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Songwriting Exploration: Unveiling the Magic of Lyrics and Melodies

Delve into the art of songwriting highlighting lyrics, melodies, and song structure. Explore the impact of songwriters and performers, reflecting on personal connections and evolution of music tastes. Engage in creative exercises and brainstorming to ignite your songwriting journey.

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Songwriting Exploration: Unveiling the Magic of Lyrics and Melodies

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  1. Getting to know you… • Where are you from? • What years did you serve? • If you could bring back any fashion trend what would it be? • If a movie was made of your life what genre would it be, who would play you? • What is your absolute dream job? • As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? • What fictional world or place would you like to visit? • Are you a cat person or a dog person? • What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten? • If you could be any creature(supernatural or natural), what would you be and why?

  2. Session 1 • WHAT IS SONGWRITING? • & • Parts of A Song

  3. What is songwriting? • Have you written a song before or tried to? • What makes a good song? • The lyric? The melody? • Why do people write songs? • Who writes songs? • Are you familiar with any songwriters? • What skills are needed to write a good song? • In what ways are songs and poems the same? Different?

  4. FREE WRITing • . • Write without stopping for a specified amount of time. • Don’t worry about correct grammar, spelling, or punctuation. • Write everything that comes to mind about your topic or jump from one topic to another. • Keep moving forward; don’t pause to wonder which word to use or to make corrections. • Write quickly, but without rushing. “Don’t think; just write!” —Ray Bradbury

  5. Discuss • Using the songs you sent ahead of time: • Find the name of the songwriter. If there is more than one writer, list all of them. • Find the name of the performer, also known as the artist. • Are the songwriters and performers the same or different? • What do you like or connect with in each of the songs you selected? • How has your taste in songs or music changed over the years?

  6. REFLECTION • Answer the following questions in your journal: • In what ways are you looking forward to writing a song? • In what ways are you nervousabout writing a song?

  7. LESSON 2 • PARTS OF A SONG

  8. Parts of a song • The titleis the name of the song. Titles often come • from a line or phrase in the song. • The verse uses details to support the title, theme, • and hook. Songs typically include multiple verses.

  9. Parts of a song • Thechorusconveys the main subject of the song. • The chorus is usually simpler than the verses, and it • often contains the title. • The hookis the part of the song that catches, • or “hooks,” a listener's attention and makes the • song easy to remember. The hook typically appears in the chorus and is repeated.

  10. Parts of a song • The bridgeintroduces a twist or new way of thinking about the song. It usually occurs toward the song’s end. Not all songs have a bridge. • The theme is the main subject of the song. • The message is writer’s comment on the theme.

  11. Listen • “Traveller”

  12. Free Write • In your journal, take five minutes to write about anything! • Ready… set… GO! • .

  13. HOMEWORK • Part i: Songwriter Quotes • Read the quotes from professional songwriters. • Select one quote that you connect with on a personal level, and write a sentence to explain why. • Part ii: Song Titles • Song titles often come from everyday conversations you overhear, a cool or catchy phrase, a line in a movie or TV show, or something that your family, friends, or coworkers say all the time. Between now and our next meeting, write down as many titles as you can. Remember, a good song title can come from anywhere.

  14. SUBJECT AND TITLE

  15. FREE WRITE • Remember…. • Turn off your internal editor; let your thoughts spill out onto the page!

  16. BRAINSTORM • Human experience - actions, thoughts, or feelings that many people can relate to. • In your journal, write down as many common human experiences as you can in one minute. • Ready… set…. GO! • .

  17. ACTIVITY • List the following items in your journal: • The first random memory that comes to mind. • Three things that you think about a lot. • One or moreobjects (material things) that are important to you. • One or more ideas or beliefs that are important to you. • One or more happy memories that come to your mind. • One or more sad memories that come to your mind. • One or more funny memoriesthat come to your mind.

  18. Activity • Song titles often come from things heard in daily life. • Titles may include the subject of the song. (Beyoncé, “Single Ladies")Other titles may not convey the complete subject. (Katy Perry,"Roar”) • Can you think of more examples like these?

  19. “The House That Built Me” • After reading the title, what do you think the song will be about? • What does the phrase “the house that built me” mean? • Is it a phrase that the songwriters likely made up, or is it a phrase that they likely heard somewhere and then wrote a song about?

  20. LISTEN • As you listen, think about: • How is the title used in the song? • What makes the title catchy? • What is the relationship between the title, the hook, and the chorus? Written by Tom Douglas and Miranda Lambert Performed by Miranda Lambert

  21. REFLECTION • Let’s practice. • Look at the list of topics you created • and pick three to use for practice. • Try to write a title that corresponds with each of the topics you pick. Remember, a title can be a word or a phrase. • Don’t be afraid to let your mind wander! • Pick one that you think could sound catchy as a hook.

  22. THEME AND MESSAGE

  23. BRAINSTORM • In your journal, write down the titles of as many popular songs as you can think of in one minute. • Ready…set…. GO! • .

  24. ACTIVITY • “Man in Black” • A song’smessageis the underlying meaning the songwriter is trying to communicate about the theme. • The theme is the song’s main subject.

  25. LISTEN • Thoughts to discuss: • In “Man in Black,” what is Johnny Cash trying to say about the theme?What is the song’s message? • What evidence from the song supports your position to the message? • What can you infer from the lyrics about Johnny Cash’s views toward helping the poor and needy? • What evidence from the song makes you think so?

  26. Is what Johnny Cash expresses a personal or political viewpoint - or is there a difference between the two? Why or why not? • Is Johnny Cash contrasting his own choices with those of other people in society? Who? • What evidence from the song makes you think so? • How is this song like or unlike other songs you have studied up to this point?

  27. Which popular songs today have a strong social or political message? • Are you drawn to songs with a strong message? • Should songwriters think about the messages of their songs? Why or why not? • What opinions do you have about the kinds of messages that are popular in the music you listen to?

  28. LISTEN • “You Ain’t Woman Enough” • “Jolene” Written and performed by Dolly Parton Written and performed by Loretta Lynn

  29. Answer the following questions in your journal. • What is the theme of “Jolene”? What is your evidence? • What is the theme of “You Ain’t Woman Enough”?What is your evidence? • What is the message of “Jolene”? • What is the message of “You Ain’t Woman Enough”?

  30. REFLECTION • Reflect on the following in your journal. • Think about the songs that you like to listen to. • What are the common themes? • What are the common messages? • What kinds of messages would you like to include in your songwriting? • In which point of view would you want to express them?

  31. HOMEWORK • Journal Entry • Listen to one of your favorite songs. Write one to three sentences about how the songwriter communicates the theme. • Pick a song that has a strong message and try writing a verse and chorus with an opposing message.

  32. RHYTHM AND SYLLABLES

  33. FREE WRITE • . • Remember…. • Don’t worry! • Keep your pen and pencil moving for the whole five minutes.

  34. BRAINSTORM • In your journal, spend one minute defining rhythm and naming places you hear rhythm. • Ready… set… GO!

  35. Rhythm and Syllables • ACTIVITY • A song is a combination of words + music. • For lyrics to fit well with music, songwriters need to learn about rhythm and syllables. • Rhythmis a pattern of sounds and silences. • Syllables are the parts that a word is divided into when it is pronounced.

  36. Compare the two lyrics below. • Does somethingsound wrong? • “The Star-Spangled Banner” • And the rocket’s red glare • The bombs bursting in air • Gave proof through the night • That our flag was still there • And the rocket’s red glare • The bombs exploding all over the place • Gave proof through the night • That our flag was still there

  37. Compare the two lyrics below. • Does something sound wrong? • “Beat It” • Just beat it (beat it) beat it (beat it) • No one wants to be defeated • Just beat it (beat it) beat it (beat it) • No one wants to lose when they fight • “We Will Rock You” • We will, we will rock you • We will, we will beat you really bad

  38. LISTEN “Where the Green Grass Grows” • Individually count the syllables for each line and write the total at the end of thatline. • What did you discover?

  39. RHYME

  40. FREE WRITE • . • Remember…. • Don’t worry! • Keep your pen and pencil moving for the whole five minutes.

  41. BRAINSTORM • In your journal, write as many words that rhyme with “top” as you can in 30 seconds. • Remember, rhyming words don’t have to be only one syllable. For example,“hip-hop” rhymes with “top.” • Ready… set… GO!

  42. RHYME SCHEME ACTIVITY • Rhymes occur when words at the end of two or more lines in a song share the same or a similar sound. • An exact rhyme has the same ending sound. Like “last,” “past,” and “fast.” • Anapproximate rhyme sounds like a rhyme depending on how the artist sings the words. Like “age,” “fade,” and “play.”

  43. Listen • Pay attention to how the singing emphasizes the rhyme scheme. Written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster Performed by Kris Kristofferson

  44. Listen • What is the rhyme scheme for “Me and Bobby McGee”? • Did you notice any approximate rhymes? • Compare how each artist sings the song Written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster Performed by Janis Joplin

  45. For help with rhyming,try: • Websites such as rhymezone.com and rhymer.com • A thesaurus, either on the Internet or in the library. • A rhyming dictionary (can be found in many libraries).

  46. ACTIVITY • Write four lines with one of these rhyme schemes: • AABA • or • ABAB

  47. HOMEWORK • Song analysis • Choose three songs to analyze. • In your journal,copy the first verse and chorus of each song. Number the lines, then count and record the number of syllables in each line. For example: • Song 2: • Verse • Line 1: 6 syllables • Line 2: 8 syllables • Line 3: 6 syllables • Line 4: 8 syllables • Line 5: 9 syllables • Line 6: 4 syllables • Chorus • Line 1: 4 syllables • Line 2: 4 syllables • Line 3: 8 syllables • Line 4: 8 syllables • Song 3: • Verse • Line 1: 6 syllables • Line 2: 6 syllables • Line 3: 6 syllables • Line 4: 8 syllables • Line 5: 8 syllables • Chorus • Line 1: 6 syllables • Line 2: 6 syllables • Line 3: 6 syllables • Line 4: 8 syllables • Song 1: • Verse • Line 1: 8 syllables • Line 2: 8 syllables • Line 3: 8 syllables • Line 4: 8 syllables • Chorus • Line 1: 4 syllables • Line 2: 4 syllables

  48. HOMEWORK • Try to develop a first draft and chorus of a song – if finished in time, send to CMHOFM staff before your next session.

  49. CREATING STRONG IMAGES

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