Perspective isn't a common songwriting topic. Most songwriting conversations revolve around Point of View (POV), but...
Lyrics
Texture In A Song: What Is It?
Texture is what helps tie your lyrics to an emotional connection for the listener. Texture is the particulars that...
Songs Using Allusion: Joel To Swift
While it's one thing to know what an allusion is, applying it to your songwriting is easier to grasp if you can study...
Song Prompt: Song Plot Roulette
Get Started With Song Plot Roulette I thought we'd use some lists I've compiled from several places and...
Even Dialogue Songs Need A Scene
Dialogue songs are songs that are really nothing more than direct address. Basically, a dialogue occurs whether the...
Personification In Songs
What is personification? Personification is the endowment of inanimate objects or abstract concepts with animate or...
When Is Third Person Best?
There are certain situations that immediately point to a specific point of view to be used for your song. While you...
Similes As Song Ideas
Similes are great songwriting devices in lyrics. But, they have dangers that are amplified when you use them as a...
What’s A Pre-Chorus?
Is the pre-chorus the same as a lift, a channel, a ramp, a climb, a refrain? Yes, yes, yes, yes - no. While you've...
What’s A Song Bridge For?
How is a bridge different from a verse or a chorus? Do you even need one in your song? Understanding all of the...
What’s A Song Chorus For?
How is a chorus different from a bridge or a verse? Understanding all of the different song parts, or song...
What’s A Song Verse For?
Song parts, or song elements, are tricky. Everyone will tell you the definition of a verse, but what does that really...
Pop Song Lyrics
The below is taken from a chat board that is long since gone, and was part of a much larger post string. I've...
Point Of View: What Is It?
Pat Pattison has a great exercise for point of view - try them all. But, to do that, you have to know what they are!...
How Melody And Lyrics Work Together
Melody and lyrics play a key part in: (1) differentiating your song, (2) communicating your message, and (3) creating...
Another Verb Power Exercise
Susan Cattaneo gives a lot of the same tips as Pat Pattison on choosing strong verbs (she's also at Berklee), but has...
“We” or “They”? Songwriter or Hater?
Point Of View Can Kill A Song Choose the wrong one and your song can come off as sounding judgmental, or worse,...
Adding Details In Lyrics Isn’t Just Brands
Details In Lyrics Should Add - Not Just Be Often, when asked to put more detail in lyrics, the version that comes back...