![]() If a listener can learn the chorus after one pass and sing along on the second pass, you’ve made a fan!įor these examples, I’ll be breaking down song structures of popular music in different genres. This is why we hear so many sections, like choruses or hooks, that are short and repeat frequently. It teaches them the song as they listen to it. Regardless of your opinion of current music, pop really gets this right. Repetition is a highly effective tool that can make songs irresistible. That couldn’t be farther from the truth! While that whole can of worms is worth a whole ‘nother blog post, one thing definitely needs to be said: Pop music had been stereotyped for being repetitive and dumb. NOTE: Be sure to check out our 11 top tips for finishing your songs: Conversely, if your songs have too much space between sections, it can get boring fast. This gives the ear a rest before moving on. It’s the most important line of your song, so make sure it gets the most impact.ĭoes each section of your song seem to rush right into the next? Add a little musical space between sections to break them up a bit. Let your hook be the release the ear has been listening for. Ask yourself, “Does my song have very little tension/release? Or is there too much?”Īnother way to provide climactic moments in your songs is to only deliver your hook at points of high tension. This is something storytellers use in all mediums, from music to movies to novels. To tell a story, you want to lead your listeners through various moments of heightening tension, followed by a release. They’ll quickly learn the words and be singing along in no time. Much like a single gas station glimmering on a lonely highway, your listeners will know what’s coming when they hear that repeating section start up. So what are some of the ways you can provide structure for your listeners? Here are some opportunities:Ī repetitive section in your song is a great opportunity to invite your listener into your song. Structure helps listeners know right where they are, because they know where they’ve been. Without good structure, people will need a lot of concentration to listen to your song and probably won’t enjoy it as much. You don’t want them to get completely lost in a song that feels like it’s dragging along forever. They’ll need it to be at a reasonable length without too many new sections. Your audience wants to know the song will follow a similar format to other songs in the same genre. You’ll waste a lot less time guessing and getting lost. Using tried and true song structures will help you write songs that sound better and take way less time.Ī firm song structure will tell you where the song should go next. It’s a lot easier to come up with a cool melody than to finish an entire song. So do yourself a favor and use a roadmap while writing your songs! If you don’t have a roadmap (ok, your phone’s map app) in front of you, you’ll just have to follow the sun and take guesses along the way. Without GPS, you won’t be able to get there. You’re stoked! You’re all ready to get on the road. ![]() Imagine you’re in a car with your best friends and you want to drive somewhere you’ve never been before. You can listen along without any red flags or question marks appearing, like “Where is this going? How long have I been here?” Nothing feels jarring, disorienting, or boring. Remember how I said that you already know what good structure sounds like? That’s because we can all feel out a song’s basic framework as we’re listening to it. We innately “feel” structure, even of we’re not fully aware of it. Structure in songs is something we’re all tapped into on a deep level. For example, repetition of lyrics or use of tension and release in chord progressions. How a song is organized plays a huge role in whether the listener is invited in or kept at arm’s length.Ī song’s structure can allow your listeners to really experience your story through use of certain techniques and formatting. Essentially, it’s the arrangement of the different sections in a song, some of which repeat. ![]() Until now, everyone has been teaching production totally backward.īut if you just want to learn about Song Structure specifically, keep reading. We put together a brief training that covers a totally new approach to music production. If you’re like most composers and writers, you’re probably producing your own music as well. Get industry-quality mixes every time (steal this framework)
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