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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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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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.
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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
Insta-pop A great-sounding song written at a speed that would impress even Mr. Redenbacher
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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
Random Song Fresh, home-grown song ingredients that taste great in any combination
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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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”
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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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
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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
WRITING MELODIES
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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
Lyrics The most personal part of any song. No rules here, just suggestions.
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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
FILL-IN-THE-BLANKS LYRICS (NOT COMPLETE LISTS)
Singer: ______________________________
Self | character | narrator
Singer is addressing: ______________________________
Self | character | audience
Main character: ______________________________
Self | family | friend | stranger | place | object | idea Tense: ______________________________
Past | present | future
Emotion: ______________________________
Affection | Anger | Anticipation | Disgust | Fear | Indignation | Jealousy | Joy | Love | Pity | Reflection | Sadness | Shame | Surprise
Trigger: ______________________________
Acquiring | losing | questioning | reminiscing and/or life event
Perspective: ______________________________
What happened | How I saw it | How I felt | How I hope it will be | How I fear it will be
Problem/context/details: _______________________________________________
Resolution: ______________________________
Positive | negative | undetermined | mixed
Title: ________________________________________________
First line: ___________________________________________________________
Last line: ___________________________________________________________
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SONG WRITING WORKSHEET
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
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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.