Songwriting Basics

A song needs to catch the attention of the listener in with an interesting lyric. This is what we call a 'hook'. Very often this hook is in the title and is also the main line in the chorus.
Study successful songs and identify the hook, you will notice that this very often is in the title and chorus.

The most important thing here is to record any catchy melody that comes into your head immediately, before it is forgotton. When I say record it, this doesn't mean you need to head straight for the recording studio, or that you need to have your own home studio setup! The best way to do this is to record it on your phone, or use windows sound recorder on your computer - you only need a simple microphone, a headset with microphone is absolutely fine.
Another way is to use a guitar or keyboard and play the melody, this should ensure that you don't forget it. But remember to write down the chords or save the tune on your keyboard - incase you forget that too!
Once again, study and listen to successful hit records for inspiration and guidance on what makes a good melody.

The structure of the song is simply the way in which it is organized. Usually a song will have several verses and a chorus.

A verse is a number of lines that give the details of the song.

The chorus is a section that generally contains the catchiest part of the song, and usually contains the hook too. The chorus is often repeated at regular intervals throughout the song.

A bridge is often included in a song as well. This is an arrangement of music and or lyrics that are slightly different to the rest of the song - an interlude. A bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section.

So, for example, the structure of Cheryl Cole's hit single, Fight For This Love goes as follows:

Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus (variation)
Chorus

So there you have it (for now anyway), there are more tips in the featured lenses at the bottom of the page, or if you wish to jump in and master the art of songwriting in greater depth, visit my Songwriting Basics website.