Jay-Radio

https://linktr.ee/songwritingready Cool! You made it.  Once you get your story straight and simplified, you can plug it into a form that works for your song.  Form is short for formula.  It’s the way a song is structured and organized.

The form consists of a few elements:

- The Verse - The verse is where we put the things we’ve learned.  We use the verses to capture our idea, tell the story, and direct the listener through the other elements of the song.

- The Chorus -The chorus is the part you hook with.  It’s where the lyrics and verses lead the listener to and payoff with a hopefully catchy, melodic, groovy hook.  It’s the part of the song your listener will know even if they don’t know the words in the verses.

- The Pre-Hook - The pre hook comes before the chorus.  This element sets up the song for the big payoff.  The goal is to build tension that is released at the chorus

- The Bridge - The bridge is a break in the song usually towards the end.  The bridge musically can lift up or twist the song.  Lyrically it can be the place where the twist or change happens in the song.  Either way, it’s a break from the rest of the song.  It’s a great place to show your imagination and creativity in a tune. 

Let’s look at a few song forms.

Basic Song Forms

AAA - The AAA song form is a classic form used for many folk and country songs.  This form has the title or hook in the first and last line.  You can use this form to shorten a story song by compressing and blending the lines and title.  These songs are usually 3-5 verses long.  Think of “Walk the Line.” By Johnny Cash

AABA - This is a classic song form used mostly by songwriters.  It’s used in all styles of music, especially country.  The title/hook is usually in the first or last line. Think of “Yesterday” by The Beatles or “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel. 

VERSE/CHORUS  - Verse chorus form is recognized by chorus repetition and two or more verses to complete the story.  These songs can be structured as follows;

- A - Verse

- B -  Chorus

- A -  Verse

- B -  Chorus

- A - Verse

- B - Chorus

- A - Verse

- B - Chorus

- A - Verse

- B - Chorus

- C - Bridge

- B - Chorus

- A - Chorus

- B - Verse

- A - Chorus

- B - Verse

- A - Chorus

A few thoughts on choosing song form. 

- Song forms depend on the amount of lyric needed to complete the song

- Song forms depend on the song tempo.  Ballads use less form uptempo numbers need room for the pre hook and bridge or lift.

- Set the tempo and number of lines in your song and lock into a form.  Songwriting Tips.  A few things to consider before writing a song. 

Grab my new Songwriting Blueprint to guide your song idea from start to finish.

Know Your Audience - Know who you are writing for.  The audience determines the type of lyrics you write, diction, and the style of music you choose

Set the scene - Where is the song taking place? 

Male or Female - Choose the gender.  Think about whether a male or female is expressing the emotion. 

Become the character - Can you become the character and still speak from truth?  Can you portray your emotion or experience in the different gender?

What’s the form? - Which of the song forms will you choose and why? 

What’s the perspective? - Is the song written from I, You, He, She, or They? 

What’s the voice? - Is the character thinking or talking?  Can be alone, or with someone else, or thinking or talking about someone else. 

What’s the time frame? - Is the song written in past, present, or future. 

What’s the tone? - What is the emotional attitude conveyed in the song?  Pick the tone and keep It consistent throughout the story. 

What’s the diction?  - Is your character urban, country, foreign, or classy.  This determines the tone and language you use. 

These are a few items you can check of when writing the first draft of your song. 

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Make sure to join our FB group and grab your FREE Songwriting Blueprint: https://linktr.ee/songwritingready Perfect Rhymes - rhymes in which different consonants are followed by identical vowel and consonant sounds, such as in moon and June. The stressed sound that ends the line is identical. 

Imperfect Rhymes - a rhyme in which there is only a partial matching of sounds (e.g., love and move ).  I have heard these described as hard rhymes.  They are perfectly acceptable and can really change the course of you song

One Rhymes (masculine) - a rhyme of final stressed syllables (e.g., blow / flow, confess / redress ).  This is where a single syllable rhymes or the last syllable in a multi syllable word is rhymed. 

Two Rhymes (feminine) - a rhyme between stressed syllables followed by one or more unstressed syllables (e.g., stocking / shocking, glamorous / amorous .).  These are two syllable rhymes with the emphasis on the first.  The vowels and inner consonants must match. 

Three Rhymes - These are where the last three syllables rhyme and the preceding consonants differ (e.g., medium/tedium, facilitate, rehabilitate.).

Open Rhymes - Open rhymes do not end on hard consonants.  Try to use these them on notes that are to be sustained (e.g., glow/snow, fly/try.).

Closed Rhymes - These are rhymes that end in a consonant.  You can use phonetics to correct the sounds of closed rhymes when singing into a microphone.  You can pronounce b’s with v’s etc...

Closed rhymes make us close our mouths when singing and can be touch to pronounce when singing. 

Inside Rhymes - Inside rhymes are internal and occur within the line (e.g., that takes the cake for goodness sake.). 

Rhyme Rules

- make rhymes consistent

- use the same rhyme pattern in all verses

- use the same rhyme pattern for your verse and chorus

- use a different rhyme scheme for your bridge

Types of Rhyme schemes

The ABAB - The abab scheme rhymes the first and third lines & the second and fourth lines of a verse)

A - shaking

B - hands

A - baking

B - pans

The AABB - The aabb rhymes the first and second lines & the third and fourth lines

A - tuck

A -buck

B -save

B- rave

The AAAA - The aaaa rhymes all four lines. 

A - poor

A - chore

A - more

A - floor

The ABCB - The abcb rhymes the second and the fourth line

A - best

B - choice

C -  gets

B - moist

The ABAA - Rhymes the first, third, and fourth lines

A- fat

B - blue

A - cat

A - hat

The AAB - Rhymes first and second lines

A - pine

A - fine

B -fly

Final thoughts on rhyme

- Keep it simple - Focus on one idea throughout the song.

- Keep it clear - Use specific pronouns that tell who is doing the talking (e.g., him, her, they, them it.). 

- Keep it tight - Make every word count.  Eliminate empty adjectives adverbs that aren’t necessary.

- Keep it focused- Use short strong one syllable words.  Put the important words at the end of the line. Rhyme the words you want to stress.

- Keep it consistent - Keep the language and tone the same throughout the song.  Keep your themes consistently literal or consistently figurative. 

- Keep it coherent - Make sure every cause or reaction has an effect.  Maintain logical chronology from line to line.

- Keep it specific - Go into detail about your subjects and try to show an emotion rather than tell it.

- Keep it unified - let the elements of time, place, and action blend together into a unified piece. 

- Keep it real - nothing beats the real thing.  Make sure your putting yourself into your songs.  The craft is just a guideline not a substitute for the real thing.

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Download my Free songwriting blueprint here: https://linktr.ee/songwritingready. 10 Tips for writing song plots. Song Plot Development

You have four main choices for writing your song plot. 

1. Perspective - What point of view are you using?  First (I/We) Second(You) Third (He/she/they)

2. Voice - Are you using an Internal Voice (thinking) or External Voice (Talking or Action)

3. Place in time - is it Past, Present, Future, or Now

4. The Setting - here and now, a certain place, changing scenes, planes, trains, automobiles

Try to build your story keeping the characters and plot development in mind. 

10 types of plot development you can use in your song

1. Conversation - uses a conversation to express the lyrical content.  Could be a duet or a conversation within a song.  Think “Picture by Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow.”

2. Sequence of events - The details of the song happen in sequential order.  Think of someone growing older or a house weathering in a field.  Think of  how you would describe a sequence of events.

3. A Question - The question is presented in the first verse and isn’t answered until the end.  Think of pondering a pressing matter and ask questions in the verses until it is answered in the end. 

4. Scenes - Think of each verse being a vignette paining a series of scenes throughout the song.

5. Puns - Can you make a song out of a pun without using a cliche? 

6. Conflict - Conflict is a great thing to write about.  Who is it with?  Where is it happening?  Why?  See if you can use the methods I’ve given you to write a song about conflict

7. The Twist - The song gives you a plot twist in the in with the spine or characters.  These fit well with a specific song form that we will explore in the next section. 

8. Imagery - Use creative imagery to create ideas, titles, and verses.  Use similes and metaphors to create fresh words.

9. Foreshadowing - Leads up to a plot twist or character twist before it happens

10. Tension - creates tension by creating contrast with a desired reality with what actually is

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Download my FREE songwriting blueprint and connect online: https://linktr.ee/songwritingready Show notes - A 3 act song structure consists of

1. The Setup

2. Development

3. Resolution

What is The Set-Up?

The setup gives us the information we need to get our song started.  The purpose of the set-up is to create the spine or direction or our story.  This is where we build our story line.  The set - up paints a picture for the listener.  We need to begin with an image, feeling, or sense of what’s going on.  The goal is to try to paint with words and create a mood for the listener. 

3 Types of Song Plots

Situational - A series of events adds up over time to move us through the story.  Think of “Don’t take the Girl.” 

Story (action) Songs - Story songs have a beginning, middle, and end.  Think of “Coward of the County.”

Emotional - Emotional songs focus on a single emotion or mood - Think of the country song “Amazed.”

Character Development

Who are the characters in your song?  It’s it you?  Is it a fictional character, a lover or friend?  Characters have a lot of influence in your song.  There’s something the characters in your story are after.  This character aspect gives direction to your song.  Let’s look at the character development in you songs

Motivation — Motivation pushes your character ahead in the song.  A physical action, emotion, or conversation might be motivation for the character.  Some ways a motivation might show up to create action would be a memory or flashback, an escape, or a breakup.  The motivation needs to be clear and thought out to give your song the right push. 

The Goal - Depending on the motivation you choose, the character begins to look for a goal.  Is it returning to a lover?  Is it going back home?  What does your character want?  The goal ties the character to the spine of the story.  The story is resolved by the character going after the goal and achieving it. 

Let’s look at how our goal can resolve.

What’s at stake in the story?  What is lost if the main character doesn’t get to the goal?

What’s in the way of the character achieving the goal?

Is the goal set up in such a way that it creates courage, resourcefulness, or determination within the character

Think of “The Cape” by Guy Clark

Action - How does the character achieve the goal?  How to you create strength and stability within your characters?  Your characters have to face adversity and vulnerability so they can build credibility with your listener.  The more your character has to struggle, the stronger the actions.  The more difficult the actions, the stronger the character. 

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Download my FREE songwriting blueprint here: https://linktr.ee/songwritingready Songwriting Tips - Learn 7 storytelling techniques that you can use to create unique song ideas. 

Grab my new Songwriting Blueprint to guide your song idea from start to finish.

The Vignette - A vignette is a mini story.  You can use the this storytelling method in your song to describe a specific event or scene.  The vignette is a descriptive narrative that focuses on the details occurring in one particular moment.  This detailed illustration gives an impression of an idea, character, setting, mood, or object.  How would you describe every intimate detail of someone in their last waking hours?  What would you write about watching a sunset.  What about a bride about to recite her wedding vows?  The idea is to use a camera lens approach and zoom in on all the details to create the vignette. 

Crucibles - A crucible story is defined as a severe test, trial, or extremely challenging experience.  These stories consist of profound personal truths that are broad enough for most listeners to relate to.  Think of how you would illustrate pain and loss in your song.  What would you write in a song about defeat, adversity, illness, or disaster?  Crucibles deal with life or death matters.  These songs might include themes of  hardship, danger, challenge and survival.  Write these songs with music and leave room for silence.  Crucibles have the power to creative emotion and vulnerability for your listener. 

Imbroglio Stories - The imbroglio illustrates an extremely painful or confusing embarrassment or misunderstanding.  You might have to get creative with this one.  How would you write an embarrassing situation into a song?  One example might be Escape, the pina colada song by Rupert Holmes. 

The Minerva Story - These stories are derived from actual events like the legend of John Henry or Delia’s Gone by Johnny Cash.  The Minerva story draws upon wisdom. Think about how you would write about traditional American folk stories or historical cultural event that you know about. 

Credibility Stories - Credibility stories are stories that didn’t happen to you.  How would you write about an international event like the explosion in Beirut or the Syrian refuge crisis?  The credibility story is where you get passionate about real events.  These songs might speak on politics, pollution, global warming, world health crisis etc.  There’s so much going on in the world today that a credibility story in a song might shed some light on a true passion that you might care a lot about. 

Pattern Stories - The first song that comes to mind as a pattern story is “Love me,” recorded by Colin Haye.  A pattern story covers a period of time.  The events in a pattern story can change over days, months, or years.  The circumstances change from scene to scene over time but are written with the use of a repetitive pattern.  These types of stories are great for songs describing children growing up or lover’s growing old.  Can you think of a pattern you would like to write about? 

Instructional Stories - Turning an instructional story into a song requires a little bit of thought?  How would you write a series of steps or sequence of events into a song?  Brian McKnight did it with “Back at One.”  What about “Step by Step” by NKOTB.  Gotcha didn’t I?  There’s definitely something to work with here.  Use your imagination. 

Ok!  so we’ve written some themes and some story styles to work with.  Next we’ll get into rhyme schemes and song form. 

Download the FREE Storytelling techniques guide so you can follow along with us. 

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode we discuss 5 themes you can use to create awesome song hooks & titles. My new Songwriting 101 Course is Live! Download the FREE Songwriting Blueprint here: https://linktr.ee/songwritingready

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In episode #4 we give you songwriting tips on creative ideas you can use to write songs. Download my FREE songwriting blueprint here: https://linktr.ee/songwritingready

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode Jay talks about how the hard knocks life informs his songwriting. Hear about some great songwriters out there that you should know about.

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode we discuss how doing the work, managing your time, and staying focused on one thing at a time can take you to new creative heights. Check out my songwriting workshops: https://linktr.ee/songwritingready

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode we talk about creativity and discuss the teachable elements of songwriting. Download my FREE songwriting blueprint here: https://linktr.ee/songwritingready Creativity as a tool for songwriting. You have it! We can teach you the tools to write songs!

Let’s talk about creativity.  What is it?  Do you have it?  Keep your mind open for a bit.  Creativity is something that you choose.  Creativity is more like a decision or intention.  You have it in you.  The question is, will you give yourself permission to be creative?  Let’s look at your why.  Why are you here?  Are you curious?  Are you healing?  Are you processing a serious event in your life?  What are your habits like?  Do you require more structure and discipline with your creative time?  Is this a spiritual process for you?  The reasons for exploring creativity are many.  Simply put, it’s a desire or calling that you have a craving to answer.  You can’t put your finger on it but you know there’s more of you inside screaming to get out.  I get it.  I’ve been through a healing phase that sparked my creativity in my early twenties.  I had open heart surgery and came face to face with my mortality.  What followed was a creative awakening that led me to pursue visual arts and self help.  I recovered from alcohol abuse in my late thirties.  What followed then was a shift in medium and a desire to express myself through song and written word.  There are many many reasons to create.  Will you allow it?  Let’s look at some of the reasons you might be wanting to write a song.

Spirituality - Do you feel a calling to do greater work.  Are you expressing yourself spiritually?

Inner Child - Is there a part of you that grew up fast and never got to play.  Are you reconnecting with the playfulness of your past? 

Process - Is your creativity a matter of process?  Do you want to get better? 

Discipline and Surrender - Do you want to get lost in the process and surrender to the creative voice?

Anxiety - Are you using creativity to channel your anxiety and frustrations?

Creative blocks - Are you trying to remove resistance from your life?

Starting and Finishing - Do you have unfinished ideas and resistance to begin?

Performance anxiety - Are you afraid to get in front of people?

Problem Solving - Are you looking for an answer to a creative conundrum?

Personal Growth - Are you looking to awaken or grow?

Satisfaction - Are you looking for the reward of a finished work?

---

This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app