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How to Write a Song Chorus · How to Write a Song Chorus Chorus Writing Steps Decide what you want...
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How to Write a Song Chorus Welcome to Chorus Writing! You’ll learn a songwriting process you can use to write a song chorus, without any confusion or guesswork for you. This is the songwriting process I use myself and I’ve taught to other musicians who want to be songwriters, people just like you. It’s a complete process you can follow from “I don’t know what to write about” to “I wrote lyrics, melody and chords for a song chorus!” At each step, you’ll know what to do next, so you don’t have to work randomly and hope something happens by accident. This resource is an introduction to chorus writing, there is much more to learn about songwriting. That’s why I asked for your email address… so I can follow up with you and make sure you make it work for you. If a friend sent this PDF to you… thank them and then click this link so you can watch the tutorial video where I explain this songwriting process and get the follow up emails to help you complete your chorus and to guide you along the next steps on your songwriting journey. A free to share songwriting resource from: epicsongwriting.com
Transcript of How to Write a Song Chorus · How to Write a Song Chorus Chorus Writing Steps Decide what you want...
How to Write a Song Chorus
Welcome to Chorus Writing!You’ll learn a songwriting process you can use to write a song chorus, without any confusion or guesswork for you. This is the songwriting process I use myself and I’ve taught to other musicians who want to be songwriters, people just like you.
It’s a complete process you can follow from “I don’t know what to write about” to “I wrote lyrics, melody and chords for a song chorus!”
At each step, you’ll know what to do next, so you don’t have to work randomly and hopesomething happens by accident.
This resource is an introduction to chorus writing, there is much more to learn about songwriting. That’s why I asked for your email address… so I can follow up with you and make sure you make it work for you.
If a friend sent this PDF to you… thank them and then click this link so you can watch the tutorial video where I explain this songwriting process and get the follow up emails to help you complete your chorus and to guide you along the next steps on your songwriting journey.
A free to share songwriting resource from: epicsongwriting.com
How to Write a Song Chorus
Chorus Writing Steps
Decide what you want to write about, a theme or a title. Then write the:
1. Lyrics, the words you’ll sing that communicate with the audience
2. Chord Progression, the chords you’ll play
3. Melody for the lyrics, and
4. Arrangement, what to play on your instrument. How to play the chord progression.
Fundamental Concepts for This Songwriting Process:
Focus on 1 Musical Element at a Time
I find I write stronger songs when I focus on one musical element at a time… the lyrics, melody, chord progression, arrangement. I teach it in this order because it is the easiestto learn. Once you can do it, you can try it in a different order.
Drafting
Create a semi-finished version. It’s ok to go back and improve it. I usually take 4+ drafts to get to my final draft. By using a drafting approach, you accept that you can still improve your song later giving you freedom to write something good now and make it great later.Songwriting is rewriting and editing, not just writing down the first thing you think up.
Brainstorming
Write ideas without judging them. Write down ideas as fast as they come to you. Write down silly or off topic ideas. Often a great idea will follow a series of weak ideas. Start with phrases and fragments. Choose the best ones afterward. Then choose where to putthe best ideas. Click here for a video tutorial if you haven’t used brainstorming for your songwriting before.
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How to Write a Song Chorus
One Step At a Time...
Start with a Title:
What do you want to write about?
Don’t accept some random idea, deliberately choose what you want to write about.
To find title ideas you can brainstorm:
• Song themes used by other songwriters
• Song titles you know
• Bands & Artists you admire
• Phrases and ideas that fit with a song possible title
Create a list of titles in your songwriting notebook or in a computer file.
Once you have a title you want to write with, it’s time to write lyrics…
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How to Write a Song Chorus
Lyrics
• Brainstorm lyric ideas
◦ Start with phrases and fragments
◦ Come up with more ideas than you need
◦ Keep the best ideas
• Build lines later
• Choose where to put the title
• Choose a rhyme scheme, below
• Brainstorm possible rhyme words
• Fill lyrics around the title
• Finish the first draft of the lyrics
Working Line by Line
For now, start with 4 lines in your chorus.
You can put the title in any line (at the beginning, the end or use the whole line).
Choose a rhyme scheme, such as: AABB, ABAB, AAAA, XAXA, AAXA, AXAA
Once you’ve decided where to put the title, fill in lyrics around it.
Samples:
• Title start of line 1 & 3, rhyme scheme AABB
• Title end of line 2 & 4, rhyme scheme ATAT (T=title, doesn’t rhyme with A)
• Title end of line 2 & 4, rhyme scheme AAAA (Title rhymes with A)
Listen to some of your favourite choruses and figure out how they are constructed.
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How to Write a Song Chorus
Chord Progression
• Choose a comfortable singing key for you in the middle of your vocal range.
• Choose 4 chords for the chorus
• Brainstorm by playing these chords for 10 minutes (or less)
• Choose an order for the chords to create the chord progression
Finish your first draft of the chord progression.
Sample Chord Progressions:
I IV V V(or I)
vi IV V I
IV V I I (or V)
i III iv v (or V)
iv v i i (or VI)
bVI V i i (or V)
Note: If you’re creating a progression that’s 8 bars long, use the chord in brackets for one repetition if you want more variety.
Roman Numeral Notation:
Major I ii bIII iii IV V vi bVII
A major A B- C C#- D E F#- G
Minor i iio III iv v V bVI bVII
A minor A- Bo C D- E- E F G
Note: Keep things simple for your first attempts. There are many other chords that fit in a major or minor key that you can use if you wish.
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How to Write a Song Chorus
Melody
Sing lyrics with the chords to find melody notes, small sections are easier than trying tocreate the entire melody at once.
• Record your chord progression
• Find where to put the syllables in time by speaking the lyrics
• Find the best notes for the main (accented) syllables by singing and improvising
• Create a basic melody
• Add to the basic melody
◦ Try other notes
◦ Emphasize improtant syllables & words
◦ Add leaps
◦ Add more excitement to make it more interesting
The melody should be similar to how you speak it, the accented syllables in the lyrics are usually:
• Longer
• Higher in pitch and
• More likely to fall beats, 1 & 3 of each bar
than non-accented syllables are.
Finish your first draft of the melody.
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How to Write a Song Chorus
Arrangement
Choosing what notes to play on your instrument to support the lyric melody.
• Choose accompaniment patterns that fit with your lyrics• Change the pattern to highlight important lyric syllables• Fill in around the melody, when there are long notes or rests in the melody, make
the instrumental part more exciting.
• Use repeating patterns in your parts and change them to highlight important parts of the melody or important lyric words.
• Keep the accompaniment simple in the chorus.
Finish the first draft of your chorus!
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How to Write a Song Chorus
Summary
Choose a Title, then write the:
• Lyrics
• Chord Progression
• Melody, and
• Arrangement
To create your first draft. It’s better to finish the first draft and improve it later than to try for a “perfect” song chorus because it ends up taking longer or getting discouraged!
You’ll get learn some of the best practices to edit and improve your song chorus and how to write the rest of a song in the follow up emails.
For now, get started writing another song chorus!
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How to Write a Song Chorus
Next Steps
Print a few copies of the next two pages and write a few choruses!
Keep your eye on your email inbox, I’ll follow up with you to check in and explain some of the next steps on your songwriting journey. If a friend sent you this PDF, thank themand then click this link to get access to the tutorial video and follow up emails. Make sure you’ve whitelisted “[email protected]” so you get these emails.
Watch this video lesson on brainstorming.
Can’t wait to level up your songwriting? If you can play songs, you can learn to write songs with: The Ultimate Songwriting Jumpstart, an online songwriting course that guides you through every step, from a blank page to a finished song.
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How to Write a Song Chorus
How to Write a Song Chorus: Workbook
Title Idea:
Emotions for the Chorus:
Style/Genre:
Tempo:
Lyric Brainstorm
The Best Lyric Ideas
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•
•
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How to Write a Song Chorus
First Draft of Chorus Lyrics:
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Key for the Chorus:
Chords for the Chorus:
Chord Progression for the Chorus
To write the Melody and the Arrangement it’s easiest to record your ideas on your phone instead of on paper…
Have a blast songwriting!
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