8 tips for writing pop songs

Are you curious about writing pop songs? If you're an established writer or aspiring writer who's interested in writing pop music, here are a few tips on how to craft better pop songs.

1. Listen to Pop Music
It will be a challenge to create a great pop song if you do not know what contemporary pop music sounds like. Take a listen to the songs on the Billboard charts so you know what the current top 10 or top 100 songs are. Analyze some of your favorite songs on the list and watch the chords by using tablatures for guitar or sheet music. Familiarize yourself with the types of chords and melodies used and study the lyrics of the song. If you are not yet a guitar player or keyboard player, it would be a great help if you take the time to learn to play one of these instruments, as they are great instruments to write about.

2. Song Structure
Listening to pop music will help you learn more about the structure of the song. Pop repetition balancing songs and new musical ideas. The most common parts of a pop song are:

Introduction

The introduction is the part at the beginning of the song. In most of the pop songs of the intro it is typically 4

Verse

The verse is heard many times in the song; musically it is always the same, but the lyrics change each verse. The main function of the verse is to tell a story to the listeners.

Chorus

The chorus of the song is the most important part of the song and the main part of the song that the listeners remember. The chorus must have a catchy melody and is often the highlight of the song. Sometimes there is a Pre-Choir placed before the Choir that serves to make Chorus shine.

Bridge

The bridge of the song usually occurs after the second chorus and its purpose is to add variety to your song. On the bridge, a different chord progression could be written or it could have a single instrumental.

The structure of the standard pop song is:

Intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus

3. Starting Out

The most important part of writing pop songs is to get going to write them! Although it goes without saying, the songs do not write themselves. There are several ways that you can start out to write pop songs.

Chords

Chords are a great way to start composing songs, and chords from other pop songs can be used as the basis for writing your own chord progressions. Try playing the chords of your favorite song and humming a overtop melody.

Hook

Many pop songs have originated from big guitar hooks. If you have an idea for a guitar or piano lick, use that as the main theme of your song and build your chords and melodic lines around.

Melody Line

Good songs can start with melodic lines and it is quite possible to write all the melody of the verses and choruses right of the stick. An idea for a fresh melody can come to you at any time, so writers should always have a portable recorder (or iPhone recording application) at hand.

With a Groove

Songs can be written for slots and this can be a very fun way to write songs with electronic music producers. If you are a producer of yourself, try composing a short circuit of four or eight measures and write the chords and melodies to this overtop. If you are a vocalist and you are working with an electronic music producer you can be sent short slots to write overtop's. Grooves are a simple way to write and fun.

5. Chords
All songs are built around chords and there are standard chord progressions that are used and work well in the pop genre. Chords are named after the scale degrees; A chord is constructed from any other note on the scale. In the key of C, the chords that are build out of the scale degrees are the following:

I SEE

ii - Dm

IV - F

V - G

vii - Am

vii

In pop music, three and four chord progressions are commonly used. In four chord progressions, your typical begin and end in the same chord and chords in the middle are 'traveling' chords.

Common four chord progressions are:

I IV VI

IV IV I

IV VI IV (CG Am F). "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper and "Someone Like You" by Adele.

vi IV IV (Am FACG) "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne and "If God were one of us?" by Joan Osbourne.

vi-V-IV-V Linkin Park - "In The End" introduction and verse. (This sounds very dark)

You may also want to try three simple chord progressions, such as: I-IV-V (C, F, G), IV-IV (C, G, H), I-II-V (C, Dm, G) ) or

When you

6. Melody
Pop music melodies should be simple and catchy. When writing the melody, ask yourself, could a child sing this to me? If not, it is most likely too complex for a pop song. The range of the main line of the melody (the musical distance between the lowest and the highest note) in general, should remain within an octave, since many singers prefer to stay within an established vocal range.

7. Lyrics
nature of the song. Writers should have a solid idea of ??what the song is about, and write lyrics that convey a long message of the song. (For example, if a song is about an apple, do not write about an orange). Try to cover a topic or message throughout the song. Rules are broken and one of my favorite writers, lyrics Kurt Cobain, lyrics that seemed to make little sense wrote. This did not stop millions of people around the world from loving their band's songs. Go figure.

8. Dream On
Although the art of writing pop songs is an art that can be nurtured and developed, many great songs are inspirations that have come to writers in their dreams. If you're going to take some zzz and listen to an amazing song in your head, keep in mind that it meant being and committing to (digital) tape as soon as you wake up. You are one of the lucky ones! If this does not happen to you, it's time to go back to the good ol 'fashion pencil, paper and grind guitar.