SONGWRITING TIPS YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF

Your songwriting rhyme scheme helps the listener keep up with where they are in the song. You want to keep the rhyme scheme consistent across all of the verses and consistent across all of the choruses if the choruses change. Not doing so makes the listener feel unsettled. They will feel lost and no human being enjoys being lost, therefore, there is a little chance they will come back to your song to listen to it again, and that’s not what you want, right?
 
Your hook or title has to appear in one of the following places or you risk the listener not being able to tell what your title is, and this would happen perfectly when you repeat the song title (which is good to be same as your hook) in various places. There had been researches about it and as a result, the title is best to be placed at:
1. The last line of the verse.
​2. The first line of the chorus. 
​3. The last line of the chorus.
4. The third line of the chorus if it’s also the first line.

​If you only have the hook in one spot, it almost has to be the last line of the chorus. People are trained to look for the title in certain spots. You want them to be able to call in to a radio station and request your song, so make sure they know the title.

You can do half verses and half choruses. Sometimes, you need a double verse in the beginning to set the stage and establish the story. It’s ok to cut that in half the second time around. It’s probably preferable. The verses of songs are not what people remember. They want more choruses, not double verses everywhere. Give them what they want! On the other side of the fence, sometimes you might want a short chorus the first time around and a double chorus for each subsequent chorus. That “build” is interesting and keeps the listener tuned in.
 
Don’t bore us, get to the chorus. Nobody wants to hear 6 verses. I’ve never written a song with more than 4 and I don’t believe I have ever gotten a cut that had more than 3. People want to hear the chorus. Get them there as quick as you can. The best is to have only 2 verses and the rest t be pre-chorus and chorus, and some bridges occasionally.
 
Clear trumps clever. Don’t give in to the idea that your song can’t survive if it’s not clever. Songs that simply say what they mean to say work time and time again. Say what you mean to say. Then, make sure it’s interesting enough. First and foremost, you are a communicator. Communicating clearly is the goal.

Author

Hangi Tavakoli is our in-house established and professional music producer with more than 18 years of experience in songwriting, music production, mix and mastering. He has produced more than 3,000 and written more than 4,800 published songs to-date, including some major hits in international scale.