Structuring Lyrics: The Secret to Writing Better Lyrics

[@SongWritersChopShop]

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE CHEAT SHEET for plenty of songwriting ideas for beginners HERE: mailchi.mp/58918357b8ca/ten-lyric-writing-tips-for-beginners

[@cazaw]

thank youuuu!

[@SongWritersChopShop]

@@cazaw no no, thank you.

[@BradCarlMusic]

Is this Cheat Sheet still available? I signed up via email but haven't received it yet.

[@HomemadeSongwriter]

Using this outline method at the very beginning to write a “thesis” of what your song is will keep you going throughout the write because if you get stuck you can reference back to see where you need to go next lyrically!

[@SongWritersChopShop]

well put Homemade songwriter. yep this has saved me a lot of time trying to figure out what I should write 'next'. cheers

[@kwasakwasa8332]

I'm sixteen and I will become a singer songwriter soon But I'll only be great because of these videos I can't express my gratitude enough

[@rickyelvis3215]

almost 17… time to panic!

[@cazaw]

so I love this, because its useful in any type of writing, therefore I'll use it in anything I write

[@SongWritersChopShop]

So...that's great to hear, But...I'd say you have already used it more than you realize, Because...this structure has been around for a long time, As a result...we all use it all the time without even knowing.

[@listentomarlo]

Thanks for making this. I am a singer-songwriter but I've been stuck lately. Seeing you map out the basics is helping me reset ❤️

[@SongWritersChopShop]

No worries Marlo, I'm happy it helped. we all get stuck sometimes, it's part of the journey. Just keep going.

[@doeBalaclava]

This just put me on a whole new level ‼️

[@keithmoreau710]

Bravo Tony! I love the way that you take solid concepts like this and keep coming back with different angles to look at them. I think concepts like this while simple, may be difficult to come to grasp with initially, but fleshing it out like this with a recent song is incredibly powerful and connects beautifully back to your other videos. Belated happy new year, cant wait to see what else is coming in 2021. Rhythm is an area I focussing in on at the moment, analysing songs for their anchoring rhythms. Trying to understand why those rhythms work together within sections but also contrasting rhythms of the sections within the song itself.

[@SongWritersChopShop]

Cheers Keith, belated happy new year to you. Are you looking at melodic rhythms or rhythms in general?

[@keithmoreau710]

@@SongWritersChopShop whatever rhythms are anchoring the song or sections. Melodic, harmonic or otherwise.

[@trancecrafter]

your videos have been super helpful for me to go from complete lyric novice to actually having a much more organized and clearcut understanding of my own emotions and how I can put them into a song structure! a lot of really awesome info you have put together on this channel!

[@athomesongwriting]

This is pure magic. Amazing work, Tony!

[@SongWritersChopShop]

cheers chad, i really appreciate that.

[@jeffmorgan2824]

Wow found your channel just right after getting stuck trying to write some melodies for one song... and I'm impressed how incredibly didactic your videos are you're a true teacher I've subscribed right away!

[@SongWritersChopShop]

cheers jeff, i really appreciate that. glad you got some value from the content.

[@TheLambchop29]

Perfect timing. Great knowledge yet again thanks for passing it on

[@SongWritersChopShop]

no worries buddy, happy to help.

[@kaydee9452]

Magic, best explonation I seen! EVER!

[@SongWritersChopShop]

cheers Klapek, glad you got some value from it.

[@yoavhanuka2772]

Man I gotta tell you, you give the BEST most practical advise on songwriting I have ever come to know! Thank you

[@SongWritersChopShop]

Cheers, I really appreciate that and glad it helped.

[@VampiricNolan]

This was really helpful! Thank you🖤

[@SongWritersChopShop]

cheers Valerie, really glad you found it useful.

[@keithmoreau710]

Hey Tony, as an exercise I analysed Plush by STP, looking for that 3 Act structure. What do you think? Act 1 - A relationship that appears on its last legs Act 2 - An obsessive dynamic still exists Act 3 - He’s appealing for her to stay

[@SongWritersChopShop]

Hi Keith, nice work. I've sent you an email, let me know if you got it.

[@rayt3894]

This is great Tony. Thanks for giving us the roadmap. This will give our songs direction and make it easier to fill in the blanks.

[@SongWritersChopShop]

Cheers Ray, yeah I use this all the time. Glad you foud it helpful.

[@JokkePlays]

really really good vid. Your vids has really helped me elevate my consciousness about my song writing and its nice to exercise! ONE THING: At 5:12, would line 3-4 be but, and 5-6 be "as a result of" instead of cause, and but? She didn't get the license "because" he was excited. And its wasn't a "but" that she cried. it was a "but" that he was excited and as a result of that she cried.

[@SongWritersChopShop]

He was excited because they used to talk about it.

[@OfficialNnoa]

Sometimes I struggle with getting from the status quo to a certain moral of the song. I usually capture situations, feelings or experiences quite well (as a narrative), but I often get stuck when it comes to the moral... the reason why I'm actually writing this song or what listeners could learn from it for themselves... how do you manage to deepen the story & plot of your songs in a way so that you can "close the whole circle" of phrases? any advice? thanks so much

[@lloydbradly307]

Glad I clicked.

[@user-ho9pd2zp8n]

Thank you!

[@SongWritersChopShop]

you're very welcome.

[@OfficialNnoa]

solid!

[@SongWritersChopShop]

Cheers Nnoa

[@liveanadventure429]

Hi, I love these videos, do the same rules apply if you’re writing from the perspective of observing? Like being in a hotel room looking from the window, or is it better to create more of a why? Around the reason of looking from the window? Or if sitting in a coffee shop just watching the world go by? Obviously visually both of those examples present a lot of opportunities for lyrics, or is it a case it’s ok to write a a song that simply paints a picture of an environment and what’s happening in it?

[@LennySugiono]

Amazing thank you man

[@SongWritersChopShop]

cheers Leonard.

[@at68250]

Vary helpful Thanks for making This Video I'm going to Sucsribe to your Channel because I Find your Channel Very helpful for me 😍✌️👍

[@SongWritersChopShop]

Cheers Great.Guitar God, I appreciate it. Glad you're getting some value from the content.

[@at68250]

@@SongWritersChopShop Thank you ✌️

[@SongWritersChopShop]

@@at68250 no worries man, have a good one.

[@ajriley4920]

Is possible to get these exact diagrams? To put on the walls in my room ?

[@theobserver8]

But isnt plot WHAT happens in a story and Story is WHY it happens?

[@SongWritersChopShop]

That's not the way I learned it. Story = what, plot = what + why. But it doesn't matter what labels you put on it. The point of the "drama formula" is to move the story forward through cause and effect. If you're happier to say story = why that's fine, you're still using cause and effect. You're still giving the action a reason. when we just go...this happened and this happened and this happened... it has no direction and we can start to write in circles without saying anything. I know plenty of songs do that too, this is just an easy way to keep things moving in the direction you want them to and make sure each section is saying something different. Thanks for the comment 👍

[@soldierofyhvh5966]

These videos are fantastic. But I do all these things in your video without advanced music theory. I just thought all of the 'theory' came naturally. Convention? Gay people can marry, females can walk around half-naked, and there are still forced rules about song structure. Hmmm, maybe that's why music has become so generic. Back in the oooold days (the 50s-80s), music was a mystery. Music isn't so mysterious anymore. There's nothing new. The same basic chords are repeated infinitely using the same 'tried and true; methods (which is probably why everything sounds the same on the radio).

[@rickyelvis3215]

tip 1… kidnap Dylan

[@osmacar5331]

Slowly but surely i'll write good. But overall fucked up songs. Though i will try to stay away from them as much as possible as am not keen on being linkin park 2 depressive boogaloo. That and i prefer hard hitting over, rethinkinking my life and having it all put afront of me. It's far from pretty ngl.

[@161friends]

but the songs i like dont follow this