song writing worksheet - learn piano live

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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET

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presents

Song Writing Worksheet Song writing so simple, a monkey could do it! (No offense, Mr. Beiber)

Interactive PDF: Click anywhere you see for further assistance

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PREVIEW (Click to jump to that page)

Help / Contact ................................................................................................................. 1

Getting ready to write ...................................................... 3

Song 1: “Insta-pop” .......................................................... 4

Song 2: “Random Song” (step-by-step) ......................... 6

THE BAND (CHORDS) Key .......................................................................... 9 Time ...................................................................... 10 Tempo .................................................................. 10 Feel ....................................................................... 10 Form/length ........................................................ 11 Form Examples ................................................... 12 Chords/substitution ............................................ 13 Tweaking/best practices .................................. 14 Bass movements ................................................ 15 THE SINGER (MELODY) Rhythms ............................................................... 18 Chord Tones ........................................................ 18 Connections ....................................................... 18 THE SINGER (WORDS) Lyrics ..................................................................... 21

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Preliminary notes:

make a decision and don’t be pretentious

Many beginning song writers get paralyzed by the decisions in writing a song, wanting to make the “right” or “good” or “popular” choices for notes and chords. Just make a decision. Experiment.

However, other beginners do the opposite, making outrageous decisions, striving to create the world’s best, most innovative, most creative song ever. But just as great novels are not written by creating new words, great songs are not created by creating new sounds. Don’t focus on writing a “great” song. Try really learning the rules before attempting to break them all in a fit of artistic genius.

• Before you begin, see how much can be done with just 4 chords

• You will accidentally write a song that already exists. Probably more than once. Don’t feel bad. Everyone else does that too.

• The more predictable the music is, the more comfortable the song will feel. This is the basis of “pop(ular)” music. Using common chords, common progressions and repetition helps increase predictability.

• The more unpredictable moves are, the more quickly the listeners get distracted and uninterested—imagine a novel of random words: only interesting for a short time.

• All music is about creating anticipation and then resolving it. The easiest way to create anticipation is to lead listeners down a predictable path so they feel they know what is coming next.

• Even after writing your songs, you may not be able to tell easily whether it’s a “good” song or not. The same exact song can sound totally different depending on how it is arranged (instrumentation, voicing, inflection) and produced (effects, volume levels). Even if you don’t like your song right away, keep practicing your song writing and maybe come back to that song later or get another musician to play it for you.

• Different sets of notes and chords will create predictable moods and responses from your audience. With enough practice you’ll eventually be able to create the moods you want by the way you construct your songs.

• There are many approaches to writing songs. Some start with the lyrics, others start with a melody, and others (like this worksheet) start with the chords.

http://www.learnpianolive.com/advice-lessons/165-writing-songs-with-just-4-chords.html

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Insta-pop A great-sounding song written at a speed that would impress even Mr. Redenbacher

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THE QUICKEST PATH TO A HIT (ALL SAFE MOVEMENTS, ANY TEMPO, ANY KEY)

1 2 3 4 5 *6

C D- E- F G A-

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Random Song Fresh, home-grown song ingredients that taste great in any combination

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PICK A KEY

C D E F G A B C

F# C#

D E G A B D

EH A

H B

H E

H

F G C D

DH E

H G

H A

H B

H D

H E

H

F C *C m

ajo

r

DH m

ajo

r

D m

ajo

r

EH m

ajo

r

F# G# C# D#

E A B E

BH

F G A C D E F

F#

G A B C D E G

GH A

H B

H D

H E

H G

H

B* F

E m

ajo

r

F m

ajo

r

GH m

ajo

r

G m

ajo

r

AH B

H D

H E

H A

H

C F G

C# F# G#

A B D E A

C# D# F# G# A#

B E B

BH E

H B

H

C D F G A AH m

ajo

r A

ma

jor

BH m

ajo

r B

ma

jor

*This “B” is technically a “C flat”

https://youtu.be/HgpjL25PZl0

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PICK A TIME SIGNATURE

PICK A TEMPO (bpm: “beats per minute”)

PICK A FEEL

6: 1 2 3 4 5 6

3: 1 2 3

*4: 1 2 3 4

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & *Straight

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Swung

https://youtu.be/6T3zcqMasBo

https://youtu.be/mPfw9JVxKpg

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PRACTICE DRUM TRACKS (98 MEASURES EACH)

4/4 Straight 4/4 Swung 3/4 6/8

60bpm

70bpm

80bpm

90bpm

100bpm

110bpm

120bpm

130bpm

140bpm

150bpm

160bpm

170bpm

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PICK A SECTION SIZE

Intro 2 4 8

Verse 4 8 12 16

Pre-chorus 2 4

Chorus 4 8 12 16

Interlude 4 8

Bridge 4 8

Outro 2 4

PICK SECTIONS

Intro—Some music that happens before the words begin. Verse—[required] The creation of anticipation; the problem; the setup; the question

Pre-chorus—Significantly different from the verse, but still just creating more anticipation

Chorus—[required] The resolution; the solution; the answer

Bridge—Something short and distinct from the verse or the chorus, often to break up a series of multiple back-to-back choruses. If you fast-forward about 65% through most pop songs you’ll land right on the bridge.

Interlude—Set of chords, often taken from elsewhere in the song, but with no words. Often used to cleanse the pallet before entering another verse, or to give the guitarist a section of the song to show off some soloing skills.

Ending (pick one below) Outro—Pick chords (often the same as the intro) to play after the last section

Fade—repeat some section of the song (usually the chorus) as you fade out

Cut—pick a final chord and play it immediately after the last section

PICK SECTION FORM (or steal one from the next page)

I V P C N V P C B/N C C O/F/X

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Artist Song Format

Garth Brooks Unanswered Prayers IVVCNVBCE

Garth Brooks Rodeo IVCNVCNVCF

Garth Brooks Friends In Low Places IVCNVCCCF

Katy Perry Roar IVCVCNCCE

Katy Perry Firework IVPCCVPCCBCE

Elvis Presley Can't Help Falling In Love AABA

Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock Blues

Elvis Presley Hound Dog Blues

Mariah Carey Always Be My Baby INVCNVCBCCCF

Mariah Carey Hero IVCVCBCO

Beatles Let It Be AAB

Beatles Here Comes The Sun IVCVCBBVC

Beatles Yesterday AABABA

Whitney Houston I Will Always Love You VCNVCNVCCO

Jeff Buckley Hallelujah AB (Binary)

Michael Jackson Billie Jean IVVPCVPCCNCF

Shawn Mendes Never Be Alone IVCNVCNNC

Adele Someone Like You IVPCVPCBCCO

POPULAR SONG FORMS:

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MAKE YOUR OWN KEY: TEMPO: STRAIGHT/SWUNG

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MAKE YOUR OWN...CONTINUED

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PICKING THE CHORDS

Chord Number *1 2 3 *4 *5 *6 7

Key of C C D- E- F G A- BØ

Key of DH D

H EH-

F- GH A

H B

H- CØ

Key of D D E- F#- G A B- C#Ø

Key of EH E

H F- G- A

H B

H C- DØ

Key of E E F#- G#- A B C#- D#Ø

Key of F F G- A- BH C D- EØ

Key of GH G

H A

H- B

H- C

H D

H E

H- FØ

Key of G G A- B- C D E- F#Ø

Key of AH A

H B

H- C- D

H E

H F- GØ

Key of A A B- C#- D E F#- G#Ø

Key of BH B

H C- D- E

H F G- AØ

Key of B B C#- D#- E F# G#- A#Ø

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ADD THE COMMON SUBSTITUTIONS ADD THE SPECIAL SUBSTITUTIONS

1 6 4 3

2 4

3 1 5 1/3

4 2 6

5 3

6 4 1 2

1 5m 1m

2 2M 4m

3 3M

4 2M 4m

5 5m

6 6M 2M

PLAY REPEATLY THEN ADJUST TO YOUR TASTE

STAYING SAFE:

Chords, in order of “safeness”: 1, 5, 4, 6, 2, 3, 7

Ending chords, in order of “safeness”: 1, 4, 6, 2, 5, 3, 7

Safest chord movements: 3’s —> 6’s —> 2’s —> 5’s —> 1’s —> 4’s

COMPELLING JUXTAPOSITIONING:

If you’re about to play a 1, first try a: 4/5 -or- 5 -or- 4 -or- 2

If you’re about to play a 4, first try a: 1 -or- 3 -or- 3M -or- 5 -or- 5m-to-1 -or- 1+

If you’re about to play a 5, first try a: 2 -or- 2M -or- 4 -or- 6

If you’re about to play a 6, first try a: 3 -or- 3M -or- 1-to-5/7

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

Start bridges and pre-choruses on less-used chords

Extend the ends of verses, choruses, or especially pre-choruses bridges

Simplify bass movements (see next page)

REPEAT AND TWEAK WITH BEST PRACTICES

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CHORD/BASS RELATIONSHIPS

STEP-WISE BASS MOVEMENTS

1 7 6 5 4 3 2 5

1 7 b7 6 b6 5 #4 4 3 2 1 5

1 2 3 4 5

Walk-ups and walk-downs

BASS NOTE ALTERNATIVE CHORD OPTIONS

1 4

#1 6M

2 5

b3 1m

3 1 6 6M

4 2 b7

#4 2M

5 1 3 4

b6 4m

6 4 2

b7 1 5m

7 5 3 1

R L

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Melody Very personal part of song writing. No hard rules, just best practices.

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MELODY:

Can’t use a melody you created before hearing the chords

Start with rhythm for each section

Singable range (Stay on the staff)

Verse lower / Chorus higher

Use chord tones on chord changes

Connect chord tones / mostly step-wise movements

1-5 for anticipation; 5-1 for resolution

TWEAK TO TASTE:

Melodic suspension on chord changes

Add more space

Repeat phrases

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WRITING MELODIES

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Lyrics The most personal part of any song. No rules here, just suggestions.

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THEORIZING

Be sincere and write what you know. Oscar Hammerstein: "Most bad writing is

the result of ignoring one's own

experiences and contriving spurious

emotions for spurious characters." All good story-telling and writing

techniques apply

All writing prompts can be lyric prompts Life is cliché, but try to say cliché things in

a non-cliché way or prove the cliché with experience

Everyone says: Get a notebook to collect ideas; read a lot

No substitute for practice

PREPARING

Make a list of the most compelling songs and search for the lyrics and analyze them from your new song writer's perspective. They probably weren't compelling for the same reasons you thought before. song-lyrics-generator.org.uk

Practice by fixing an existing song or write entirely new lyrics to an existing melody

Pin down the specific emotion family: Pick an emotion and then a sub emotion and maybe a sub-sub-emotion. If he cheated on you, you may be primarily angry, but also disgusted, and maybe surprised (or not...?) and deeper down a little envious that he has someone and

you're alone, and fearful for how it will affect the kids, and after all that, you're finally sad. But deeper than that, you're broken. Beyond that, demoralized. No real situation involves a single emotion.

What was the departing phrase in an emotionally charged conversation?

Universal specificities: What you feel and wonder if anyone else feels? Julianne Moore: "The audience doesn’t come to see you, they come to see themselves"

When you get a song topic, find other songs about the same topic to see how others approached it

Internalize your melody and start on the lyrics after a week of shower-singing your tune. The melody will often tell you the topic, the emotion and the story if you listen

WRITING

Labor on a great title. Then your first line (include title?). Then the last line.

Appeal to the senses Verses = Problems; Chorus = Solution Rhyming dictionaries, if you must Show, don't tell! Mallarme: "To name

is to destroy, to evoke is to create." Imply. Paint context instead of descriptions

More context: When? Where? How? Use triggers, symbols, icons - anything

can be an important omen Give each main character their own

perspective/emotion Write your first draft as quickly as possible

and then let it take as long as it needs to perfect. Book: A Broken Hallelujah

http://www.song-lyrics-generator.org.uk/

http://www.song-lyrics-generator.org.uk/

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REFINING

Each line counts. Go to any of your lines. Read just that one out loud. Does it make sense?

What's the weakest line in this song? Fix it. What's the weakest line in this song now?

Accented syllables on accented (higher and/or longer) notes

Vary the syllable count of the lines Each verse should move the story or

emotion forward instead of simply regurgitating the same ideas

Adverbs often mean you need a stronger verb, and adjectives might mean you need a stronger noun

Change the rhythm, the melody, the chords, the form to fit your lyric. Add/delete verses, bridges, etc. Your audience shouldn't be able to figure

out which part you wrote first: chords, melody or lyrics

After finishing the lyric, run it through this worksheet again..and again..until it's perfected or completely ruined.

Find a forum to share and test your song - open mic, subReddit, Facebook page, toastmasters

Be open to harsh criticism, but only take the advice you agree with. Don't equate acceptance with quality. Crap often sells and greatness often evades critical acclaim. Many authors like Herman Melville (Moby Dick) and Henry David Thoreau (Walden) were complete failures until even long after death.

song writing worksheet - learn piano live

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