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stratcat33511
Bronze Member
USA
171 Posts |
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Paul G
Member
55 Posts |
 Posted - 09/26/2006 : 09:05:22 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by stratcat33511
is it the very first chorus?
is it telling the story all in the first verse ?
Ed:
The first key to a good song is hooking the listener in the first 10 seconds. There has to be something about the melody, lyric or feel that will grab a listener, make him pay attention.
Every song has to paint a mental picture, tell a story or evoke an emotion. The really good songs do all those things. Yet some of the most successful songs are quite simple. A simple melody that can be hummed and will stick in your head is always a good thing to work toward.
One of the things my uncle told me years ago was to stay away from what he called "standard liners and obvious rhymers". In other words, the days of songs like Hank Willians Sr wrote or the early Beatles, are (for the most part) gone. Listeners are looking for a little more depth (lyrically) now days.
What I strive for lyrically is a different way to say the same thing (how may ways can you say "I love you"). I look for a catchy play on words or a phrase which you wouldn't expect to hear in a song.
I could ramble on for days about these things but you get the picture.
HTH
Paul |
Intel i7930 OC to 3.36GHz, Win7 Pro (x64), 6GB Ram
500GB OS, 1TB Audio, 1TB Samples, Delta 66 Omni, Sonar X1 EXP
http://www.thebrothersglaser.com/ |
Edited by - Paul G on 09/26/2006 09:07:09 AM |
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Rezn8
Bronze Member
USA
439 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2006 : 5:22:38 PM
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| I agree with Paul, especially for commercially viable material. Personally, I listen for sincerity. Is the singer convincing and genuine in their emotion, and are the other instruments really "putting out"? Is there a driving energy that binds the cut (no matter how subtle)? I don't care if there's hiss in the background or if it's a crappy recording. Realism is what grabs my attention. |
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garrigus
Moderator
USA
8888 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2006 : 10:49:54 AM
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Instrumentation also plays a big part. I think you have to have the right arrangement for the song to work. Check out the recent song called Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. This song uses the same chord progression throughout the entire song for verse and chorus, yet it works. I think this is in part due to the arrangement. It starts off small, then builds a little for the first chorus. Scales down a bit for the following verses, builds up again for the chorus. And then builds more for both verse and chorus through the second half of the song. You would think it would be a boring song with the same melody and chord progression throughout (and if you listen to it too many times, of course it will get boring), but the way it's put together, it's catchy.
Scott
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Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com - SONAR X2 Power! - http://www.garrigus.com/powerbooks.asp
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
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firefox
Gold Member
USA
1425 Posts |
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stratcat33511
Bronze Member
USA
171 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2006 : 12:04:24 AM
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Paul - ThankYou
-just what I needed to be reminded of
Scott - yes,exactly. That's what I think is making it a bit tough
Musically melodically catchy stuff.
REz n FFox
right - got it
That's not boring. Real .
Cool
Is hard for me, sometimes, I guess, to convey it lyrically.
Thanks everyone !
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Pablo
Member
92 Posts |
Posted - 10/26/2006 : 06:27:45 AM
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Try the exercise - get on to a lyrics site and choose at random songs you have not heard played and compare them with lyrics of great songs you have heard. I am always surprised to find that good poetry dont mean good lyrics. Some lyrics are void of thought,repetitive ad nauseam, or disjointed... and yet some of them belong to some of the greatest all time hits. Why? The answer is the question, and its too obvious to have to mention....
Cheers
Pablo |
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stratcat33511
Bronze Member
USA
171 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2006 : 8:00:43 PM
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Hey Pablo
Listen to David Bowie : ChangesBowie ( greatest hits )
there's a successful writer, but what the hell is he talking about?
He uses opposites :" strung out in heavens high, hitting an all-time low"
another example: 'Control' by Puddle of Mudd - the chorus is a contradiction of contradictions
I've been listening and wondering
What is the answer too obvious to mention ?
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