MUSICOLOGY: (The Study of Writing Songs & Song Lyrics)

Musicology (The Study of Writing Songs & Song Lyrics)

This is excursion into Song & Lyric Writing to learn some of the basics of the craft and what it takes to write a great song. It is a collection of links on the subject. To open I shall share some of what I learn garnered while writing myself. The first and most important thing, I think, when sitting down to write is knowing what you want to write (what your song is going to say, be about). It is cardinal to know your “Theme” when writing. Once you have an idea as to what your song is about, then, you have to figure out your song structure (layout). There are a more than a few ways you can structure your song, as some of the links get into, but you’ll usually have these elements Verse, Chorus, and Bridge. They are not always all used (used together), but every song has a verse/verses and many contain a running chorus, as well. What you have to do is figure out how you will arrange and put these elements together to form your song. When writing your chorus remember that it is the refrain (framework) as to what your song is about. Also remember, when verse writing, that your verses must reflex that basic message contained in your chorus. You want your song to have congruence and symmetry and for it to flow well. Part of that is transitioning well, from verse to chorus and chorus to verse. A song that doesn’t transition well just seems off, no matter how well the lyrics are written. One other thing to mention, when putting your chorus together your trying to grab your audience’s attention (hook them), that’s why it’s also called a “Hook”. To sum up, these are my keys, know what you’re writing, how you want to structure it, and be mindful of how it flows. The object is to make something palatable to the ear.

Now, what I learned is to write with symmetry. I think it is important to write under one umbrella. (Know what you're trying to do and do it). You're song can have different voices, but all voices must speak to what your song is built around. Also, pay attention to how you transition from verse to chorus and chorus to verse. You want it to be as smooth as possible and for your song to have harmony of structure. Pay attention, also, to how your song flows, whereas, it presents itself in the fashion you wish, desires, that it's style and manor is appropriate to what you are trying to achieve. Pay attention, also, to your the voice (vernacular) you're using, that it fits your song and what you're presenting therein. Your objective, always, is to write a good song, so in that, your song must be well written, no matter the voice or vernacular used. A good song also has "well crafted lyrics" - even a bubblegum pop one, so always strive to write well - even if, not grammatically proper/prefect.

http://plus.pointblanklondon.com/how-to-structure-a-song-a-beginners-guide/

http://plus.pointblankmusicschool.com/how-to-structure-a-song-part-2-a-beginners-guide/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Songwriters---Would-Your-Song-Benefit-From-an-Altered-Song-Structure?&id=6904485

http://www.songwriting.net/blog/bid/207339/Songwriting-Tip-Understanding-the-Most-Common-Song-Structures

https://www.musicindustryhowto.com/how-to-write-a-song-for-beginners-a-step-by-step-guide-to-becoming-a-songwriter/

http://blog.songtrust.com/songwriting-tips/5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-writing-lyrics/

http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/showdont_tell_3_steps_to_writing_better_lyrics

https://www.musicindustryhowto.com/how-to-write-a-song-for-beginners-a-step-by-step-guide-to-becoming-a-songwriter/

http://robinfrederick.com/learn-how-to-write-a-song/

http://www.addicted-to-songwriting.com/article-song-chorus.html

http://studiopros.com/writing-a-great-chorus/

http://radio.com/2015/04/17/songwriting-101-advice-top-10-tips-from-country-songwriters/

http://mysongcoach.com/write-a-song-in-ten-steps/

http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/five_myths_about_achieving_success_as_a_songwriter

https://musicclout.com/contents/article-124-10-tips-for-better-lyric-writing.aspx

http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/guitars/24-lyric-writing-tips-131050

http://www.songwritingfever.com/songwritingtips/getstarted.html

http://studiopros.com/writing-a-great-chorus/

http://laurence-lyriclines.blogspot.com/2010/01/difference-between-chorus-and-refrain.html

http://www.ultimatesongwriting.com/song-writing.html

http://nicholastozier.com/writing-lyrics/

http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/guitars/24-lyric-writing-tips-131050

http://www.secretsofsongwriting.com/2012/06/13/step-by-step-songwriting-starting-a-song-with-lyrics/

https://www.taxi.com/music-business-faq/songwriting/lyrics/songwritingthelyricstructure.php

http://mysongcoach.com/what-is-song-structure/

http://www.howmusicworks.org/910/Writing-Songs/Song-Structure

http://www.howmusicworks.org/909/Writing-Songs/Writing-Lyrics

http://www.world-of-songwriting.com/how-to-write-song-lyrics.htmlhttp://nicholastozier.com/writing-lyrics/

http://www.secretsofsongwriting.com/2009/09/08/how-to-write-an-anthem/

http://www.ehow.com/how_7484401_create-anthem.html

http://irenejackson.com/songblog/five-secrets-to-a-great-chorus/

https://www.taxi.com/transmitter/0901/write-songs-between-lines.html

http://nicholastozier.com/writing-chorus/

https://www.dittomusic.com/blog/how-to-write-a-song-10-tips-on-how-to-boost-your-creative-side-when-writing-songs

http://www.haydockmusic.com/composing_tips/verse_chorus_song_structures.html

http://tealcheese.com/2016/05/13/6-song-structures-in-popular-music-including-seminar-with-ralph-murphy/

https://mysongcoach.com/rhyming-in-contemporary-songs/

http://americansongwriter.com/2017/10/tell-story-song/

http://irenejackson.com/songblog/songwriting-as-storytelling/

Wow!!! I will admit I'm totally overwhelmed by all this information :) I have read three of the links you have provided and they only prove what I've suspected for a very long time....I suck at songwriting haha!!

I'll plod on and read the rest of them in the next few days but, I think I'll be sticking with poetry writing.

It must have taken a while to gather all this info so thanks for your time.

When I think of something I want to research or learn about or just find some good, interesting, and helpful information while browsing. I would post (re-post) on my facebook page for the people I know who play an instrument and/or study music, and also post it in a songwriting / song lyric group I'm a part of and decided just to create a page/note where I'd post all the links I've collected and what I've learned and observed about the craft through listening to music and writing lyrics myself (as I do with poetry). If you have lyrical skill and an ability with words, it's just a matter of developing and applying said skills and abilities to create the best poem or song you can.

Robert
Please submit this post to the articles section

Just where do you submit articles now?

Argh!
One more thing Janis did not finish.