Songwriting Fundamentals

A song is an original musical creation intended to be played on the singer’s vocal instrument. This can be done in different and fixed pitched tones with varying patterns and silence. Songs consist of many forms, including those incorporating variation and the repeating of segments.

While writing a song, the artist must have a basic idea of what the song is supposed to sound like in different octaves. As the song progresses, lyrics and music are altered to build the melody or beat of the song. As well, new ways to express the same melody or beat are discovered which were not there before. Lyrics also form a major part of a song because they add a layer of meaning to the song which the audience can relate to, identify with, or understand on some level.

Verses are used to support or complement the chorus and main body of the song. Verses are usually repeated in both the chorus and the bridge of the song, and are played at a faster pace than the verses. The verses of a song provide the main theme or idea for the chorus, while the chorus provides a logical and organized way to tie up the song. In some cases, both verses and chorus are used in the song, but the verses are generally more prominent in a song than the chorus. Lyrically, the verses of a song are used to bring forward the main idea of the song and to give it emphasis, while the chorus is used to build up the song from the point where the verses begin and end.