“I like the rules of songwriting. They’re the same for me as they were for George Gershwin or Cole Porter”
—Sting
Developing a successful song structure is an essential part of writing hit songs. It is the key to being able to communicate your songs effectively to listeners. Yet many new writers are often not consciously aware that songs have a structure at all. It is important to understand that hit songs need a well-defined framework that will enable the song’s basic components (verses, choruses, bridges and pre-choruses) to work together to hold the listener’s interest.
There are also specific conventions that are consistently found in the chord pro- gressions, melodies, lyrics, rhymes and construction of all hit songs. Regardless of the genre of music involved, these common elements help to keep fans of that genre interested.
This is because, over the years, listeners have subconsciously come to expect to hear certain elements in songs.
Skilled use of these components is what gives your song shape, keeps the momentum going, and is central to making the song memorable.
Although there have been many changes in genres, sub-genres and ‘sounds’ over the years, the basic structure of pop songs has evolved only slightly since the late 1950’s. As a result, if your song doesn’t have a familiar structure (or if any key ingredients are not used well in the crafting of the song), it won’t feel right to listeners … and they’ll quickly lose interest.
In other words, listeners like it when song form is clear, predictable and easy to fol- low.
Some new writers tend to create their song structure by ‘feel’ as they write each song. But this often causes the song to lack the impact (and commercial appeal) that it might have had if it had been written within a familiar framework.
It is worth spending time dissecting some of today’s biggest hits. Once you under- stand the key elements of their song structure—and you get to know what the different components do, and why—you’ll be able to challenge yourself to take them a step further … and start to follow your own voice in your songs.
# # # #