Adding Soul to Your Songwriting
Author: Jamon White
Jamon White
We all have a varied opinion on what exactly a song is and considering the 140 character limit of twitter no longer applies here, I can now happily share my own view with you.
Pedantically, we can look at a song as being part melody, part rhythm, part arrangement and part “ message”. I wish to focus on the message, but just to clarify the first three:
A melody is a series of notes. We play the notes with various textures and in varied rhythm as we stop, start and mix how the melody flows. A melody is usually presented on top of a rhythm (not necessarily a drum), possibly as simple as the rhythm you get from pausing, sustaining or holding. You can easily whistle a good melody but can struggle to whistle a bad one.
Take Singin’ in the Rain – by Freed and Brown. The melody has a wonderful rhythm to it. If you started whistling it now, you may very well be distracted from reading the rest of this article, so don’t start whistling now!
The term arrangement changes with genre and with time but effectively is the chosen structure, for the chosen instruments, playing the chosen melody/chord etc. This can have an effect on the message.
The Message
The message part of a song is an interesting one and where the rest of this article will now concentrate. It is interesting because it is relied on heavily by modern pop music. The message is not just lyrics but also the vibe.
Take hip-hop as an example. Hip-hop contains more message than rhythm, more rhythm than arrangement and more arrangement than melody. Take message away and you have a mediocre poem. No one wants to listen to average. So to improve the rap, one must big it up to compensate. Hip hop relies on a kick ass rhythm which creates a vibe, which reinforces the message.
To avoid dull rap, rappers write lyrics that test. They put violence or a sexy/lust slant into the message, something to make it edgy.
Example: (sorry to the easily offended, but it is merely to prove a point)
“I will always try, to be by your side, forever, no matter the weather – That is just passive, average, rubbish!
“I just love it, when it, shake, cause dem knock on me snake” – strong words with a message
It may not be a wonderful poetic lyric, but it sticks because it has an obvious vibe and it’s not average or wishy washy, its definite!
The message is not reserved for hip-hop though, the message may be “I am cool like a funky seventies disco” to “I like to be funny, thats why I wear a purple badge” or “I am really serious and you now need to cry, a lot”.
A song in today’s pop culture pushes the message strongly and it is reinforced by the image of the artist. What does this mean to you as a songwriter? Well it means that in order to write a successful song you must understand the current message in that genre. Although it is true that a different message, against the flow, can in itself be interesting, it’s a safer bet to go with an existing image. This is why pop rock bands, rock/blues, R&B, rap genres sound the same for the most part. It is a tried and tested formula. You can write songs in these genres too, if you want, but you then have to understand the message of the genre. What that means however, is that you should be genuine and genuinely understand the message.
For example, innacurate, but you will get the point:
Classic Blues – I am down with my 3 string guitar singing about life on the street or the pain in my life or other bad things. You have to look and be the part if that’s the song you wanna write. If you dont have a few missing teeth, probably not the genre you are going to be brilliant at.
Classic Rock – You should be able to identify with longer hair, some tight leather pants.
Goth Rock – If you don’t get the vibe of the large black boots and dark masculine eye shadow, you probably wont have the right vibe.
Hip-hop – If you are not on the street with your homeboys, dissing some other posse, right now, you will not feel it and your lyrics will be out before they were ever in.
If you can feel the message for a particular genre, then you have found the genre you need to concentrate on. However, if you are like me and like many many genres, then you are probably, like me, wondering what the hell kind of genre you should write in. I discovered what it is for me but it will be different for you. I found out that you have to find your own genre. The true Jamon, the true inside genre wanting to come out. When you create your own lyrics, your own sound, your own songs, then you will be leaving a little of your soul in each song you write. Now, how do you leave a little bit of your soul in a song?
Tips to Find Your Message
Firstly you must be prepared to be open. That love song was not written by someone scared to express emotions. You must wear your heart, at least for the duration of the song, on your sleeve. People spot fakes. I try to be as genuine as possible, open as possible, giving raw emotion. You must be open.
You must let go of rules. Holding onto a structure, arrangement or other “rules” prohibit your true song from coming out. Your emotions and inner feelings are not bound by a strict 4 bars or a verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure. Let the song and melody go where it wants to. Don’t stop it with “oh that’s the end of the verse”. Let it go on. You might be writing a bridge you will put somewhere else in the song.
Listen to your own inner genre. Stop listening to pop music. Find something else, find a singer/songwriter you like. Find acoustically richer songs. Find something with less. Less is more. And then before you plan to write, listen to nothing but your own stuff for a day or so before you plan on writing your next song. Learn from songwriters and learn from yourself.
Never push a song out. A song will come when it wants to. I think of a song as floating fragments of emotions. Sometimes the emotion is a lyric or a tune or sometimes it’s both of these. When enough fragments are at the surface, you will get a song. If it isn’t coming, don’t worry about it. Try a different fragment, perhaps thats the unwinding chord.
If you are still struggling, get inspired. Watch a passionate movie, listen to a passionate speech, or get angry. The best songs come from deep emotional feelings so dont be afraid to be open, throw away the rule book, build your own style and never push it, rather change what you are looking for.
Along with Melody, Rhythm and Arrangement, to add soul into your songs, you must always have a pure and precise message.
Happy songwriting.
Jamon White
Bio: By the age of 20 Jamon White had written over 50 songs, mostly hip-hop, r&b and house. The songs were performed in various bands. His first was a medley written for a childrens church choir, which he still remembers. However, in the interest of moving on and writing new and better material, he felt he had to rid himself of those songs. He binned them all. 10 years later, Jamon has restarted his love for song writing with new songs in various stages which he is working on for his debut solo album. He is a frequent commenter on RavenousRaven’s daily #Song4Comment. Jamon’s website is http://www.jamonwhite.com.
RR: Please feel free to leave your comments here on Jamon’s article. If you have a songwriting article bursting to get out of you, get in touch!
10 Comments
Great article, Jamon.
To disagree a little, I think you can’t seperate musical elements such as melody, groove, harmony from the message of a song. For example, the mode you choose says a LOT about the message you’re conveying. You can’t seperate them.
I’d also like to wave the flag for artistic distance – the songwriter doesn’t have to be feel every emotion they express. The important point is that we move the listener. It is entirely possible to write a brilliant song that doesn’t come from your own deepest emotions. In fact I would argue that songwriting is always improved when you step back and regard your work with a cooler eye.
I’d be careful about using that word “message”. Although it’s clear that “The Message” (Grandmaster Flash) has a, well, message, I’d be hard put to find the message behind “I Kissed a Girl” or Gene Vincent’s “Be Bop a Lula”. Yet both are good examples of songwriting in their style. Both are very distinctive songs, maybe even novelties. But we recognise and remember them for a reason.
What I would recommend is finding a clear point of view, an emotional angle that means that “Private Dancer”, for example, is recognisable from the million other mid-tempos out there.
And oy, Jamon, what sort of advice is it to “stop listening to pop”? I think I’ll park my ice cream van outside your house and play Burt Bacharach, Cat Stevens and Abba until you surrender!
Lol, I was waiting for the pop remark
Anything to get some more hits for songwriting community!
Really, you dont agree?
I was brought up on TOTP. Need I say more? It kinda depends on how you define pop. For me it stretches through The Beatles, Marc Bolan and Abba up to the better moments of Gwen Stefani and almost all of Diane Warren’s stuff. Cab Calloway was pop in his day; Leonard Cohen never was despite some good covers, by way of comparison. Thing is, it’s not to the exclusion of other styles. But there is something uplifting about a great pop song. Oh yes.
As writers, the danger comes from systematically aiming for the lowest common denominator. There’s a lot of it about right now. But it never lasts. We remember Edith Piaf not Lucienne Delyle (eh?). We remember The Beatles more than Tommy Steele.
Michael,
Seriously, you can’t find the message behind ‘Be bop a Lula’? Its message is about how fun it is to dance and to spend time with like minded people. A similar message exists in lots of dance music, and come on, it ain’t difficult to find.
The message needn’t be something profound and needn’t come from the lyrics. I’d argue that lyrics only rarely communicate the main message of a song.
Maybe another lyricist should chip in, as I just don’t get involved in “messages” at all. But that could be me. The vibe of “Be Bop a Lula” is plain to see of course, a homage to teenage love. And most of the vibe comes from Vincent’s passionate hiccuping delivery. The words themselves are pretty banal (she’s my baby, I don’t mean maybe).
For me, the word message implies a more or less precise communication. Songwriting is more about empathy, about stirring emotions (either light or deep). Communication acts on the intellect, empathy works on feelings. Different goals, different tools. But that’s just IMHO. Everyone has to find their own niche. Dylan and The Clash have had messages, for example, and managed to be memorable sometimes too. So it’s not as if I’m talking about the only way to write.
I concede that the word “message” may not have been the best word for everyone. my intention was to make conscious the act of leaving a bit of “your soul” in “your work”, discovering your own inner songs.
I do concede that in a particular genre, the message is easier, and you can still write good songs, because you have experience in love lost, love gained at some point in your life.
Also, my angle is probably coming from singer/songwriter, where being the lyricist and singer its perhaps a bit more imperative?
where as vocalists are required to put feeling into a lyric, even if the lyricist wrote it without much feeling (where the singer is not the writer)?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I found your perspective refreshing and understand that it doesn’t imply limitations nor is it all inclusive. Well thought out and presented. Thanks again.
hello I so enjoyed your message, I would love to hear more of your idea,s I’ve been reading many tips on how to write, and you make it sound pure and simple thanks so much I would love to hear more
Very nice article. Good tips and insight. I’ve been listening a bit to your music. You’re talented.