Robin Frederick (author, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting)

Let’s say you’ve just spent the afternoon writing a song and you feel you’ve got a good start on a first draft. The concept is strong, the structure feels right. Of course the lyric still needs work but you’re planning to go back and rewrite it. How about the melody? Will you go back and rewrite that, too? Or will you stick with what came to you on the first pass?

Many times, a songwriter who wouldn’t dream of settling for a rough draft of a lyric, accepts the first melody that comes along. Often these melodies are the result of old habits; they may sound dated and familiar. The writer may not even know that a melody can be rewritten, strengthened, and polished just like a lyric. To be fresh and current-sounding, give your melody the advantage of a solid rewrite.

=> Is your melody clearly conveying the song’s structure?
Create plenty of contrast between sections–verse, chorus, and bridge–by using a change of note range (low vs. high), note pace (fast vs. slow, choppy vs. smooth), or melodic rhythm patterns (different patterns of long and short notes).

=> Do you have a good balance of repetition and variation?
Check to see if you’re repeating the same note phrases and the same phrase lengths too many times. Listeners do like repetition, but too much begins to feel predictable and boring. Repeating a line once (sing the line, then sing it again) can be fine, but repeating it yet another time can be flirting with disaster. Try varying the note pitches and phrase lengths, create a surprise for listeners that will keep them interested.

=> Are your phrases well organized?
This may seem like an odd question but one of the hallmarks of hit songs–songs that a lot of listeners really like–is good melodic organization. Many hit songs use the following layout in the chorus melody: Sing the first line or phrase, repeat that phrase (with a different lyric), go to a new phrase and repeat it, then return to the first phrase with some variation. This is just one idea. Check out a few hit song choruses to see if you can hear how their melodies are organized.

There are many more ways to rewrite, refine, and strengthen your melody. Your goal is to write a melody that appeals to you and your listeners while underscoring your lyric with plenty of emotion. Try some of the ideas in this tip. If you make a change in your melody that doesn’t work for you, just hit the “undo button” and go back to what you had before.

Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” by Robin Frederick
Copyright 2008 Robin Frederick. All rights reserved.

by Robin Frederick, author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”

When I’m coaching songwriters, they often give me a lyric to read while I listen. This is useful because I like to make notes as the song goes along but I have to be careful to remember that the average listener won’t have that lyric page in front of them. Sometimes I grasp the meaning of a song only because I’m reading the lyric or because the songwriter has told me something about the song before playing it. But when that song is played on the radio, the writer won’t be there to say, “Here’s why I wrote this song…” or “Let me just explain what happened….”

Here are some ideas that will help your listeners understand what you’re saying and stay involved in your song.

BE CONSISTENT: Sometimes a songwriter knows what he or she meant to say but fails to make it clear because some of the lines are giving conflicting messages. For example, if the verse lyric says: “I’m leaving. I can’t live with your lies,” then the chorus states: “I’ll stay no matter what you do,” listeners will have to stop and figure out how both of those things can be true. While they’re thinking, your song has moved on and you’ve lost them.

MIX POETIC PHRASES WITH DIRECT STATEMENTS: If your lyric style leans toward evocative, poetic lines that suggest rather than tell, try adding a clear, direct statement every few lines. Rob Thomas does this very effectively in his huge hit, “Ever the Same.” (Lyrics are available on the Internet.) Notice how his opening four lines are filled with vivid, poetic images, which are then followed by the statement: “And I couldn’t tell you but I’m telling you now / Just let me hold you while you’re falling apart.” Suddenly, it’s crystal clear what this song is about and listeners aren’t left to figure it out.

LISTENERS NEED TIME: Give listeners time to register what your lyric is saying. It usually takes them a minimum of two lines to absorb an image or idea. So if you write a line that describes your love as being like a prison, try to follow that with another line that describes the prison or tells listeners what it feels like to be imprisoned by love. That will give them time to register the image, the feeling of a prison, and link it with the idea of love.

To test your lyric, play it for friends (and strangers) without giving them a lyric sheet. Don’t give them any explanation or introduction to the song. Afterwards, ask them to tell you their impression of the song. See if they picked up on the general situation and emotional message. It’s alright if they didn’t pick up on specific details or exact ideas, just so long as they felt the emotions and got involved in what was happening.

It’s easy to forget, when you’re focused intensely on a lyric, writing and reworking it, that listeners have to process a lot of information in a very short time. If you give them too much information or give it in a way that’s too hard to understand, they may lose interest. Try to keep them in mind while you’re writing. Anticipate their questions. See if you can hear them saying, “Hey, wait for me. I didn’t quite catch that!”

(c) 2009. Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell” by Robin Frederick. Available at Amazon.com.

by Robin Frederick, author “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”

The hottest outlets for original songs in today’s market are film and television. Shows like Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, House, Smallville, Hannah Montana, and daytime dramas like The Young and the Restless all need songs to add emotional impact to scenes. You can find lists of songs used by many of these shows at tvshowsongs.com.

Songs for film and TV require some special thought. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you write for this market:

=> Music supervisors and Music Libraries are looking for songs that focus on a single emotion. If a song switches emotions, loses emotional focus, or is unclear about the emotion at its heart, it will be a tough sell.

=> Music supervisors LOVE to hear songs that are in the style of today’s hits. If you’ve got a song that has the emotional intensity of hits by Daughtry or Nickelback, you’re in good shape. Be sure that your demo is well recorded with tight musical performances and a lead singer who handles the style well. Take a look at the charts and listen to what’s hot right now. (Go to Billboard.com and click on “Charts.” You can stream the songs you’re interested in.) Look for songs and artists you think sound similar to you. If you don’t have a sound that’s close to any of the artists in the top 20 to 30 spots, consider writing and recording a new song just for this purpose. I don’t mean that you should copy a hit artist, but try to capture the emotional essence of the sound and style.

=> Avoid using proper names, place names, and any references to specific years or time periods. As you can guess, this will limit the opportunities for placing your song. If the hook of your song is “Sarah, I Love You,” a Music Supervisor will have a hard time using it if there’s no character named Sarah in the scene! (It could work as “source music” — music that is playing on a radio in the scene, for instance — but there are fewer opportunities in this area.)

=> Music libraries are looking to get the most placements for the songs they sign. That means that even though there are times when a show might use 15 seconds of a song, there will be another show that needs a minute and a half. Make sure your entire song is well written and the track is broadcast quality — no out-of-tune guitar solos in the bridge, no pitchy vocals. A Music Supervisor or Music Library will not take the time to go through your song looking for the best bits!

=> Notice what works and what doesn’t by watching shows that use a lot of music. Try playing one of your own songs under a scene or two. Does it add to the emotional depth or detract? Try writing a song for a scene. Choose an emotion-filled scene then write a song to underscore it. Keep your demo simple and feature your vocal. Try doing this exercise a few times, then compare these songs with your others to see if there’s a difference in focus and tone.

Copyright 2009 Robin Frederick
“Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” is available at Amazon.com
For daily song tips: Twitter/RobinFrederick

by Robin Frederick, author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”

The title of a song is almost always a featured line in the song itself, often the first line or last line of the chorus, making it the line that listeners remember long after the song is over.

A good title is intriguing, evocative, and memorable. The best titles sum up the heart and soul of a song, recalling the whole experience for listeners, making them want to go back and listen again.

Keep it brief. Long titles can work but may be difficult for listeners to remember. These longer titles may be familiar phrases (”I Just Called to Say I Love You” “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”) which are easy to recall. To be safe, stick to five words or less.

Make a statement. One way to be memorable and catch listeners attention is to write a title that makes a strong statement. Nickelback’s “Gotta Be Somebody” is a good example. There’s a sense of urgency built into this phrase, giving the singer something to dig into emotionally.

Use an Intriguing phrase. Beyonce’s recent hit “If I Were a Boy” does exactly that. Don’t you want to know what Beyonce would do if she were a boy? Sure, you do! So the title makes you want to hear the song. Shinedown’s “The Sound of Madness” also has an intriguing title. What does it mean? What does madness sound like? What is this song going to be about?

Try an evocative image. A song title like “Mud On the Tires” works because it’s loaded with associations. The title of this Brad Paisley Country hit features an image that suggests off-roading fun, maybe a wild ride through the fields, or drive to a hidden fishing hole, all of which evoke fond memories and desires in this audience. If you choose a title like this, be aware of your listeners’ expectations and keep them in mind when writing.

Action words add drama and energy. If your title feels like it’s just sitting there, try phrasing it in a more active way. Instead of “I Love You,” try something like “Throw My Arms Around You.” Not only does it replace a familiar statement with an fresher one, it adds the energy of the word “throw.” It also suggests questions that your lyric can answer: What’s the situation? Why does the singer want to do this? How will it feel? How will the other person react?

As most songwriters know, there are many songs with the same (or very similar) titles. Make yours stand out from the crowd by using one of these techniques!

For songwriter tips, games, and hit song analysis, check out my web site: http://www.robinfrederick.com

(c) 2009. Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell” by Robin Frederick. Available at Amazon.com.

by Robin Frederick, author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”

Most hit songs demonstrate at least three or four techniques you can use to broaden the emotional impact and commercial appeal of your own songs. That’s why it’s a great idea for aspiring songwriters (and even successful pro’s) to study recent hits!

It’s important to study songs you admire, not the ones you can’t stand! Look for those hit songs that move you, the ones that appeal most to you, and then ask yourself what that song is doing that draws you in. Of course there are times when I go through the Top 20 songs on the music charts and don’t hear anything that particularly attracts me. In that case, I’ll go back to songs from the previous year or so to look for ideas.

Keep a list of hit songs you like in the genre you’re interested in. Country songs are different from R&B and Rock and Pop. You’re going to hear different approaches to lyrics and melody in every genre. If you’re not sure which genre you want to write in, spend some time exploring each of the four mainstream styles. You can find current music charts and stream the Top 20 songs for free at Billboard.com. Just click on “Charts” at the top of the page, then select the style you want.

In the Hot AC genre, I like Nickelback’s “Gotta Be Somebody,” a big hit in early 2009. Chad Kroeger really knows his craft and this song proves it. Lyrically, he states the theme in the opening lines of the first verse and every lyric line after that leads the listener toward a chorus that sums up the emotional message at the heart of this song. (You can find the lyrics for this song online.)

Melodically, this song is also very strong. Notice in the pre-chorus how Kroeger uses four short phrases that echo each other rhythmically, building tension to the final phrase which he extends by a few extra syllables (”forever with”). This is a great way to build anticipation leading up to your chorus. Then check out how he creates forward momentum in the chorus melody by allowing only very short pauses, just long enough to grab a breath before roaring right into the next line.

In the Country genre, I like Montgomery Gentry’s “One In Every Crowd,” also a hit earlier this year. This is great example of a lyric with plenty of visual detail, a fresh take on the theme, and a powerful melody that builds dynamically through the verse and pre-chorus to a big emotional release. (Lyrics are available online.) The “Hey y’all” secondary hook adds plenty of fun but don’t mistake that for the chorus; it’s just icing on the cake. It doesn’t payoff the verses well enough to work as a stand-alone chorus. If you’re interested in the Country genre, this is an excellent song to study.

For more ideas and analysis, check out my web site at RobinFrederick.com. Just click on “Study the Hits”; you’ll find a detailed look at many of today’s most successful songs.

(c) 2009. Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell” by Robin Frederick. Available at Amazon.com.

by Robin Frederick, author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”

Some songwriters spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for inspiration. Waiting for an idea. Just waiting. Well, I don’t want you to wait. I want you to start doing, writing, creating. Now.

One of the things songwriters most often seem to wait for is an idea that will launch them into the deep emotional waters of a song. Not only is it unnecessary to hang around hoping an idea will magically appear, it can lead to repetition and stagnation of your creative muscle. It’s funny how, once an idea has worked, it tends to reappear over and over again.

So, here’s an idea…

You might have noticed that songs use many of the same themes that drive other types of dramatic entertainment. Just check out the list of top ten romantic films of all time or today’s favorite contemporary TV dramas. While hit songs tend to focus on relationships and emotions rather than car chases and shoot-outs, they share many of the same dramatic elements: Who is involved? What will happen next? You can use popular movies and TV shows to lead you to themes that pack a big emotional punch both for you and your listeners.

Yes, I’m telling you to watch TV and go to the movies. Remember, it’s important for you to be present emotionally in your song so start by looking for a scene that draws your emotional attention. When did you find yourself getting involved with a character? When did you identify with the character? What was the peak emotional moment for you in this character’s story? Any of these points in a storyline can provide a theme for a song. For example, here’s a scene: The lead character sits alone in a dark room after seeing an ex-lover who is now involved with someone else. If you were watching this scene and you felt moved by it, consider creating a song based on it. Use your imagination to create dialogue, images, background, and specific examples, whatever you need for your song. And you don’t have to limit yourself to romantic themes; you can write social commentary or character songs based on drama and action scenes.

(c) 2009. Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting: 126 Proven Techniques for Writing Songs That Sell” by Robin Frederick. Available at Amazon.com.

by Robin Frederick (author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”)
 
Question from a songwriter: “I have trouble coming up with the first line of a song. I try not to write the first line as something obvious and cliche  but I can’t seem to figure out how to keep it from being too vague.”
 
Answer: Your question about writing a strong opening line is a good one. This is a key line in your song, one that may make the difference between keeping a listener tuned in  or losing their interest. You’re right about not wanting to be vague! Here are a few ideas…
 
1) After you have a first draft of your song, check to see whether your second verse is stronger than your first. This can happen as you get deeper into the song and know more about what you want to say. Try opening with your second verse and writing a new one to replace it. 
 
2) If the song is addressed to “you,” what is the one big, emotional statement you want to make to that person? Try starting with that if you’re not using it somewhere else in the song. If you are already using it, try backing up a step and imagine the line that would come just BEFORE you said that. 
 
3)  Work from your chorus. Read the chorus out loud, then try to find a line that answers the question: Why am I saying this? 
 
4) An effective opening line pulls the listener right into the middle of the action or situation. Look for the moment that seemed to trigger the situation you’re writing about. Start by describing that – what was said, what did you do?
 
5) Choose an action word or visually descriptive word that conveys the situation and build a line around that.
 
As you can see from these suggestions, it’s often a good idea to revisit your first line AFTER you work up a draft of your song. In the meantime, use a line that gets you started and worry about adding strength to it later. Turn off your inner critic and just write what you feel. Rewriting is where you’ll use ideas like the ones listed above. Once you have a solid opening line, you’ll probably need to rework the rest of your first verse but it’s worth it! 

 
Copyright 2009 Robin Frederick. All rights reserved.

by Robin Frederick (author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”)

Most songwriters sit down to write when they are going through an emotional time, when feelings are running high. Many great songs — many hit songs — have been written from a songwriter’s private life – the joy, love, grief, and anger of the writer’s own relationships.

So, what happens when a songwriter who has been writing solely from personal experience begins to (or wants to) earn a living from their writing? Let’s say you’re a singer-songwriter with a record deal and you have to write ten new songs for an upcoming album… or you’re a staff writer with a publishing deal who needs to write on demand. Can you rely on your life to provide enough material to keep the songs flowing? Probably not. Even if you could, it might not be the kind of life you’d want to live!

Here are a couple of ideas that can help you get around this problem:

> Use the past.
You already know that as a songwriter you need to write from your heart; you want to express your own thoughts and feelings. If your life isn’t currently filled with drama, try reaching back into the past for an event that still resonates for you, a conversation, person, or situation that has stayed in your memory. If you’ve already written a song or songs about it, consider looking at it from another angle. Try putting yourself in the other person’s place and seeing it from their point of view or use something you’ve learned since that time to add a fresh perspective.

> Imagine a situation.
Shakespeare didn’t have to endure a visit from the ghost of his dead father in order to write Hamlet. By imagining himself in Hamlet’s situation, he was able to create dialogue filled with honest emotions that have moved audiences for hundreds of years. A good writer, whether of plays, songs, or novels, doesn’t have to experience every situation himself in order to write about it truthfully.

The poet John Keats called this ability to project oneself into another’s emotional life “negative capability.” By this he meant a writer’s ability to lose his own ego and become the character he’s writing about. I just call it empathy. A good writer is one who can feel what others are going through and identify with their emotions. As soon as you can do that, you can write about it.

We all experience empathy when we lose ourselves in a good movie, book, or TV program, when we cry over a sad ending or care about what happens to the hero. You can use these empathic feelings as the basis for new songs.

Do It Now!
Choose a situation from your past or watch a dramatic TV show or movie and pick a scene that interests you. Write out the situation in your own words. Try to get inside the emotions of someone in the scene — really BE there. Imagine your surroundings, the past that led up to it and what might happen next. What emotions are you feeling? What you want to say and do in this situation. Make a list of phrases and ideas that describe what you’re feeling. Choose one of these phrases and make it the title of your song. For a variation on this idea, choose your material from a cable news channel and base your song on real people and events.

In my book, “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting,” there are several techniques that will help you develop a complete lyric from your title (Shortcuts #44 – #47), then use the lyric to suggest the raw material for a melody.

Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” by Robin Frederick. Available at Amazon.com. Copyright 2009 Robin Frederick. All rights reserved.

by Robin Frederick (author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”)

What makes you write a song?
- the desire to put your feelings into words?
- wanting to reach out to others to express a thought or message?
- the hope that eventually it will earn royalties?

The truth is, a song can do all this if you keep all three goals in mind as you write.

Write to express your own emotions. Stay connected with your initial reason for writing the song. What is it you want to say? What emotion do you want to convey? Even if your goal is to write a hit song, you MUST stay connected to your original emotional inspiration!

Write a summary of your song in a sentence or two and keep it to refer to. When you get into the actual writing of your song, it’s easy to get lose sight of your initial idea. If a strong lyric line suddenly occurs to you, ask yourself if it really belongs in the song you’re working on. Maybe it’s an idea for a different song. Don’t bend your theme out of shape to accommodate that one line. Write down or record your idea, then put it aside temporarily until you figure out where it belongs. Stay with your original inspiration and you’ll end up with a song that expresses your feelings and thoughts.

A good song is any song that expresses your emotions in a way that’s satisfying for you. But… if you want to reach out and express those feelings to listeners, you may need to blend more song craft into your writing. Song craft is a body of knowledge that has been developed by songwriters over decades, even hundreds of years. It’s based on how listeners react: What draws them in? What turns them off? For instance, listeners like a song that has a repeated chorus section. But if that chorus is just repeated over and over, they get bored. If there’s a verse that gives them more information in between the choruses, listeners remain interested and involved. That’s an example of song craft.

Craft doesn’t limit creativity!
If you want to write a song in the hope of getting it published, recorded by a well known artist, or used in film or TV (a major outlet for today’s songs), then you’ll want to do both of the things I’ve just described: Stay connected to your emotional theme and use song craft to communicate with listeners. Melody and lyric writing techniques can be adapted and built on in endless ways, so don’t think of craft as limiting your creativity! Approach it with a playful, experimental attitude.

Once you reach out to listeners with a strong emotional message, well-developed, evocative lyrics, and a memorable, fresh melody, you’ve got the kind of song the music industry needs. So, if your goal is to write a song that will earn royalties, aim for a blend of emotion and craft. Remember…

- If you write a song with emotion but no craft, listeners may not understand you.

- If you write a song with craft but no emotion, listeners may not care!

Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” by Robin Frederick. Available at Amazon.com. Copyright 2009 Robin Frederick. All rights reserved.

by Robin Frederick (author of “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”)

It can be tough to find the balance between giving listeners too much information too quickly and not giving them enough or repeating information they’ve already heard.

As you write your verses and bridge, keep the path through your song clear. Make sure things are moving forward, not going in circles or repeating the same thing over and over.

Here are some development paths your song might take. Notice that each path leads the listener into and through a situation, keeping the momentum rolling forward and giving new information as it goes along.

The chorus is integrated into the song as a natural extension of the verses and bridge. (The vast majority of hit songs are written from the point of view of the singer—the first person “I”—so I’ll use that approach in these examples.)

Path #1 – Deal with a problem.

Verse 1: This is the problem.
Chorus: Here’s how I feel about it.
Verse 2: This is what I tried to do about it.
Chorus: Here’s how I feel about it.
Bridge: This is how I hope to find a way through this.
Chorus: Here’s how I feel about it.

Path #2 – Give us a history.

Verse 1: I remember the great beginning of our love.
Chorus: This is what it felt like.
Verse 2: Things changed. Everything is different now.
Chorus: This is what it felt like.
Bridge: Can we get back to the way things were?
Chorus: This is what it felt like.

Path #3 – Build it up.

Verse 1: I took a chance.
Chorus: Now my life has changed.
Verse 2: I risked everything for happiness.
Chorus: Now my life has changed.
Bridge: It was worth it.
Chorus: Now my life has changed.

You can find more development paths by listening to well-written hit songs. You’ll notice that some songs share similar paths. It’s how the path is personalized by the songwriter that makes it unique and gives it strength. A path is just the outline of a song. How you flesh it out is up to you. Make each path your own with the details and emotions of your specific situation and characters.

Based on “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” by Robin Frederick. Available at Amazon.com. Copyright 2009 Robin Frederick. All rights reserved.