A special occasion is coming up and you want to mark it. Maybe you’re walking down the street on a sunny day and it feels like you’ll burst if you can’t express how good you feel. How can you say it in the best possible way?
Sometimes words just aren’t enough to express how you feel Nothing can be more frustrating. When you need a way to connect, put it in a song. Find a place to be alone and let it out – don’t let anything distract you. We’ll use the verse-chorus structure. We are focusing on writing a happy song.
There are two components to a song:
1) Melody
2) Lyrics
1) The Melody – This is a living, breathing thing The air around you sings with melodies. You may think it is hard to come up with a good one but it isn’t, you only have to let yourself go for a few moments.
- Begin with a few notes that reflect how you feel. Don’t try to force a melody, release it. The first notes lead to more which wants to complete the phrase. Play with a few modifying variations.
– Record the best of what you can come up with. Use any device but always have one with you when you are working on your song, if you don’t, it will disappear like a mist in the wind.
– Don’t worry about how little you know of music composition. You don’t have to know anything but what you like. You’ve listened to the best music all your life, that’s one of the great things about modern life, the best of the best are heard world wide because of the media, so you know what good music is and you have it ingrained in your soul.
2) The Lyrics – A song’s structure is set by the lyrics. A verse-chorus structure is the best one for an upbeat song.That might be why it has been the most popular form for almost a hundred years.
– Start by getting the chorus down. The song’s main idea is expressed in it. Be sure to stay focused on that one idea that you want to express. It’s important to use active descriptive, colorful verbs and specific descriptions, following the line and rhythm of the melody.
- The first word or words of the chorus is the title of the song. The chorus is the most memorable part of the song, it is repeated after each verse.
- The verses elaborate on the chorus in words and music.The melodies of the verse and the chorus should compliment each otherin the same way that the words of the verses explain those of the chorus..
-There is a big difference between a lyric and a poem, even though they resemble each other. A lyric should be direct, clear and to the point. Whether it rhymes or not is up to you but it should follow the rhythm of the music.
- Try to make the words fit the music as closely as you can;as the music rises, the excitement of what is being said goes up too, you’ll find the chorus works better if it starts on a high note for this reason.
Study the Beatles song Oh Blah Dee, Oh Blah Dah. If you would like an example of a great verse-chorus song to study, listen to Oh Blah Dee, Oh Blah Dah. This is the story of Desmond and Molly. Nothing spectacular, who meet, and do all the things so many people do.
Twice “oh blah dee, oh blah daa, la la la la life goes on” makes up the chorus. That’s it; a simple song, great in its simplicity,an everyday story of life and love. Study the structure and how the verses compliment the chorus, elaborating a little on the story,progressing through time with each verse. Another feature of the verse – chorus is the progress through time type of narration which fits it best. Check how the verses compliment the chorus.
The chorus is as simple as can be and right to the point. You have a song just as good in you. Bring it out
