Songwriter Question: Is There A Formula To Writing A Hit Song?

2007-12-19

Songwriter Question: Is There A Formula To Writing A Hit Song?

Many have asked “Is there a formula to writing a hit song”.

I say yes – but many pundits will disagree and say no. There is a line though, a line between the formula and what comes from your heart and soul. That line can be invisible and hard to draw, especially when you are in crunch mode or really needing to accomplish a certain goal – whether it’s to get signed, get more fans or broaden appeal.

The idea in creating a movement where, artists and songwriters are more educated within their craft is really to create new opportunities for artistic freedom in songwriting, music production, and live performance. If you know what works, why it works, then you have a better chance of using that knowledge to decide what not to do, or to decide how to work in the direction of what’s worked in the past and make a valuable contribution that is most likely to succeed in the future.

People talk about the language of music all the time, but many musicians don’t take the time to actually study the language of music and the vast vocabulary of musical ideas. Many don’t know the difference between a C major chord and a C minor chord; but if they did know – it would help them write better songs. Why? Because once you can master the Aeolian mode (minor), then you have the ability to create a library of tunes that are minor…and a GREAT deal of today’s chart-topping songs is written in that mode. Now you aren’t just writing a song because you happened to stumble on it, you’re writing a minor song because you know that perhaps 60% of the songs on the charts are written in the minor mode. But you also know that the remaining 40% of songs on the charts are written in the major (Ionian) mode.

That’s just one aspect of how there can be a formula to writing a hit song. There are so many other music trends and “cheat codes” that can be used to writing songs that it would be overwhelming. The good thing is that its never too late to discover formulas or play around with them. The basis of the entire music system, is centered around 12 notes in the chromatic scale. The more you understand the degrees of relationships between the notes, is the more you are able to create beautiful music – just like a chef who knows the many different combinations of foods and spices.

In Songwriting, the issue is most always:

• word choice
• style
• melody
• harmonies
• vocal production
• lyric combinations
• idea / theme / concept

Budding songwriters tend to write whatever they feel, and while that may work with close friends and family; it has been proven not to work really well in the commercial market because it is harder to get mass audiences to relate to the topic at hand. What people appreciate is a solid concept or theme in the songwriter’s story line. And no, it doesn’t matter what genre you’re in. You absolutely need to frame your songwriting around something that people can immediately grasp. In country, what’s extremely popular (recently at least) is this subtle concept of going to the edge and living life and living it to the fullest before you…die. Every year I hear the same [type] song, said differently. And it is truly unique, but it is truly cloned at the same time. But that’s what sells and that’s what the public has been “programmed” to hear, and that’s what they buy into. Especially when they are forced to hear it everywhere they go.

It’s no wonder that these songs become hits. The formula and similarity between songs is almost always there; and it has to be. For the simple fact that anyone who makes music is influenced by everyone else who makes music, whether by choice or not. A country artist who makes a new song today – is influenced by the songs he’s heard on the radio *subconsciously* or not, in addition to his/her own personal experiences and ideas that will go into the making of the song. The influence of other country songs on this new country song, is almost unavoidable. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. Even if the country writer decides it won’t be a good idea to write the “typical” country song, that decision is still based on the influence of other country songs – otherwise that decision could not be made.

The formula of songwriting is true. The formula of songwriting will become one of the most valuable skills in Western Music, especially over the next 3-4 years; as the record industry continues to decline and crumble. If you’re not paying attention, it’s time to start.