So you're contemplating writing songs or you've fiddled around with it a little. Maybe you've even written a handful, but you're wondering if you're going about it the "correct" way or if there is something you're missing. It is hard to figure out where to start or how far to back up.

The purpose of this article is to introduce you to what is involved in songwriting. I don't discuss techniques nor do I offer much advice. There are certainly more elements involved in songwriting than what I address here, but this will get you going. Hopefully you'll know which books to buy or what questions to ask after you read this article.

Before you put pen to paper, there are a few elements of songwriting you need to understand. Almost a cliché in itself, you need to understand the rules before you can break them. Some of the most important elements are: form, function, metre, rhyme type, point of view (first person, etc.) and flow.

FORM

There are two commonly used forms and and a third I will discuss, but there are many others I will not address. Some songwriters will let the form of their song take shape by itself and some will decide which form to use before they begin writing. Which is best for you will develop over time.

The most commonly used form is

A - B - A - B
or
verse - chorus - verse - chorus.

There are variances to this form, but the basic form is still there. One variance of this form is:

A - B - A - B - C - B
or
verse - chorus - verse - chorus - bridge - chorus.

The other commonly used form is:

A - A - B - A
or
verse - verse - bridge - verse.

Another less common form is:

A - B - A - C
or
verse - chorus - verse - verse.

It's easy to see the difference in these forms, but writing in these different forms is another matter. I can't advise you when to use which form because, as far as I know, there is no rule, but I can suggest to you that you should make a conscious effort to practice writing songs in all of these forms. It will give you a sense of just how they differ and how they affect the lines of your song.

FUNCTION

I've referred to verse, chorus and bridge. You should already know the definition of a verse and a chorus, but the term bridge may be new or abstract to you.

A bridge is a lyrical and/or a musical change in a song. The change is often dramatic. There are other parts to a song, but that's for another day.

Beginning songwriters sometimes lose sight of the function of verses, choruses and bridges.

A verse tells the story and a chorus doesn't.

You shouldn't introduce new ideas or elements of the story in the chorus. Verses should be tightly packed with ideas, emotions, etc. and the chorus should tie them up. A bridge can be used for many things such as emphasizing the chorus, introducing a twist, transitioning to the next phase of the story or changing the pace of the song to keep the audience's attention. There are other functions of a bridge, but this should give you an idea of how to use them.

RHYME TYPE

There are many different types of rhymes and not all books discuss all types. I will touch on those of which I am aware.

You've heard of perfect and near rhymes. A perfect rhyme is the rhyming of a words' last syllable. Don't be mislead by the word "perfect". I does not mean that it is the proper way to rhyme words. It merely means that ending vowel and consonant of rhyming words sound the same. A near rhyme is a general term to describe rhymes which are not perfect and fall into the category of assonance and consonance rhymes. A near rhyme may also not be one of these two but still sound similar after the vowel.

Alliteration, assonance and consonance rhymes can be found described in many books, but there are a few other rhymes types that I have found that I can not find anywhere else. Pat Pattison, author of Writing Better Lyrics (link to Amazon.com), talks about three other rhymes types: family, additive and subtractive rhymes. These rhymes types are the closest thing to a perfect rhyme without actually being a perfect rhyme. They can't be described as assonance rhymes because, even though the actual letters may different before and after the vowel, the consonants sound the same.

When should you use which rhyme? That is up to you. You should read songs written by the Pro's and find which rhyme types are more popular to that specific genre. If I were to just tell you that one particular rhyme type was used for a particular genre, it would be wrong. In general, Country music tends to lean towards more perfect rhymes (family, additive and subtractive) whereas Rock, Pop and Alternative tend use assonance more freely. Cowpie is a great site to search for the lyrics of a particular song. Learn how the Pro's do it by reading their songs.

Definitions and examples:
(However expert they may or may not be!)

I have used extremes to illustrate my point. You may choose to use rhymes which are more loose or tight.

Definition: Alliteration is the repetition of consonants at the beginning of words.

A tree toppled over towards the tower.

Definition: Perfect rhymes rhyme the last syllable of a word.

I thought of times we rolled in the grass
Then my tears fell lazily into the glass

Near rhymes rhyme the sound after the vowel and consist of all of the following rhyme types.

Definition: Assonance is the repetition of a specific vowel sound but not the consonants after them.

Deep in her heart she knew she was his
but the line he was walkin' was pretty thin.

also

Maybe it's all for the better
That's what I'm startin' to think
and as I board this vessel
I won't look back at him.

Definition: A consonance rhyme is the repetition of specific consonant sounds but not the vowel sounds before them.

I could hear the music of the bell
that hung at church behind the jail.

Definition: When consonants' phonetic sounds after the vowel are the same, you have a family rhyme.

My heart was falling prey to her ever winding web
I was wrapped up more with each and every step

Definition: An additive rhyme occurs when you add an extra consonant after the vowel.

My heart went deaf
the day she left

Definition: A subtractive rhyme occurs when you subtract a consonant after the vowel.

The day she left
my heart went deaf

Now back to this assonance rhyme thing. Assonance rhymes are the furthest thing from a perfect rhyme and although they can be used in any genre of music, they are more commonly found in Alternative and Rock songs than they are found in Country or Ballads for example.

Take note that you can have hard and soft sounding syllables after the vowel. If you where to use one word with a hard sound after the vowel and use a soft sound after the second word, you would have a difficult time selling this idea to anyone. So if you ever get into a situation where you are using the assonance rhyme, keep this in mind.

POINT OF VIEW

There are a number of aspects you need to take into consideration with respect to point of view. Your chorus needs to be in first person: I, me, we, us. Your verses can be written in first, second or third person, but the chorus should most always be written in first person.

First person: "I can still fell your eyelashes flicker on my face".

Second person: "You ripped my heart from the claws of love".

Third person: "She was sitting on the road side with nothin' but her blue boots on."

There is an exception to every rule and there are certainly songs on the radio in which the chorus is second or even third person, but they are written by seasoned professionals.

You also need to check your song after you've written it to determine if the lines would convey the message more accurately or effectively from another point of view. You can often confuse the audience by not accurately addressing characters in your story.

FLOW

Your song should have a definable beginning, middle and end: Soul mates meet, soul mates fall in love, soul mates find out they're not soul mates. This can be a very difficult objective to attain when you are letting your creative juices flow. Sometimes you will get so caught up with thinking of creative words and killer lines that you lose sight of the story. There are techniques and methods which help you address this problem such as brainstorming and outlining, but I won't get into to those. Just be warned that when you finish a song and you can not define a beginning, middle and end, you'll have find a book about technique.

Here are a few books from our Book Store that will help you as as beginning songwriter:

Beginning Songwriter's Answer Book

Writing Better Lyrics

The Craft of Lyric Writing

Successful Lyric Writing : A Step-By-Step Course and Workbook