Taking time to dissect and analyze current hit songs is a great way to develop a better understanding of how these songs work and why they are so successful. You can then apply this knowledge to your own songs.
It will help you to sharpen your own songwriting instincts, and your songs will get better much faster as a result.
The first step in analyzing a current hit song is to identify each different melodic segment within the song. The simplest way to do this is to create a simple flow- chart on a piece of paper. Draw a separate box for each different section of melody that you hear. This will break the song down into a sequence of boxes in your chart and, in this way, show you how the song is constructed.
Taking the common Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus format, Box 1 is likely to be the first verse (so label it ‘1st Verse’). Box 2 will be the ‘1st Chorus’. Box 3 will be the ‘2nd Verse’, followed by the ‘2nd Chorus’ in Box 4. There may be a completely different melody in a third segment (so label Box 5 as ‘Bridge’). The song may then return to another verse and chorus, or go straight into the chorus repeats at the end of the song.
Some songs may also feature a different melody in a short segment between the end of the verse and the beginning of the chorus (put this section into its own box titled ‘1st Pre-chorus’, ‘2nd Pre-chorus’, etc.). Other songs may even start with the chorus.
Once you have your ‘map’ of the song, you can break it down even further. Count the bars in each separate segment and enter the number in the appropriate box. A verse section usually has eight bars or maybe 16, while a chorus typically comprises eight bars. Also time the length of each section in minutes or seconds and put this figure in the box.
Next, work out the chords for each section of the song by ear, and analyze other aspects— such as rhyming patterns and melodic shapes—to determine how and why these elements work so well.
In addition to showing you the predictable elements of basic song forms, this exercise will also highlight how occasional variations—such as extra bars or an unexpected chord change—can surprise listeners and make the song more memorable.
As well as dissecting other writers’ songs as part of your learning process, it is also important to spend time each week analyzing your own songs in this way. By map- ping out current hit songs, you will be able to compare them with the structure, timings, chord progressions and rhyming patterns of your own latest songs. This should help you to ensure that you have the right components in the right order—and in the right place.
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