Songwriting

Question 1

lyric

Answer 1

words set to music

Question 2

5 elements of lyric

Answer 2

• diction
• image
• sound
• structure
• substance
• when all of these elements work together -> effective lyric

Question 3

5 elements -> diction

Answer 3

• choice of words/phrases

- rhyme, repetition (emphasis), alliteration, colloquial style, slang, word specificity (rather than abstractions)

Question 4

5 elements -> image

Answer 4

• use of figurative language

- metaphor, simile, personification

Question 5

5 elements -> sound

Answer 5

• musicality of the lyric
• actual music accompanying the lyric
• how the music and lyric work together
• the musicality of the lyrics themselves

Question 6

5 elements -> structure

Answer 6

• how the lyric is put together

- verse, chorus, bridge, dynamics (energy/tension)

Question 7

5 elements -> subtance

Answer 7

• what the lyric is about

- theme, conflicts, central idea, sense of character, resonance with listener

Question 8

using aristotle’s concepts in songwriting (and prosody)

Answer 8

• Aristotle discussed UNITY in drama/poetics (unity of action/time/place) -> same concept applied to songwriting
• PROSODY: similar to unity; when all elements work together to support the central message (ie. sad lyrics -> sad music, light/funny song -> funny rhymes… although you can put sad songs with upbeat music for a specific effect)

Question 9

poem vs. lyric

Answer 9

• lyric has music, poem doesn’t

- poem great entry point to songwriting

Question 10

ways to go from poems to lyrics

Answer 10

• set a poem, as is, to music
• set your poems to music
• use poems as inspiration
• use elements/lines of a poem