This may sound like common sense, but it’s a good idea to write songs that fit your singer’s vocal range. After all, you don’t want them to blow out their vocal cords trying to reach way further than they should.
If you’re struggling with this concept, consider how choosing a song that suits your vocal range will put the singer into a position to win.
Don’t paint yourself into a corner with your songs. You don’t need to anticipate every turn your composition will take, but avoid taking it to a dead end if you find your song headed in the wrong direction. This has a habit of killing your momentum.
You could always try using try the method of mapping your songs out. While some musicians might find that this kills their creativity, others might find it to be a highly helpful technique.
By including a middle eight section in your songs, you’ll be shaking up the typical structure in a few significant ways. Most prominently, you’ll be breaking up the conventional structure of verse-chorus or verse/bridge/chorus by shifting the narrative and progression.
If you’d like to see a few shining examples of this song structure in action, check out this 8 Magnificent Middle Eights post. It includes songs by Cee-Lo, Springsteen, the Pet Shop Boys, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, David Bowie, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Michael Jackson.
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Vocal training starts with the practicing the correct postures and breathing methods that assist in controlling breath & modulating sound from your vocal chords. By breathing deeply and slowly, you’ll be able to improve your lung capacity and control your air flow.
In your breathing routine, you should concentrate on fully inhaling so you can expand your diaphragm correctly. The more you practice diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing, your singing abilities will be enhanced.
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Focus particularly on the opening lines of your song. They are, by far, your best chance for pulling your listener into the song and creating an immediate engagement with them.
A powerful opening line will set the story for your listener, and it will establish the who, what, and were of your song. It will possibly also provide insight into the why of the song as well. But it all begins with opening lines that get your listeners started on their journey.
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Learning to unlearn what you know about writing songs can be crucial to doing something unique. Don’t allow tired paradigms to constrain your creativity or to dilute your voice.
This isn’t to undermine the importance of music theory and ear training to professional musicians. However, these things should be considered guidelines and not shackles for what you do musically.
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From the very first lines to the very last note, your song should be designed to take your audience on a journey. It might be a catalyst for exploring emotions, or it could just inspire people to dance.
However, if your song is just meandering from one idea to the next, if its momentum disappears, or if it just suffers from a general lack of focus — these things can all be frustrating for fans. Check out this article on creating forward momentum in your melody if you’re looking for some techniques to help.
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Sticking with the original progression is sometimes the best option for verses or choruses. This can be because these patterns have already been established, which helps to make them catchy for your listener.
There are plenty of strong ways to write catchy songs, of course. However, these tips can prime your songs to become persistent in your listeners’ subconscious minds.
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Put down your instrument occasionally to depart from the familiar structures that usually shape your songs. Not only will this give you a little distance from your normal songwriting routine, but it will allow you to create a new paradigm for your writing process.
This is a similar concept to what more conventional narrative writers call psychic distance. It allows you to create some distance between yourself and the song, so you can see it from a different perspective.
