Song Synthesis Essay

Perhaps the most important part of the songwriting process is the beginning. How should a songwriter begin the creation of a song? Robin Frederick, a songwriter who has produced over 500 songs throughout her career, suggests that the best place to begin is with the title. The title acts as the guide to a song. It is the essence of the message that a songwriter wants to leave with their listeners. As Frederick describes it, “Think of your title as the peak of a pyramid. The rest of the song is made up of the building blocks that support it.”. Finding a title is of vital importance. It should be a short, attention grabbing, and easy to remember word or phrase. Inspiration for good titles are everywhere, in many forms. Attention-grabbing newspaper

A clear and strong song structure is vital as it acts as a path for the listeners, from beginning to end. The most common song structure goes as follows: VERSE / CHORUS / VERSE / CHORUS / BRIDGE / CHORUS. The verses of a song all have the same melodic aspects however they use different lyrics. This acts to provide information, emotional tones, or character in the song. The chorus is the “heart of a song”. The lyric and melody remain the same each time it recurs in a song. The bridge acts as a break from the repetition in the verses and chorus. It has completely different lyrics, melody, and chord progressions. In many songs it provides a revealing moment or an insight. The structure mentioned previously appeals to listeners as it provides just enough repetition to create a sense familiarity while maintaining variety as well

A co-writer can fill the gaps in a song that the original writer fails to do. If one writer is a skilled lyric writer but cannot write melodies well, then a co-writer could help finish the piece (Frederick).

There are some important things to work effectively as a co-writer. It’s important to say everything that comes to mind as a co-writer. Even if a “dumb” idea comes to mind, it should be said, as many ideas that at first seem incompetent can lead to some of the best ideas. Co-writing should also be a zone free of “no”. A co-writer should never say “no” to another writer's ideas, but rather work to adapt it, even if at first it seems like a bad one. With those two simple tips, co-writing can be used to great effect (Pattison).

The important thing to know about songwriting, whether someone is a hobbyist songwriter, or an amateur attempting to create a career, is that the key to writing music is passion. There is no right or wrong way to compose a song, and while some procedural tips from experts can dramatically improve a songwriter's ability, one will never truly be a great one until they find their own way. Songwriting is a delicate art that can lead to many things. Music is ingrained into our very essence and songwriting is the floor that it is built