by Scott Ashley.
Writing catchy songs is an important part of songwriting that resonates with your listeners. Catchy songs tend to be more memorable and stick in people's heads, which can help them gain more popularity and recognition. Additionally, catchy songs often have strong hooks and choruses that can help create an emotional connection with listeners, which is an essential part of engaging and connecting with an audience.
An important fact: if the listener doesn’t hear something they can latch onto they won’t remember your song. This is the tough part that you will have to work hard on it. Here are some tips.
1. Brainstorm catchy hooks: Focus on coming up with memorable; catchy hooks that will draw in your audience and make them want to keep listening. Consider playing around with different rhyme schemes, alliteration, and wordplay to make your hooks stand out. Example: think of a catchy melody that you can remember. Repeat over and over again to see if it sounds good. Or create, experiment and hum a melody and try to alter and make it better, repeat it again to see if it sounds nice.
"One unforgettable hook can be your song’s ticket to the top of the charts. But why stop at one, when multiple hooks can maximize your chances of success?" said Jason Blume, hit songwriter, cuts with Britney Spear, BackStreet Boys, the Oak Ridge Boys and more.
2. Write from experience: Write from your own experiences, stories from the past and present and focus on topics that you can relate to and have a passion for. Doing so will make your lyrics more honest and engaging. Did you just break up with a boyfriend or girlfriend? Try to write from that experience. The songs may surprise you!
3. Play with rhythm: Experiment with different rhythms and tempo changes to create interesting, dynamic songs. You can also add in percussion, vocal harmonies, and other elements to give your song more depth and texture.
4. Utilize song structure: Familiarize yourself with the different elements of song structure, such as the intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro. This will help you create songs that are more organized and structured. Also, read this related article: 5 truths about Songwriting
"There are so many ways to structure a song, but staying current is a good place to start writing hits. Listeners’ tastes change, and song structure usually reflects the changes", said Mark Cawley, hit songwriter with cuts ranging from Tina Turner to Wynonna Judd to The Spice Girls.
5. Simplify: Try to keep your lyrics as simple and concise as possible. Be mindful of how each word sounds and its impact on the overall flow of the song.
"One of the hallmarks of a great lyric is that it reaches out and grabs a listener immediately", said Cliff Goldmacher, hit songwriter with cuts ranging from Ke$ha, Lisa Loeb, Chris Barron and more.
6. Listen to other songs: Listen to different genres of music and observe how different artists are structuring their songs. You may get some inspiration there! Also read this related article: 7 Great Ways to get ideas for writing songs
So, try and experiment you may get your desired effect. Do not focus on being perfect, focus on getting better and tell yourself that it is OK for you to make mistakes. Sometimes through mistakes or unintended writing or humming, comes a great hook or Chorus!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott Ashley is a songwriter and graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He is a voting member of the Recording Academy (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences). He is currently working as the Artist Relations director with the USA Songwriting Competition and IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards). His book "How to Write Better Songs" hit #1 on the Amazon Best Seller Books Charts last year. Click here to purchase Scott Ashley's book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5PLFGKX
For information on the 30th Annual USA Songwriting Competition, go to: https://www.songwriting.net
