Whether it’s an epic ballad about love or a dancefloor banger, a song is poetry set to music. From the old fashioned rhymes to today’s pop hits, songs touch us all. They evoke emotions, teach us lessons and inspire our lives.
In the modern era most pop/ contemporary music is written to a verse-chorus structure, but this isn’t always the case. For example if you are writing a folk song you might choose to write a song with no chorus, or if you are writing a hip hop tune you might use a different musical structure that doesn’t include a bridge at all. These are all valid structures and there is no right or wrong way to write a song.
To be a good songwriter you need to understand the key elements that make up a song, from its melodies and lyrics to its rhythm and harmony. You also need to be aware of the ways in which your song will be performed, recorded and consumed by its audience. This can help you make sure your song will have the impact that you want it to.
Writing songs can be a tricky business. It’s easy to get stuck on the lyrics and struggle with how to put them together in a way that will make sense. It’s also common for new songwriters to struggle with knowing what chords to use or how to create an interesting hook. All the great songwriters of today did not become experts overnight, they followed a process and worked at it to be able to construct their ideas into the lyrical parts of their songs.