Recording - April 2013 - 24

Now, write a lyric for the verse. It should lead to
your chorus, supporting it with more information
about what the singer is feeling or experiencing.
Notice whether the hit song uses images to paint a picture. Try using images in your lyric. If the hit song features conversational phrases, then you do the same.
That’s really all you need to do for this exercise.
Now you’ve got a feel for the way a hit song is structured, how the lyric expresses the theme, and how it
feels to sing your lyrics to a contemporary hit melody.
You’re starting to “ride the bicycle.” Just remember,
the hit song is copyrighted. You can’t use any part of
the melody or lyric in a song of your own. The best
idea is to use this as an exercise. Study successful
songs and you’ll be successful!
Q: I have trouble writing melodies to go with my lyrics.
Any suggestions?
A: You can use the natural melody of speech to help
you find the melody that lives in your lyric. Just speak
your lyric out loud with a lot of emotion. The more

need to keep your listener in mind at all times. Give them enough
information to make them feel that they’re right there with you
experiencing what you’re experiencing. For instance, if you’re
using a lot of poetic imagery, you might want to alternate that
with some straightforward, conversational lines to make sure the
listener doesn’t get lost. Your friends know you, they know what
happened to you and how you feel, but radio listeners are complete strangers. To evoke a response from them, you might need
to strike a balance.
Big choruses are important because they grab and hold the listener’s attention. For radio airplay that’s a must-have. However,
there is a market that doesn’t require big choruses: songs for film
& TV. This fast-growing market often prefers a simple, strong
refrain line to underscore the emotion in a scene, rather than a
full-blown chorus which could distract the viewer.
Q: What’s the winning formula for a hit song?
A: There really isn’t a formula. But there are song craft techniques that have proven to connect with listeners, and these
are essential if you want to reach a broad audience—song
structure, melodic contrast, lyric imagery, are a few. That said,
the first thing you (and every songwriter) should do is express
what you feel with honesty. Do that first, then go back to see if
you can broaden the appeal by adding more song craft to support your theme and give it more universal appeal. Adele is a
great example of a hit songwriter who blends personal songwriting with craft in a way that’s compelling for listeners.
A successful song applies song craft in a creative way, so the
song sounds fresh. For instance, I love what’s happening with
melodic contrast and momentum in many current hit songs.

Say the phrase “Oh, no” in a high, fast-paced tone.
Now, say it again in a low, descending voice. The first
expresses anxiety, the second sadness or resignation.
The words didn’t change, just the melody of speech.
emotion you put into it, the more melody you’ll hear!
That’s because we use the melody of speech – the
pace, rhythm, volume, and pitch—to express our feelings. Try it for yourself: Say the phrase “Oh, no” in a
high, fast-paced tone. Now, say it again in a low,
descending voice. The first expresses anxiety, the second sadness or resignation. The words didn’t change,
just the melody of speech.
What’s the emotion you want to express in your
lyric? Speak the lyrics with that emotion in mind and
see where the melody takes you. Then preserve the
pace, the pauses, and the overall up and down movement of the pitches. Try exaggerating them to create
a basic melody. It’s a good idea to record this raw
melody idea so you can come back to it later. You can
add chords and a rhythm track to hear how your
melody would sound in a song. Feel free to play with
it, change notes, add a pause, start on different beats.
If you get too far away from your original idea, just go
back to your recording.
Q: My friends like my songs but people in the music
industry tell me they’re not commercial, my lyrics are
too hard to follow and I don’t write big choruses...
A: If you’re looking to pitch your songs to the mainstream, commercial radio market—either for yourself as
an artist or for someone else to sing—then you really do
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RECORDING April 2013

These are two techniques that listeners really love, so you should
be looking at them. But it’s how you use these within your song
that will make it both original and commercial. Song craft is a
challenge to your creativity; it’s not there to stifle it.
Q: I don’t know what to write about.
A: There are some themes that are universal. Most people
have been in relationships, enjoyed times of celebration, and
most have experienced loss. These emotions are universal, not
the specifics of what actually happened. Try writing a song
that evokes a feeling. How did you feel when a relationship
broke up? What did you feel physically? What kinds of images
paint a picture of those feelings?
You can also look outside yourself for song ideas.Watch a movie
or TV drama. Choose a scene and write a song that expresses the
feelings, the situation, or attitude of one of the characters.
Try a different angle on a familiar theme. There are lots of
songs about how bad it feels to break up with someone. How
about a song about the plus side? If you’re a shy person, try
writing a song from the point of view of a confident, outgoing
party animal!
Q: I have trouble with my hooks, they’re just not catchy enough.
A: A good rule of thumb: Keep your hook short to make it
more memorable. You could use a simple, conversational
phrase, just a few words. In my book I cite three that were successful hits: “You had a bad day” (“Bad Day” by Daniel Powter,

Recording - April 2013

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