So I was checking out BMIs
news section and noticed an interesting article on Song Writing. This blog was written by Cliff GoldMacher,
who has a couple of studios in Nashville and California, also is a songwriter,
producer, session musician, and engineer.
The article focuses on what he believes to be four quick fixes when
writing a song. These include cutting your intro in half, putting more concrete
details in your verses, your chorus should be what your song is about, and make
similar sections have similar structures.
Now the first quick fix, cut your intro in half speaks to all of us who feel so passionate
about the vibes and sounds coming from our session and how it makes us
feel. Goldmacher reminds us to remember
that people who’ve never heard a song before are not quite attentive the first
time or second. You must give the
listener something to remember, therefore getting to that verse quick.
Put more concrete
details in your verses. Goldmacher suggest using imagery, or painting a
picture when writing your verses. This
makes your writing more colorful and exudes variety, though you could be saying
something really simple. He used the popular phrase as an example, “a picture
is worth a thousand words”, and you get the picture, rightJ
Your chorus should be
what your song is about. He notes that your choruses should definitely
drive the point of your song home. Your
verses should connect the song right to the conclusion, the chorus. He says, “This
is where your message becomes clear and memorable”.
Lastly, he says to make sure similar sections have similar structures. That being said he means that your first
verse should match your second verse.
Though he does mention that this is just his opinion and makes things
simplified and memorable, and for commercial music, memorable is good. He also reminds us that song writing is definitely
an art and there is no particular right or wrong way to write, but these quick
fixes or guidelines can be a blessing and I agree since it could possibly make
the difference of making a song pop or not.
