Song Genre

Writers have a duty to their intended audience.  There are genres of songs, just like there are book and movie genres.  Decide your genre before you write a song.  Does it contain adult content or swearing?  Then don’t gear it to a young audience.  Is it about green cats?  It’s probably for kiddies. 

This is a very important aspect of songwriting that most writers don’t think about.  While the public is lax these days with letting children listen to music not necessarily appropriate for them, as a songwriter you have a liability to target your work to the right audience.

If, for instance, you send a song to a publisher who records pre-teen music, you might get away with some adult behavior if it’s alluded to and not blatant.  But you probably won’t be able to include swearing and sex.  You’ll get a rejection letter saying it’s not appropriate for their targeted age group.

For a while in the seventies and eighties there were a lot of songs written about drinking.  In the nineties that changed and song publishers were turning down (especially from women writers) songs about bar hopping, etc.  Now that rule has reverted once again and all topics seem to be acceptable.  Do your research before you write and submit.

There’s a fine line between writing good music and fad music.  While the one will last forever, the second is definitely short-term.  Decide which kind of writer you want to be.

Pick a subject, a genre, and pen your words.  Re-write over and over until the words and music move you and create the feeling you want.  Have people in your target zone listen to the song before you try shopping it around.  See what kind of feedback you get.  Ask for the truth – false reviews will bring you nothing.

Songwriting can be a full-time job or a hobby.  You owe it to your listeners to write the best words and music, you can.  It will definitely be the difference between a poorly written and a good song.  It may be the difference between a bottom-out and a number one hit! 

The choice is yours – choose wisely.  It’s a lot of hard work and research, but the person who will gain the most in the end will be you.  What kind of music do you want your name attached to?  Think about it!

Song or Poetry?

Poetry and songwriting are not always the same.  Although verse is loosely defined in the same way, they can differ greatly. 

When you write song lyrics you should always keep in mind the music that drives the words.  Even though you may not write the notes yourself and may, in fact, send the words to someone else to create the tune, the words have to flow.  That means that there should be no break in thought so that the meaning is made clear to the listener.

Poetry can be structured or unstructured.  Songs can have the same similarities, but they are always structured so that the words and music paint a picture.  While poetry can leave unfinished business in the reader’s mind, music lovers want a beginning, middle and an end.

When you have decided the thought or idea for your song, try it in a couple of different writing styles to see which works best.  You can write in rhyming verse or non-rhyming.  The choice is up to you and depends on your thought processes and writing style. 

Let’s say you want to write about love, for instance.  Your first two lines could read like this:

I had a true love

A sign from above

See how the rhyme sets the cadence for the entire song?  You could also write the same thought in these words:

Once I had a love

He beckoned from afar

With the second type of writing you could rhyme in this way:

I never knew he’d be

A bright and shining star

These words are silly, but you get the idea.  Also, there are songs that follow a different pattern, and although they don’t necessarily rhyme, they do tie up the thought.  For example”

The moon was bright the sky was dark

When he rode into town

He tied his horse at the hitching post

Entered the bar alone

You will tie the thought up as you continue to write, but right now this paints the beginning of a scene in the listener’s mind.

Whatever your style of verse, poetry can be turned into song with a little tweaking.  All poets are not good songwriters and vice versa.  They are different animals.  Although a poet may create beautiful scenery and pictures in the mind of the reader, a songwriter makes the listener feel the words in a different way.  Both can be masters of the written word.  Just be sure as a songwriter your intended audience is feeling the vibe.

Copyrights and Songwriting

It’s a little-known fact that a work is copy written from the moment of its creation.  That song you wrote in the middle of the night on a notepad by your bed is yours.  You made it and you own it.  That’s not to say someone might try to take it from you, either on purpose or inadvertently.

There were and are many ways we were told in the past to protect copyright.  One was to mail a copy of the completed work to yourself.  If unopened, the work is protected and is your domain.  This was also said to work with email by emailing a copy of the finished (or work in progress) to your email address.  Supposedly, that shows you are the only one who could have been the author.

It’s much easer and more sensible to actually apply for copyright through the Office of Copyright.  Although many people don’t do this, it’s often because they don’t know how to go about it.  There is much help online and with a little research this process is relatively easy.

For a minimal fee, you fill out a form, mail it with your payment to the Office of Copyright, and receive a certificate of registration.  This means that no one can duplicate your work and call it his own.  Remember, titles cannot be copy written, so that issue is settled.

In the case of a song, if you submit a tune and words, the first nine bars of the music cannot be the same as another work of art.  If it is, it will be rejected as  possible copyright infringement.  This is often done inadvertently – a song you’ve known forever creeps into your head and you add it to your music without even realizing it.  Don’t worry, the Copyright Office will catch this error and send you a nice letter making you aware of the problem.  They ask that you change the music and resubmit.  

That’s all there is to it – easy!

Here’s the link for the Copyright Office:

http://www.copyright.gov/

HOW TO WRITE A SONG BRIDGE

There is no correct way to write a song bridge and some songs don’t even need one.  Defined as a path to travel from one place to another, the way to write a song bridge varies with the type of song you are writing, including content and story line. 

At times there needs to be a break in the melody and lyric line and a song bridge inserted gives not only interest but a nice way to segue way from the chorus to either another chorus or verse or some other combination of the song, creating interest and character.

Listen to a favorite song of yours and discern whether or not there is a song bridge included.  If you hear only verse, chorus, verse, chorus repeated, there is not a song bridge.  However, if you hear verse, chorus, verse, chorus and a different line and melody followed by another verse, chorus, or something of the sort, there is a song bridge.  What makes it interesting?  Does it work?  Does it please the ear?

Most songwriters become comfortable with creating a song bridge after they have written for a while.  The art of good songwriting comes with a lot of practice and exposure and if you are a beginning songwriter it is perfectly fine to omit a song bridge from your work.  When you are ready the muse will let you know.  Keep in mind whether or not you think the song will be monotonous without a break, whether or not you have a good chord structure that you can build on, whether or not it is easy to sing and if it creates a good segue way into the end of the song.  Keep your song “hook” in mind and include part of it in the song bridge if you can.  This will make a neat and tidy way to wrap up your song and will create one that people will find catchy and easy to remember. 

Rule Number 1:  Listen to lots of music – not just one genre, but many.  Every songwriter will approach the song bridge differently and you can learn much from listening and paying attention.  Good luck!

WRITE GOOD SONG LYRICS

Writing good lyrics to songs takes practice.  Even the seasoned songwriter sometimes has difficulty writing good lyrics if they suffer from occasional writer’s block.  It happens to every writer.   Here are a few tips to help you learn the habits of writing good lyrics:

• Subject matter is the key
• Pay attention to rhythm, cadence, subject and flow
• Keep your eyes open for catch phrases that might make a good hook for your song
• Playing an instrument may be a viable tool to help you on your path to writing good lyrics – it may be a good idea to take lessons on an instrument
• Listen to your favorite songwriters and get a feel for how they write
• Browse the Internet for song lyrics ideas
• Join writer’s groups and interact with other writers for support
• Develop a good “listening” ear and be critical of your own work
• Learn to take criticism constructively and use it to better your writing
• Don’t be afraid to move verses around to make the song better
• Develop a bridge in the song
• Read good books on the subject of songwriting

If you follow these steps, writing good lyrics to songs will become second nature to you.  If you are a singer/songwriter, perform your own material every chance you get.  Get a feel for whether or not the audience enjoys what you present.  Ask for feedback.  Don’t take criticism personally – use it to make your song good.  Enter your songs in various competitions and listen to the winning songs to get a good feel for what listeners want.  Above all, enjoy songwriting – it’s a creative outlet that can afford you a lot of enjoyment whether you do it as a hobby or for a career. 

HOW TO WRITE A SONG

There are several opinions and suggestions on how to write a song.  You will find classes at many music festivals and even online songwriting groups giving tips and advice on how to write a song.  Songwriting is subjective.  There are hundreds of different genres, from bluegrass and country, pop and rock, jazz and blues and many in between.  The genre you choose will be a big part of the decision you make on how to write a song. 

So, you have made the decision.  You have read everything you can on how to write a song.  You believe you have songs that need to be written deep within you.  Then do it.  It’s that simple.  Do it.  Sit down in a quiet place and allow everything to drift away.  Take a mental vacation for a few minutes.  Don’t allow distractions or sounds to interfere.  Write the first subject that comes to mind.  Maybe it’s not the subject you wanted to write about but, hey, it’s there.  Write it down on your piece of paper.

At  this point I believe musicians have an edge.  Pick up your guitar (or other instrument) play some chords, riffs, whatever you feel like.  Start to think about the song subject you have chosen.  Try to incorporate some of the words that are most relevant.  If you are lucky, the music and words will flow together.  They may be spotty at first as you find your way, but eventually they take shape.

If you don’t play an instrument, listen for cadence in the song.  Be sure it is easy to sing and play.  For instance, a lot of poetry does not lend itself well to music.  Although the poetry flows, there is often no catch phrase – nothing to keep the reader/listener hanging on to your every word.  Try writing your song and give it to a musician friend to write the music.  Collaborations of this sort often work very well.  If you don’t have friends who are musicians, there are companies that write music for songs, so do some checking online to find one.  Check them out first to be sure they are a reputable company.  

It may take a few tries to come up with something you feel really good about.  Don’t worry, before long your friends and people you meet are going to be asking you how to be a songwriter! 

SONGWRITING

Songwriting can be a very rewarding hobby or career.  Whether you enter the world of songwriting as a way to relax or you yearn for fortune and fame, there are many things to consider.  Some questions you may ask yourself are:

• What amount of time am I able to devote to songwriting?
• What songwriting skills do I have presently?
• Will I need additional education to become a songwriter?
• Is there a market for my genre of songwriting?
• I can’t play an instrument – will I have to send my songs out to have melodies written for them (what would the cost be)?
• Do I have contacts in the songwriting world?
• Do I have access to other songwriters/musicians for support?
• Am I able to do my own songwriting demos or will I have to send them out to have someone else play on/record them?
• Do I have the time available to pursue songwriting as a career?
• What are my goals as a songwriter?

These questions can help you decide how to begin your songwriting journey.  A good suggestion is to just begin.  Write down an idea you have for a song.  Try to write it and edit it until you feel it is finished.  Either play it yourself or ask a friend to play it and give you an opinion on the cadence, structure, etc.  There are many benefits and opportunities as songwriting becomes an interesting and viable part of your life.  The choice is yours.