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Music Business:
Songwriting Techniques

Posted on Tuesday, April 15 @ 04:47:19

EST
Topic: Songwriting

In the last
article that I
wrote (21
Songwriting
Tips), we
explored
many different ways to
expand our musicianship as a
whole. Songwriting
Techniques takes us a step
inward, focusing on the art of
welding a song that used to
exist only in our minds. No
need for music theory here.
This article merely examines
the foundation of songwriting
and offers alternate
perspectives on how to
construct a song. As with the
last article, only take the tips
that are relevant with you and
your style of music. These
techniques do not apply to
every form of music, because
many different styles seem to
clash with others. Discard the
parts that you dont agree
with.
By Ken Hill, Torchlight Creek
Foundation of Music

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How tricky. Im going to

explain music while staying
away from music theory as
much as possible! By all
means, if you know music
theory, it can only help you
as long as you dont abuse it.
Still, many great musicians
have existed without ever
laying one eyeball on a piece
of sheet music. The
foundation of most songs
have these things in
common...
1) Rhythm. Rhythm,
in this instance,
refers to the

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skeleton that holds

the guts of your
tune. It is the chord
structure that lays
the groundwork
throughout the
song. Without a
good or interesting
rhythm section, you
song will lack some
serious umph. A
poor choice of
rhythm usually
equates to a poor
foundation to a
song.
2) Lead. The lead is
the instrument that
carries the listener
through the song.
Quite often the
rhythm repeats and
with some genres of
music, quite
monotonously.
Without a lead to
push the song
forward, there will
not be movement in
the song and people
could get bored
rather quickly. The
lead is usually
distinguished as
being the highest
pitched part of your
song. If it is not the
highest, then it is
most likely the
loudest. In many
songs, a vocal or a
guitar solo usually
take the lead.
Imagine removing
vocals and solos
from most of the
music that you hear
on the radio. Most
of the songs would
be much less
interesting! The lead
is one of the most
tricky and important
parts of the song. A
good rhythm lays
the foundation.
From the
foundation, the lead
is usually the
instrument to make
it soar, or fall apart
terribly. The lead
only has one
restriction. In most
cases, it is only
limited by the
foundation of the
rhythm. If the lead

can be free while

adhering to the
bonds of the
rhythm, then your
song will be all the
better.
3) Bass. If the bass
is doing its job
correctly (excluding
a bass solo), it
should be
supporting the
rhythm while
building interesting
(or at least avoiding
poor) harmonies
from the lead. I
would say that the
two most prominent
tones of a song are
the highest and
lowest pitch and
their relationship to
each other.
Its like a
cheeseburger. The
rhythm is the bun
that holds it
together. The lead is
the meat that tastes
so great! The bass
is the cheese that
gives it that extra
zing. The last two
parts, the
percussion and the
ghost are all the
extra condiments
like ketchup,
mustard, pickles,
onions or whatever
your individual
particular taste is.
4) Percussion.
Notice I said that
percussion was a
condiment. Thats
because you can get
away without
percussion. Its like
ketchup. Most
people like ketchup
but some dont
much care for it. I,
personally, must
have ketchup in my
burgers, oops!
Thats off topic
(mmm, making me
hungry!) For some
musical styles, great
percussion is
essential. A choir
could benefit from
percussion but does
not necessarily need
it. A rap song

thrives on a great
percussion. No need
to explain what
percussion is.
Drums, bongos or
basically anything
that has some sort
of impact that is
timed to give it
some sort of
groove. It may even
be a sample
repeated in rhythm.
5) Ghost. Ghost?
What the heck?!
This is one element
that does not have
to be in your song,
but is highly
recommended.
Ghost instruments
usually shine after a
person has listened
to your song many
times. These are
those little tunes
and riffs that you
never even noticed
the first few times
you heard it. A good
ghost note should
add in a new subtle
depth to your song
that could not be
attained through the
other four
categories. It should
personalize your
music with your
individual flair. A
good ghost
sequence should
make the listener
feel like if it werent
there, your song
would feel just a
little more empty.
When people hear a
song they love for
the tenth time and
notice a sequence
that they never
noticed before, then
youve successfully
added a ghost
sequence.
Now What?
So now what? You have the
five foundations of music.
What do you do with them?
How do you start? That is a
tricky question that I cant
answer. Sometimes a great
song starts with an awesome
chord progression from the
rhythm, sometimes its the
vocalist who comes up with a

great melody line(the lead),

sometimes its a funky groove,
sometimes even a funky bass.
Doubtfully will it spawn from
a ghost sequence. They are
usually added in the end.
Though songs have spawned
from many different places, I
will cover them in order
starting with the...
Intro
For me, I usually write the
introduction last. Thats okay,
no matter how you do it, Im
just going to give you some
different ideas on how to start
your song.
Synchronicity. In many
cases, the first four
foundations come out at
the same time. This
gives your song a feel of
a strength from the
beginning. It goes from
0 - 60 in 0 seconds.
There is no loss of
momentum (although
there is no build of
momentum either).
Lead first. Vocals, or a
lead instrument begins
the song. It will feel
empty because its not
supported by any of the
other four foundations.
Thats okay in this case.
The feel of this idea is to
make your the lead
naked, to expose it like
it could never be
exposed before. Once
you have bared the soul
of the lead, usually the
other foundations are
quick to follow. Many
slow songs will have a
lead begin the music.
Rhythm first / Percussion
first / Bass first. No need
to sub categorize these.
They are all about the
same idea. Buildup. Start
with any of these three
foundations and build off
of them, usually a lot
quicker than if the lead
came in first.
Veered of the road.
Some songs veer off the
road to lead the song in.
These are usually
deceptive ideas to make
the listener feel that it is
one style or type of song

when it is entirely
something else.
Sometimes it is also a
series of sound effects
(wind, rain, door
slamming, cars,
commotion, talking,
etc.). Veering off the
road is tricky, as it can
turn a person off if it is
too long or annoying.
Have a distinct reason
for every part, dont just
mumble.
Light Weight. Lightweight
involves using
instruments that are
usually lighter than the
core instrumentation of
the song. For a light
song, the lightness
might come from the
slowed tempo, or less
articulation with the
playing of the chords. In
a hard rock song, it
might start with a piano
or an acoustic guitar.
When the song fully
comes to terms, it would
then switch over to a
distorted guitar playing
the same rhythm, or a
modified form of the
same rhythm. This allows
the lead to continue on
without having to change
the overall feel of the
song.
Heavy Weight. Blast
them with a stroke of
sheer power. Then when
you think they are on the
brink of explosion, drop
it off into a much lighter
form of instrumentation.
Heavy weighting the
song usually comes in
strong, and builds up
even stronger. Just when
you think its about to hit
the climax, it will
completely drop off, only
to be resolved (or visited
again) way later in the
song.
The Rest of the Song
Im sure most of you know
what a chorus and verse is.
There are common song
structures, but Im not going
to go over that. You all should
know the standard and if your
music would like to follow
that standard or veer away.
What Im going to introduce

are some new ways to

enhance your music. Im not
including mixing techniques,
just a handful of musical
ideas to make your songs
more creative.
Morphing. Morphing a
melody is a great way to
introduce a new
instrument. Basically,
two instruments are
playing the same thing,
but one has no volume
and the other has full
volume. Slowly turn the
volume down on one
instrument (decrescendo)
while the other gains
volume (crescendo). It
will make the instrument
appear to morph in.
Switcharoo. Another nice
idea is when two
instruments are playing
two different parts.
Switch the parts around
to let the other
instrument take the lead.
Dropoff. Stop the music
at once. This will create
a tension. It should
resolve rather quickly or
youll lose the effect. This
can be very powerful if
used right.
Invention. As one
instrument finishes the
first measure, a new
instrument plays the
exact same thing on the
second measure while
the first instrument
continues its path.
Heres an example...
(imagine these are being
sung at the same time)
Instrument
1: Twinkle
twinkle
little star,
how I
wonder
what you
are, up
above the
world...
Instrument
2: Twinkle
twinkle
little star,
how I
wonder
what...
Texture layering. Two to

five synths all play the

same part. Every synth
has its own distinctive
sound. This will make it
sound like one huge
sweeping synth. You can
even layer other
instruments (guitar,
voice, etc) at the exact
same pitch to give it a
humanistic uniqueness. If
the lead is layering with
the texture, then it can
later branch off to
establish itself.
Swirling Pans. Can be
used with texture
layering. Basically as one
instrument pans
completely to the left,
another one is going
right. They will appear to
swirl around in circles
around the listener.
Veer off the road. Let
your music veer off the
road briefly to introduce
a strange tension. As
soon as they begin to
feel a little lost, snap
back into place.
Creative ghost uses.
Extremely light vocals
which say interesting
things. Complex
instrumentals that are
barely heard. Be creative
with the way you
sequence your ghost
tracks.
Drone- Does not always
have to be droney. This
could simply be keeping
the bass in a stationary
position as the music
revolves around different
chords which include the
bass note.
Escalate- Escalating is
when the pitches
gradually get higher and
higher. This is usually a
way to add a climatic
part to your song. Dont
overdo it and this idea
could either be used
rather quickly or very
slowly. Make the escalate
interesting by having the
part do interesting things
while the climax builds.
Escalating is used a lot
with choruses as well,
since that usually
designates the central

theme of the song.

Going downstairsOpposite of escalating.
The pitches slowly creep
downwards. This usually
happens to take down a
highly charged section of
a song.
X movement. While one
instrument escalates,
another creeps
downward. This will allow
the new instrument to
take the center stage.
General Tips
Be efficient. Say exactly
what youre trying to say
without rambling off
topic. A great
motivational speaker
leads the conversation
the entire time. He (or
she) speaks with
authority and charisma.
From that strength,
comes the wisdom to use
powerful word
combinations and
compelling dialogue. The
motivational speaker is
leading the audience
through a world of ideas
which exist only in their
heads. If he begins to
ramble, he begins to lose
control of where he is
leading them. The vivid
imagery begins to get
confusing, and the
message may get lost.
Music is very much
the same. By all
means, being
efficient does not
mean making an
overly simple song.
It just means you
should only put in
the music that
reflects what youre
trying to say. Dont
shove too many
ideas out at once, or
they will be too thin
and scrappy to
enjoy. Cut the fat
off the steak. Let
them enjoy the
parts that are
relevant.
Have movement.
Movement usually comes
from the lead, or a solo.
Movement is the reason

why the listener will play

your song over and over.
Lets face it, if your song
is four measures long
and your repeat it
throughout endlessly
without any changes
whatsoever it will have
little to no movement
(which may be okay if
youre writing a jingle or
a video game
soundtrack). Even trance
music will have tones
and textures that evolve
slowly to give it
movement. It would be
as if I repeated the same
sentence over and over
again. It would be as if I
repeated the same
sentence over and over
again. It would be as if I
repeated the same
sentence over and over
again. It would be as
if...AAAA! I cant take it
anymore! Movement is
what usually makes your
songs come alive.
Endless movement. A
few people enjoy
listening to endless
movement, but for the
most part- people enjoy
being able to relate to a
central structure. What I
mean by endless
movement is a song that
never quite establishes a
central mood or theme.
It keeps running, and the
listener is usually
spending the entire time
trying to play catch up,
never being able to fully
immerse themselves into
a feeling because it
moves too much.
Imagine a song that
is written like this
(dont think lyrically.
Just picture the
mood of this rhyme,
and compare it to
the mood of a
song).
The cell is dark and
black,
my teeth are
gritting with rage,
a little girl eats her
ice cream,
dancing along the
street,
because I love you,
oh baby, youre as

sweet as can be,

as pretty as the sea,
so get on the dance
floor,
I want to see you
shake your booty,
yeah, yeah,
and let the slaying
begin.
I hate this place.
Youre cute.
This will definitely
send mixed signals
to the listener.
Some will find it to
be awe inspiring
(there are always
people who love
things that are way
different), but most
people will not be
able to relate. The
mood jumps too
much. The message
that you are trying
to say will be
twisted, because it
never situates itself.
The mood has not
been established.
Going to the Movies.
Music and movies have a
lot in common. Both
have a catalog of
different genres that
different types of styles
fall into. Both try to
emotionally connect with
the people who are
experiencing it. Both use
many of the same
concepts to wrap the
audience. For instance,
some songs start with a
heavy weight, which
means that they start off
extremely hard. Slowly,
the music begins to
ascend to something
even harder but just
before it reaches that
point, it will drop off into
the core of the song
(which is usually much
lighter at first), only to
revisit that same tension
later on in the song.
Many movies start off
strong to capture the
audience. After the
strength of the movie
has been shown, it will
usually drop off into
something completely
tame. The tension will be
later visited but it will
also resolve. So the next
time you write a song,

think about how it would

be as a movie. You will
notice many similarities,
and you can even use
concepts from movies in
your music. Be creative,
and youll see what I
mean.
Say the same thing in
different ways. If your
song tends to repeat,
perhaps you should
consider a very slight
variation. It could be the
singers tone, or one little
note that switches it up.
Although this doesnt
apply in every situation,
its always nice to keep
repeating melodies
interesting.
The art of fish hooking.
For most songs, the art
of introducing the hook is
the best way to catch the
fish. Sometimes the hook
is blatantly there,
sometimes it is hidden
only to be revealed later.
The great thing about
using a hook in your
song is that you have
established the central
theme in which to build
upon. As you build upon
that theme, make sure
you do it in such a way
that it establishes itself
as an individual and not
a grain of sand in a
desert full of overused
hooks.
Read my other article.
Lots of information from
that article that would fit
perfectly for this section.
Well, thats it for now. Im
sure I could write a 100 page
book of the little intricacies of
songwriting. These are the
simple basics, and I hope that
some of them will help you in
your future endeavors. Until
next time, happy songwriting!
Ken Hill is a guitarist and
keyboardist for the New Age
band, Torchlight Creek. If you
have any comments,
suggestions or ideas about
this article, please be sure to
e-mail him at
ken@torchlightcreek.com
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