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”)

Question: If I listen to a particular song I like, I feel inspired to write a song but when I sit down and try, I end up writing the melody I have just listened to. Do you have any tips?

Answer: Melodies can easily get stuck in our brains. A hit Pop/Rock or Country song melody is very catchy; that’s a large part of the reason it’s a hit. But you’re right; this can be a problem for songwriters. Try this exercise to send your melody in a completely new direction:

1) Start by changing the pitches of the notes in the hit song melody. Just sing or play a note that is higher or lower than the original. Your melody will start to sound slightly different from the original. Play with a lot of different pitch choices. If the hit song melody has an ascending melody line, try one that moves downward. If the hit song melody skips over a few notes you can try staying on the same note without moving at all. Doing this part of the exercise will help you start thinking about note pitch as a separate element you can play with.

2) Now, try changing the lengths of the lines (or “phrases”). A “phrase” is a melodic thought with a natural beginning and end. (Lyric lines often begin and end at the same time as a melodic phrase.) Chop a phrase into two shorter phrases by adding a pause in the middle. Don’t worry about interrupting the flow of the lyric; a pause can often ADD interest to a lyric phrase. You can also add a couple of notes and words to the end of a phrase to extend it.

3) After you play with pitch and phrase length, start exploring the timing of the notes: hold a short note longer, then speed up the notes that follow, or divide a long note into several short ones.

By now, your melody should sound VERY different from the original. Remember, this is just an exercise. You are using the hit song to start training your brain to think about melody in a new way, by identifying the three main elements of a song melody–pitch, phrase length, and rhythm. When you start playing with these, you can shape your melody into anything you want! Practice this exercise to get into the habit of thinking about the different components of melody. It will help you move past those melodic ideas that “just occur to you” but may sound dated or familiar.

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