the chorus). The first verse is going to present a thought, idea, or feeling.....

Verse One:

Take advice from a stranger,
Grab a pen and write this down.
When it seems your heart's in danger,
Open up and look around.
Was it you that was suppose to change her?
Were you choosen from the start?
Or did you win a popularity vote?
Yeah, did you really win her heart?

Ok, so now we have the first verse. Can you tell how the first verse ties into the chorus yet? No? Hmmmm....Can you picture the story I'm trying to tell? If you can than I'm allocating my time well. If you can't, then I'm doing something wrong and we need to fine tune something. Ok, The first verse is primarily used for presenting the thought,idea, or feeling of the song.

Can you pick out the thought I'm trying to relay......??? Ok, the thought is "You don't know something that I do. You'd better listen to me, write it down if you have to."

Can you pick out the feeling I'm trying to relay........?? Ok, did you say doubt? That's it, doubt. I created the feeling of doubt by asking questions....."Was it you...?" "Were you....?" "Did you...?" "Did you really...?"

Now for the idea....can you guess what I'm trying to say? Honestly, I'm not trying to make this tough....It might look like I'm way out in left field, but stick with me here, c'mon...Ok, the idea I'm relaying here is that "Your hearts in danger" And when we think our heart is in danger it's because of what? Well ya,a heart attack...but I think we can rule that one out....love, that's it !!!! So saying "when it seems your hearts in danger" could be thought of as, 'Your love is in danger'.

So after all that, and only one verse I've been able to effectively make three points:(1)I think your love isn't right,(2)Are you really sure about this love? And(3) Does she really love you?

Now can you see how this first verse ties into the chorus??? Remember the chorus does not explain why the theme is the theme, it only tells what the theme is. And I've managed to go through and explain to the audience what's going on in only one verse. I'd say that's pretty good time allocation. Are you getting the hang of this yet?? If you are great.....If not then lets continue onto the second verse:

I don't even know if anyone's reading this, I'll hold off on the second verse for a while.....unless someone e-mails me and asks me too.....;-)