In last week’s ‘While You Are Writing’, I suggested two activities: Finding out more about the function of a publishing company, and creating some interesting collisions with verbs and adjectives. This week I’d like to suggest two more things you can do to grow your knowledge and skill.
Business:
Visit the NSAI (Nashville Songwriter’s Association International) website at http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com. Familiarize yourself with the function of the association, the workshop opportunities, and consider ways you can get involved. The yearly fee is quite inexpensive, and the benefits are far-reaching. As with any organization you become a member of, signing up alone won’t yield great results. Keep checking the site at least once a month, reading the articles and staying abreast of song camps and other opportunities organized for songwriters all around the nation.
Craft:
Analyze a song of your choice from your favorite artist. Even if you’re a novice at song analysis, starting to identify a few basic tools of the craft in other songs will help you to grow your own skills as a writer. Here are some elements you’ll want to look for:
Melody
1. Pitch. What is the overall shape from the verse to the prechorus to the chorus? If there isn’t a prechorus, how did you know the song moved directly from the verse into the chorus? What happens to the pitch in the bridge section, if there is one?
2. Phrasing. Are there sections of the song with lots of rest space? Are there sections with long notes or short notes? Are there differences in the phrasing between the verse and chorus that help to distinguish the sections from each other? (Phrasing is a word we use to describe the lengths of the melodic and harmonic ideas. When you’re in doubt as to the length of a phrase, look to the lyric for help. Lyrical phrasing lines up with melodic phrasing in most instances, and full sentences or full phrases in language equal a full phrase in melody. Broken language such as sentence fragments may signal only a partial phrase.)
Lyrics
1. Rhyme Scheme. What is the rhyme scheme in the verse, the chorus, the prechorus, and bridge if there is one?
2. Content. Summarize in your own words the overall meaning in each section. Instead of reiterating the story using different words, ask yourself what the purpose of the section is. Does the section set the scene, does it describe the problem, or does it paint a picture of the solution?
Harmony
1. Does the frequency of the chords change from verse to prechorus, prechorus to chorus, chorus to bridge, if there is one? How many measures is one cycle through the pattern of the harmonic progression? When do you hear a new chord enter into the mix? Does the new chord heighten the intensity or energy level? Does it signal the entrance of a new section?
Think about all these tools and how you might apply one or two to your next song.
