Ryan Tedder's Proven Formula For Writing GREAT Lyrics

[@Studio]

Wanna see how Ryan finishes this song? Check out his full class on Studio! Follow along as he writes, records, and produces 3 brand new songs from start to finish, right in front of you, explaining everything he’s doing along the way. studio.com/classes/ryan-tedder/art-of-hitmaking

[@Breakingtheglasswall]

Five minutes in, best lyric writing advice I've ever heard.

[@Studio]

Amazing, glad to help!

[@DynoMusik]

12:33 This moment is probably the daily reality for 99% of producers 😂

[@ninahpunkt]

🤣

[@AquariusExtract]

thats what I was thinking! felt candid

[@PabloDeModeOfficial]

Exactly. And that’s the moment where 99% of us leave the studio hahahha 😅

[@thartz9]

Just became part of a band and the lead songwriter has been challenging me in a good way to write. Just scrolled through some notes in my phone and put something together with these song writing principles. Thank you!

[@JD.TheMusician]

I did this course and highly recommend it.

[@Studio]

Thank you glad you enjoyed it!

[@abbysettle461]

Hey, I have a question is there any vocal lessons in this course?

[@StratMatt777]

@@abbysettle461 Chris Leipe's KZbin channel has lots of free actual lessons. Also New York Vocal Coaching channel is free and great. Also, when you are expanding your range with exercises (like 2 note slides), where you gradually go up in pitch, keep your mouth closed and make an "ng" sound through your nose. I think this helped me because it makes you not push too much air as your experiment with how to go up and hit high notes you couldn't hit before. It's like you want to push less air instead of more to go higher, to find how to hit the note.... then you can fill it out from there by adding the air/compression to make it sound like a good full note when you are actually singing. Sing along with all your favorite songs ALL THE TIME to practice your pitch. Your voice is an instrument you ALWAYS have with you! Practice makes perfect. Did anyone notice that this song sounds A LOT like Train's "Hey Soul Sister"?

[@RYVENANT]

@@abbysettle461 doesn't look like it. The link to the course is in the video description, seems like a songwriting course that goes into production a little bit

[@NotGarrettG]

@@abbysettle461are you serious about singing??

[@m0bywik461]

Ryan is the reason I keep pushing. Why I won't quit. Every time I see his process it feels like he's daring me to be better, love this dude

[@m0bywik461]

As I watch even more closely we literally have the same headphones and Mic so yea, gauntlets off lol

[@gabryvk]

I’d pitch this one to Train. 100%.

[@RYVENANT]

Oh yeah that would be a great fit, already has a similar cadence to hey soul sister

[@AlexDMast]

there should be a Netflix special dedicated to all the clips of people casually namedropping celebs that they have on speed dial

[@KYLETISZAI]

Truuue

[@JeremusMaximus]

LMAO Ryan basically says, "I don't know where it comes from, i'm just awesome." Hence me getting a full refund for this course on "How to write Jason Mraz songs". Horrible.

[@jackmove9039]

7:29 girls like you - maroon 5 ? hmmm in every hit there is another hit

[@alemobra5747]

meh its really just two thirds.. also the song ended up not having this melody anyways so ;/

[@StratMatt777]

@@alemobra5747 What song did this end up being? Because I want to hear how similar the final sounds to Train's "Hey Soul Sister".

[@mikesmithz]

Pachelbel's cannon. Basically the most ripped off melody of all time.

[@Jackmille20]

He wrote girls like you 😭

[@yvesdje820]

i think he said something about maroon 5 in the course lol

[@DorothyOzmaLover]

Ryan's a treasure w/ his notes so this is bliss!

[@Zachan_TedkinsO_0]

You're an amazing artist Ryan. Thank you for your contribution to the music industry

[@Burrie81]

Fascinating to see his brain at work

[@thierrypr]

It's interesting how as a songwriter I got into this pattern of structuring my songs, writing the most dumb and catchy chorus and writing what I felt like would become a hit song or song that would please people, and I did right some bangers songs (from what people that came to see my shows told me), but in the end I completely lost sight of who I was. And felt like after that I was sticked with one genre and that I needed on keeping writing the same kind of songs to keep this facade. Now I listen to people like kacey musgraves or listen to what bruce sprinsteen and great other legends have to say about songwriting tips on youtube and it really helps me bringing back my essence. Music shouldn't be about wishing that other people are gonna like your songs. it isn't called art for nothing.

[@jamiegreymusic]

Fair play to Ryan for recording this process. Opening yourself up to your process and for it to potentially turn out bad which this certainly is not is brave

[@mrsambates]

This studio sesh is pure gold! Getting a walkthrough of this genius’s workflow it’s priceless. Highly recommend taking his course for any songwriter, producer and artist. I’ve taken it, and it’s really a game changer.

[@Studio]

Thank you!

[@ANGELSVEN]

This is my favorite videos EVER for songwriting. I feel like I'm in the studio with my engineer (Florian Ammon - Pink, Quincy Jones, Rammstein). What's striking to me is that this song has a REGGAE feel (emphasis on the 2 and the 4 via guitar up stroke) on a pop or country song! Ha, ha! Love it! And I'm sitting here saying "Yes" and "No" and mumbling a possible lyric like I'm editing with you. :D lol How you work and observing your instincts validates my own decisions and instincts I make in the studio - I just hear what needs to be done or what could be better or what doesn't work - so thank you. I GET you. It's been a blast, Ryan. :) Would LUV to see more of this type of songwriting session video.

[@jodywhite.songs.8746]

This is the best advice on songwriting Iv ever heard Hope he does more. Content

[@Kay-gr8xm]

So informative, loved this! Because you mentioned hell, I imagined there being a contrast at some point in the song. That line where you had “And when I lay me down to sleep..” For the follow-up line, I thought of: “I’m ascending to heaven cause I know I’m loved by you” There’s that literal meaning of simply laying down to sleep but also a deeper meaning of laying down to sleep referencing death. It plays into this “saved by you” message whether it be in living or death. The person is content knowing they’ve lived a full life because they’ve had the privilege of having that person in their life. I would love to work with you one day!!

[@alane_j]

There are a lot of great thoughts here and it's really cool to watch your process and explanation.

[@Studio]

Great thanks for watching!

[@jimmytaberner5187]

Thanks for this, Ryan. Great to see how you work, and with remarkable speed! Really brave of you to open your process up like this with the possibility that it might fall flat. Thank you. Jim.

[@Zesvo-c1t]

Love this guy!

[@davigama1085]

Here after cowboy carter release!!! Queen B and MC killing it!!! Ryan WE LOVE YOU

[@dankind316]

Thanks for allowing us to see inside the process of such a great mind. I usually start my songs with a concept or title, then lyrics, then music to match it. I'm going to try again to come up with music 1st, then a Lyric. Variety is the spice of life.

[@RichardRosiles]

Get em!! I'm guilty of piecing things together, they make sense to me but may not read the best.

[@Aninha-fb3po]

Is it just me, or does this melody sound like a blend of "Girls Like You", "Hey, Soul Sister" and "I'm Yours"?

[@jMerkyJJ]

Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. It's Jason Mraz and Train??

[@BrokeTheGamer]

Pop music… Generally all pop/contemporary music, use the same 5231 progression or a variation of those 4 base chords. That said, most young and middle aged male vocalists who achieve success singing + writing emotional/relationship pop + top 40, (Train, Mraz, Tedder, Levine etc) almost always have the same tamber or a very close/similar vocal slide between notes.

[@brandonkey181]

theyre all in the same mode

[@brandonkey181]

​@@BrokeTheGamer1 4 5 6

[@nutube06]

I said the same thing 🤔

[@Sisanf]

Great video! Loved seeing this process

[@stevenmalibu25]

this is why I try to explain writing simple pop song lyrics is actually so much harder than people think.

[@mrswagg22music]

i take the title start first verse and go from there .. the chorus comes to me as im writing i then change teh perspective after writing the chorus and thene towards the end melody development im getting back to writing i havent in a while.. i been singing for many years writing for a handful,.. my health holds me back but i love it all enjoy your channel news subscriber.. its a different perspective..

[@frombeginnertoband7973]

Thanks so much for this fantastic tutorial! Many thanks Ryan!!! 👊

[@acecomet]

It s Great recepies for fast food song. There is tons of song with these type of melodies and progressions but it works . I miss good old days before we started using loops. Good video man 🤙

[@JordanMillsTracks]

This is amazing advice, some of the best songwriting advice ive heard

[@bestlifeever1211]

gold.

[@amaninaroom8678]

Hi, I find it enlightening to see that I actually do it almost exactly the same way, I thought that the professionals never do it this way. the whole video I thought "you know that voice"...... im so sorry 🤦‍♂🤣🤣🤣 thx for the tips

[@xqkcdaa5smen7y]

Why isn't this trending at the top?

[@kourtneyrobichaux9129]

I loved this so much! Amazing u should do more like this an put that song out ❤

[@SongwriterPorshia]

Ayyyyy RYAN 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 such a great songwriter 💝 I stayed up writing a song the other night I just finished editing the video. I have a similar writing style to the beat. It's easier to sing it and follow your own voice. I love this video!!!!! Writing without a beat is actually easier. We can write a song with words start to finish in less than 10 minutes. It's funny how writing to a beat "challenges" us a little bit.

[@dobsashimself]

So true...when writing to a beat, there's no freedom

[@Nysasq]

Ryan Tedder! Did you ever end up recording that song "For the love in her eyes" ? I believe some of the chorus goes: "I want to know what makes the world go round I want to hear her voice for the sound"

[@calvin645]

I like that headset. It beautiful. Must be very expensive to buy one!!

[@vladimirshevchishin3661]

Thank you Ryan for your music!

[@intsccents]

Ryan very very good points...

[@AnthonyCollierMusic]

This is pure gold! Thank you

[@Studio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BryanKean]

Does anyone else struggle with creativity vocally (or how you phrase things) based on dry vocal recording? I find that I have to add effects as I go to get a good feel for how I want to sing (inflections etc.) Is there a reason to focus on getting clean dry vocals and adding the effects later? I feel like I'm far less creative with dry vocal recording. Curious how others approach this. Thanks everyone and Thanks Ryan.

[@GarethThomasTunes]

Axis of Awesome chords! Combined with the lyrical equivalent - it does produce perfect generic pop music.

[@Fred_Free]

A song doesn’t have to be a "story". A song can be anything, only the imagination sets the limits. 😎

[@SuperDerezzed]

True but a story is what the masses relate to, and he's targeting the big markets. His formulas have a good track record.

[@Fred_Free]

@@SuperDerezzed It depends on the genre. Think of all the disco and pop hits (for the big market) that millions of people (the masses) have danced, sung and related to over the years, that have no "story" at all. What is needed is something catchy, simple, original, easy to sing along to, easy to remember that easily sticks in your head. ”Come on, vogue (vogue) Let your body move to the music (move to the music) Hey, hey, hey Come on, vogue (vogue) Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow) You know you can do it”. 😎

[@dxfifa]

@@Fred_Free And what do the verses say? More nonsense, or Madonna singing about how you can escape your hard life by dancing, then how your creativity and humanity helps you dance and makes it freeing and wonderful. And on the dancefloor everyone is beautiful and iconic, like Vogue models. Then the bridge takes the vogue thing literally, while encouraging the listener to feel like those icons and dance like they're a star. It's basically "your life sucks, you feel like a nobody, dancing is an escape and makes you feel better. Here's why, AND how"

[@Fred_Free]

@@dxfifa It wasn't about exactly what Madonna sings. It was just one example among many, about the content of the texts not needing a story. Madonna's song Vouge was a US Billboard Hot 100 #1 and #1 in 20 countries.

[@SongwriterPorshia]

I want that mic 🤑 U87 baby

[@Woozy.0]

The Tedster is a pretty good teacher!

[@jepike70]

This highlights the writing process wonderfully. From the other side looking in as a vocalist, it's very singable too. I'm certainly no Biebs or Kane Brown, but dammit I want to sing it now! 😂

[@MzRedDear]

This is a superb masterclass in lyric editing for chart music but Im just wondering when you say " sub- conscience do you mean subconscious ?

[@Gabriel.A.L.]

Its good lyrics, i agree

[@MostHigh27]

MAD TASTY

[@shuaizhou358]

Waw you are so talented

[@alvinedwards434]

Ryan is so dope! This is inspiring!

[@VangRVang]

Damn. Sounds like Train, hey soul sister. Ps, you’re at GOAT Mr. Ryan T

[@FUFUWO]

i wonder what's his settings on the CLA Vocals 🔥

[@dannymolns3573]

I wondered that too. That vocal chain is crisp as hell

[@jasoncolap]

So helpful thank you

[@Studio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@LennySugiono]

Epiphone supernova ?? very niceee

[@Zesvo-c1t]

You're "saved", when you realise there's no one to be "saved'. The Truth will set you free, because the Truth makes you disappear.

[@Zesvo-c1t]

There is only God, your feeling separate is hell.

[@bigmoneymarkelly]

the algorithm really gets me

[@AdamEdward]

he has gotten a shit ton more tattoos since this vid! good info though, thanks ryan!

[@Timtime67]

This was s blast.

[@hostkevincq]

youuuuuuuu are amaSing!!!

[@HarryAdee]

9:47 You actually gave me an idea to write a song about pandemic. Thanks 😂

[@davidofergals6947]

Basic standard chord progressions.

[@AngelEowyn]

Wow! How could one not subscribe after watching a video like this? I use a similar technique but this was insightful. Thank you :)

[@Studio]

Glad it was and thanks for the sub!

[@prcption8636]

What’s the vocal chain ? Just CLA vocals? Or is he running analog gear

[@spencerbrigham5369]

I think it's a u67-->Neve 1073-->Retro-176--> unknown conversion. Then just AT Live-->CLA Vocals

[@Zesvo-c1t]

Songwriting is easy, I've written Hey Jude three times.

[@activemusickid]

So much overthinking …. Ryan Tedder you’re overthinking it!

[@yearlyoatmeal]

he should definitely listen to you! if he's lucky he would write as many hits as you have sir

[@nyronlewinson]

​@@yearlyoatmeal 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. Thank you for this! Hilarity at its finest!

[@nomoredarts8918]

Thom Yorke is like: oh, that's cute

[@petrieberries]

Fantastic ✨

[@Studio]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@RaphayMusic]

"will turn the preacher blue" lyric was cute

[@steveboris6286]

This was a great vid. Helped me understand the process a whole lot better. I have to admit I cringed a bit when it drifted towards God but man it worked.

[@illini81]

Would be helpful to see keyboard shortcuts on the screen while he’s working

[@Meisure]

making a christian song is so calculated and i love it lmaoo 🤣🔥

[@JpopMuze]

I generated tons of lyrics with AI, but in the end came to the point where I wrote the entire verses and chorus all by myself 😅 AI lyrics are kinda fun, but lacking some energy, the human touch will always be the best! Started watching tutorials on how to write great lyrics. Did couple good lyrics in past few days. Thanks for great tutorials, Ryan. U are awesome😊

[@RobTheSuave]

This sounds very similar to Hey, Soul Sister by Train.

[@Nyburhood]

Genius

[@AquariusExtract]

damn what a job. I'm exhausted for him lol

[@Rosi_24]

I'm working on making a weezer style song, wish me luck

[@kourtneyrobichaux9129]

❤❤❤

[@aligua2924]

This is good

[@danielgordon266]

It's "Hey Soul Sister", but good tutorial.

[@StratMatt777]

This song sounds A LOT like Train's "Hey Soul Sister".

[@dannymolns3573]

No, that song sounds a lot like this one

[@jonahartl8997]

Hey soul sister was earlier ig

[@StratMatt777]

@@dannymolns3573 "Hey Soul Sister" is from 2009.

[@EddStaceyy]

The chorus sounds nothing like soul sister. It’s just in a similar key smh

[@russellbach5615]

Do we know what this song ended up being?

[@RodrigoVillas-it4rx]

Who's this song by?

[@paigekeller2397]

I think it would be cool like “ yeah, I read the Bible, and maybe it ain’t true. But…”

[@SteveJones9]

whose going to tell him

[@andyanderson398]

Sounds like the song by Train....

[@sheldinduplessis1424]

This is what Babyface and Lionel Richie said... Write exactly what you feel. Don't be abstract

[@StarmoreOfficial]

Hey soul sister is all I heard!

[@KeepingItTrini]

I wanna know where this song ends up

[@mygicshow]

It’s good, but it sounds like two or three other songs I’ve heard before… like almost exactly… I’ll take Tom Waits

[@jonathanharris6232]

This chorus was made for adam levine

[@justinjones6810]

I'm assuming he means kane brown

[@illini81]

Anyone know what mic and DAW he is using?

[@LonelyStarOfficial]

The DAW is pro Tools and mic Neumann U 87

[@jmatthewza]

I respect a professional opinion and i agree on a technical level but Personally i believe as a writer you need to find your own philosophy for writing lyrics based on what your trying to achieve and who you're trying to resonate with but importantly who you are as a person i mean if you struggle at being social you probably shouldn't write a song about being the main person at the party because you can't make a song about something you don't feel you'll just sound non genuine and it's generally easier to write about something you've actually experienced in your personal life The song can be technically perfect but people generally know when someone is lying to them the only difference is that a song has melody and people don't like being lied to they'll know the song doesn't really have a issue but they'll feel like something is off about it because it isn't being performed in a convincing and natural way Edit: music is about sharing a feeling the words are just there to help you picture it For eg you can write I haven't changed All those years that you had faith All those days you thought I'll stay, Everytime, I made mistakes You'd, think I'd know And you still here to watch me go Sad I'm leaving you alone For context it's about a man who is reminiscing on his death bed about how even though he's marriage with his wife wasn't perfect he's grateful knowing that even though he was a fool she really loved him through everything But the point is i was implying it in the writing but i also gave the listener a sense of time the weight on the wife to always make the decision to stay or go and the foolishness of the man without having to explicitly say what was happening

[@RandomVelocity]

This is studios page not Ryan’s. He’s not reading these comments lol😂. And this course isn’t new.

[@jmatthewza]

@@RandomVelocity I knew that it wasn't Ryan's page I wasn't trying to appeal to him I was just giving a different perspective from the do this and that and it's good undertone I got from the video but they are trying to sell a course so I can't blame them but it isn't that simple even though they're good pointers

[@RandomVelocity]

@@jmatthewza yeah I watched this preview. Sounds a lot like a train song for starters. I’m doing the Louis Bell course right now it more of a producers course. I did a drawn to the sky one. He writes a complete song in his course and it I think only 99 bucks it’s good.

[@RandomVelocity]

Funny I’ve replied to yo twice and it was deleted. Like this comment probably will be. That’s pretty shady

[@Itsyaboy88]

Nobody here is saying this is what you have to do. He is a master of modern Pop writing. He is teaching those of whom his formula. No shape or form at any point was saying you have to do this.

[@LeNguyen-fk6xl]

mistletoe by justin bieber 😅

[@Zesvo-c1t]

God saved you to save me.

[@Vitalrecordsandbeats]

Thanks for another great video. Always great content and a huge help. I see your poly D or Moog in the background and was considering selling mine bc I really want a Juno X and feel like it could do the same and a lot more. Can you talk me out of it if that’s a mistake? Thanks!!

[@dannymolns3573]

He's got a Juno 106 on the wall too haha. I'd get the Juno X if I didn't have a 106

[@war66mattam93]

Did he say subconscience? I went back and he said subconscious. My bad

[@Taliemiller]

He said both.

[@bentomio]

"big on songs making sense" this guy must hate fall out boy lol