Songwriting Mini Course Part 4 – How To Write A Bridge

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Welcome to part 4 of your step by step songwriting mini course. In the last 3 parts you have learned how to write the main parts of basic song structure. Since the verse and chorus contain the main ideas of a song, you’ll want to make sure you have those completed before moving on with part 4.

Today I am going to show you how to write a bridge. The bridge will often stand out from the other sections in a song, and will function to give the song some extra depth. Writing a bridge for a song can be a great opportunity to take your listeners in a whole new direction musically.

Songwriting Step #5: Write A Bridge

A bridge is a short section in a song that acts as a transition between sections and usually contains different musical elements such as chords, melodies, or lyrics that contrast with the rest of the song. If you are going to write a bridge that contains lyrics, this will be your opportunity to create a “twist”. For instance, let’s imagine that your song is about taking a trip to somewhere you have never been before. An example of the content of the lyrics could be something like this:

Song About Taking A Trip –

Verse : Where you are going.
Chorus: How you feel about going there.
*Bridge: Something new you discovered along the way.

This same concept applies to the musical aspects of the song. Think of the word “bridge” as a metaphor. You will be building a bridge to take the listener somewhere else (musically). Here are some effective ways to write a bridge for your song:

• If you have been writing your song using mostly major (“happy”) chords, write your bridge using minor chords. So if you have been using E major, A major, and B major; write the bridge for your song using minor chords like E Minor, A minor, C# minor, etc. This applies the same if you have been using mostly minor chords in your song as well.
• Try introducing different instruments. For example, if you have been using piano as your primary instrument, add in some guitar lines here. This will provide a great contrast, and will surprise the listener.
• Make totally new melodies. By using new melodies for either your vocal lines or instruments, it will make the bridge really stand out.

When putting your song together section by section, the bridge will normally be placed after the chorus. However, before the bridge is used, it is common (but not required) for both the verse and chorus sections to repeat two times. Here is an example:

After the bridge ends, there are many directions you can take the song. The two most common ways that musicians will continue the song are the following:

1. Repeat the chorus of the song. In this case, the bridge can be used as a great way to build up to the chorus. When writing a bridge for this purpose, use some of the tension creating techniques discussed in previous parts.

2. Begin a new “break” section. Sometimes when writing a bridge for a song, it is used to build up to a break section. This part of a song is normally instrumental, and may contain instrumental solos and/or similar chords, melodies, rhythms, or other musical elements from other parts of the song. However, the break section may also totally different, with little or no connection to the other parts of the song. The length of this section varies.

Now that you have learned how to write a bridge for a song, you are almost ready to complete your song! In the final part of this mini course, I will show you some effective ways to end your song. Additionally, I will show you many popular song structures to give you more options to choose from when creating new songs.

In the mean time, do the following steps if you haven't already done them:

1. Learn innovative songwriting methods for creating new songwriting ideas . This will help you not only improve the overall quality of your songs, but also understand how to consistently think of new ideas for your music.
2. Get your song started in part 1 of this mini course by writing a song intro .
3. Return to part 2 to and learn how to write a verse for a song .
4. Go back to part 3 to learn about writing a song chorus .

Songwriting Mini Course Part 2 – How To Write A Verse For A Song

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Welcome to part 2 of the mini course on learning the steps for writing a song. In part 1, you learned how to write a song intro to quickly get the attention of anyone who hears your song. Now, I am going to show you what to do once you have written your song intro and are ready to take the next step...Today you will be learning how to write a verse for a song.

If you have not done so already, I highly recommend completing songwriting steps 1 and 2 from the previous part before continuing with the steps discussed today. After engaging the listener and building up interest with your song intro, it is time to write the main section of your song.

Songwriting Step #3: Write A Verse For Your Song

The verse in a song is commonly thought of as the “main” section of the song. This is the section in a song that will contain the majority of the lyrical content (if you are writing lyrics) and is where the vocal melodies normally begin. Creating a verse is one of the biggest steps for writing a song because it creates the overall “feel” of the music. If you ever listened to a song and thought: “That song is a happy song (or sad song, or angry song, etc.), it is because the songwriter had written the verse with the intention of making you feel that way. Keep this in mind as you write your song verse.

The verse section in a song will normally be made up of a melody (vocal or instrumental) with chords played underneath. Similar to when you were writing an intro, there are many different ways to write a verse for a song. Here are a couple of easy and effective ways to get started:

1. Write A Verse For A Song: Simple Verse

A very simple song verse will simply contain a basic melody and chords that are played 1 to 4 times before moving onto the next section in the song. Here is a chart showing a verse that repeats 4 times to help you picture this more easily:

Here the intro section leads into the verse where the verse is repeated 4 times.

When writing a simple verse, you don’t need to repeat the melody and chord parts exactly note for note. If you use too much repetition without any variety, your music may quickly become “boring”. One way to solve this is to change the note rhythms a little in the chords or melody whenever you repeat them.

2. Write A Verse For A Song: Using More Variety

To write a verse for a song with a little more variety, you can split up the verse into two halves like this:

First Half = 1 melody part and 1 chord part. Second Half = The same (or similar) melody part from the first half and a new chord part.

Here is a chart to help you picture this more easily:  

Here the intro section leads into the verse which is split into 2 halves.

When making a different chord part, try using new chords, different rhythm patterns, or even adding in different instruments. As a side note, you don’t have to make this part entirely different. This part can be as subtle as adding on a few extra notes to the chord or simply changing the rhythm a little.

In addition, try making the melody different while keeping the chords the same. Experimentation is key here, so try different approaches to see what sounds good to you.

If you choose to write your song verse like this, here is something to keep in mind: Usually the second half of the verse is written to build up to the next section of the song. I will discuss this new section in more detail in part 3 of this mini course.

How To Get The Most Value From What You Learned Today:

Now that I have shown you a couple ways to write a verse in a song, write your verse and put it together with the intro you made before. Do the two musical sections sound good together? If not, try adding in or taking out something to make things “flow” better.

In part 3, your song will really start coming together as we add on a new song section. Until then, take the following steps:

1. Learn how to create your own creative ideas for songwriting and use them to supplement the song you are currently working on.
2. Review part 1 of this mini course by reading about how to write a song intro to refine the intro section you have created (or create a new one).

Songwriting Mini Course Part 3 – Writing A Chorus For A Song

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Welcome back to your step by step songwriting mini course. Today I am going to show you how to write a chorus for a song. Also known as a “hook”, the chorus is going to be one of the most memorable, emotional, and climactic parts of your song. Think of times when you are trying to describe a song to someone else. How do you describe it to them? You probably say something like this: “You know that one song that goes like [insert melody]...?” This part is almost always the chorus. Your goal when writing a chorus for a song is to make it stick in the mind of your listeners for a long time after they hear it.

To show the importance of the chorus, imagine that every other section of the song up until the chorus is like taking a trip to climb a mountain. The intro is like hearing about the impending adventure and becoming excited, the verse is like taking the trip to the base of the mountain and beginning to climb…then finally pulling yourself up over the edge to reveal: An unforgettable view where you can see the sunset, the trees, clouds on the horizon, and the entire city below. This is the chorus. The part you remember most about the trip (song) will be that highly emotional and intense moment when you made it to the top.

Songwriting Step #4: Write A Chorus For Your Song

The chorus comes after the verse, and will usually contain the main point of your song (lyrically). It can also be only instrumental (even if other parts of your song contain lyrics). When writing a chorus for a song it will almost always be shorter than the verse section, and will usually be longer than the intro. Additionally, the chorus is sometimes placed at the beginning of a song to act in the place of the intro (more on this later in the mini course).

In order to write a chorus that is truly memorable, you will need to focus on creating a great musical climax. A good climax in music has 3 steps:

1. Building Up A High Level Of Tension

While writing your song chorus you will want to be creating tension to build up to the climax (this will happen at end). Here are a few good ways that you can create tension in your chorus:

• If you are writing lyrics in your song, save the absolute, most important line for the last part of the chorus. In the mean time, try to “hint at” or imply what you will say without giving it all away too early.
• As I mentioned in part 1, use melody lines that get higher in pitch. When we hear musical notes that “go up” like this, we feel like we are going somewhere. You can use this idea as you write your song chorus to maintain the listener’s interest.
• Use chords that contain 5 notes or more. This is especially effective if your verse did not have very “big” chords or many melody lines.

As a side note, sometimes a transition section is used in between the verse and chorus. This is called a “pre chorus.” This short section (usually made of one or two melodies) functions to help increase the tension in the climax of the chorus. This section sometimes has a similar sound to the verse, but may also sound totally different.

2. Reach The Highest Point

The highest point of the chorus will be at the end. This is where you want to place your most important message if you are writing lyrics in your song. Musically speaking, this where you will place the highest note in pitch or in volume. For maximum effect, have this note sustain for a little bit longer than the others.

3. Resolve The Tension

Once you have built up tension and reached the highest point in the chorus of your song, you will want to resolve all the tension. This gives the listener a chance to relax and reflect on what they just listened to. After reaching the highest point of the chorus, it is very common to immediately return to repeat the verse section. Since the verse is less intense than the chorus, this quickly resolves all the built up tension.

Creating a great climax is an essential step to writing a song chorus. The points mentioned above are only a few of the many ways this can be done. To hear more ways to write a chorus in a song, I recommend that you listen to your favorite musical artists. How do they create musical tension? When does the highest point of the music occur during the chorus? If you really like what you hear in your favorite artists, see if you can use some of their songwriting methods in your own chorus. If you are still having a difficult time thinking of ideas for your chorus, use this songwriting ideas audio course to jump-start your creativity.

In the next part of this songwriting mini course, I will introduce you to a new section that can help you add more depth to your song.

Re-visit part 1 and learn about writing an intro to a song .

Return to part 2 to get started writing a song verse .

Songwriting Mini Course Part 1 – Getting Started By Learning How To Write A Song Intro

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Welcome to part 1 of your songwriting mini course. Over the next 10 days I will show you how to write a song using a clear, step by step process. In each part of this mini course, you will be learning essential songwriting steps in a way that emphasizes song structure. In case you are unfamiliar with this idea, song structure simply refers to the “parts” or “sections” of a song. So, why is it important to learn song structure?

By understanding the way a song is put together, you can very quickly create your own songs (regardless of your current experience with songwriting). Think of putting a song together like building a jigsaw puzzle: If you know where all the pieces of the puzzle fit, you can put everything in the right place to create an incredible work of art. Additionally, the more familiar you are with the process of putting puzzles together, the better (and faster) you get at building them. As you read each part of this songwriting mini course, you will gain a new piece of the puzzle that you can use create a new song. By the end, you will have learned all the necessary songwriting steps to write not just one song, but many songs anytime you want.

Songwriting Step #1: Think About What You Will Say In Your Song

Before you even create a single note for your song, it is important to put a good amount of thought into what you want to “say” with your music. Most people make the mistake of writing music in a totally “improvised” manner without any sense of purpose. While this can still produce results, it is best to know what you want to express in your music first BEFORE you begin writing. By having a clear idea of what you want to write about in your music, it will give you a much more clear sense of direction during the songwriting process. If you want your song to contain lyrics, you do not necessarily need to write out all of your song lyrics beforehand. For now, simply develop a good idea of what you want to express musically.

Once you have developed a good idea of what you want to write about in your music, it is time to begin with the first part of your song: “The Intro”.

Songwriting Step #2: Write A Song Intro

In general, the intro section of your song will be fairly short. An intro is typically made of a short musical idea that is repeated 2 – 4 times. This musical idea could be a single melody, harmonized melodies, a chord progression, or any combination of the two. The purpose of writing a song intro is to quickly gain the listener’s interest and draw them into the music. Keep this in mind, because the first initial moments of a song are extremely crucial! Notice the chart below, this is an example of the times in a standard song that contain the highest points of interest for most people (people remember these sections the most). This can give you an understanding of just how important it is to create a great intro section that effectively sparks your listener's interest.

In fact, before I discuss any actual songwriting methods to help you write a song intro, it is essential that you fully understand the importance of the opening moments in your song.

The opening intro of a song is very important for the following reasons:

1. When someone hears the opening moments of a song, they will either be interested to hear what comes next (want to hear more), or bored (become disinterested).
2. The first few moments in a song have great power to immediately make a listener feel a certain way. Since this is the first time someone will hear the song, it will have the greatest effect on them in the moment. For example, think of a song that starts off with slowly strummed minor chords on a guitar. After listening to this, you’d most likely experience feelings such as sadness or relaxation (or something similar).

Now, that you understand more about the importance of opening a song, let’s talk about some ways that you can write a song intro.

The truth is there are nearly endless ways to write an intro for a song. In fact, most people struggle getting started simply because they feel so overwhelmed. I am not going to cover every possible way you can do this… However, I will show you the a few of the main ways to write an intro that will INSTANTLY grab your listener’s attention.

For now, begin writing your song intro by using either a single melody or 1-3 chords or a melody played over chords. Then, use any combination of the following approaches:

1. Ask A Question Instead Of Making A Statement.

In other words, grab the listener’s attention by “asking them a question” musically and making them wonder what will come next. To do this, you must think of a way to make your music feel unresolved and tense. Experiment by starting and ending on different notes of the melody, playing chords that feel “tense”(such as Dominant 7 or Minor Add 9 chords), and by changing the emphasis you put on different notes. By “asking a question” like this, you will create a strong sense of anticipation in the listener. This will make them interested to hear what comes next.

2. Build Intensity By Starting Low And Ending High

Begin your song by staying within the same pitch range, and using only a few notes. For example, only play 1-3 notes for your melody or if you are using chords, only use the lowest notes in the chord. Then, repeat your musical idea while climbing to a higher pitch range with your notes. In music, when the notes of a melody rise in pitch, it makes the music more intense. By starting off “low”, and going “high”, you will give a sense of direction to the music. This will make your music sound like it is going somewhere, and the listener will feel the intensity as you take them there.

3. Use "Faster" Note Rhythms To Quickly Grab Interest

One way to very quickly get attention in music is to use fast note rhythms in the song intro. Do this by writing the intro for your song with a series of very fast notes (such as sixteenth notes or triplets). By using faster note rhythms, you will immediately grab the listener’s interest. Here is an example to illustrate my point…Which of the following song intros do you think would get your attention faster?:

A song intro that starts off with slow, delicate chords.

OR

A song intro that starts off with a series of high speed, energetic scales.

Some very effective ways to amplify the effect of using fast note rhythms are the following:

1. Use arpeggios (broken up chords) that contain a distance of two octaves from the highest note to the lowest note.
2. Use a 'sequence' by writing your notes in groups of 3 or more. For example, a 3 note sequence could contain a melody line like this: " A - B - C - B - C - D - C - E - G# etc." A 4 note sequence could contain a melody line like this: " E - G# - B - G# - B - D# - F# - D# - C - E - G ♮ - E - A - C# - E - C# etc."
3. Add in a series of 'chromatic' notes that connect together the end of the intro to the first note in the next section you will be writing. For instance, if the next section in your song starts on 'E' (or uses an E major/minor chord), you could use a chromatic line like this at the end of your intro: "C - C# - D - D#"

Regardless of how much you like the sound of slow chords, you would naturally be drawn to the faster notes of the scales in the second intro. That said, you can of course "create" the idea of speed in a slow song as well by using a variety of notes. chords, or musical ideas in a short period of time. This causes your brain to have less time to process what is going on in the music, and therefore it forces you to pay closer attention!

4. Give The Listener "A Taste Of Things To Come"

In many song intros, the songwriter will use the intro section as a way to introduce the specific "theme" of the song. This can come in the form of writing a particular melody that will be repeated at some point in the song (in full or partially) or simply using certain scales, chords, rhythms, instruments or many other musical tools. For example, say a songwriter wants to write a soft ballad about an Arabian prince and his love interest. In this situation, the songwriter has many ways to introduce this idea to the listener. He could use authentic arabian instruments, eastern musical scales, soft piano notes, or a variety of other ideas. To do this in your own music, think of a way to quickly summarize or describe the main idea of your song using one or more of these musical elements: melody, chords, rhythm, instruments (what kind and how many?), or dynamics (is the music loud? soft? etc.).

Take the time to read over each of the above points, and determine how you want to begin. To get the most out of this part of the mini course, focus on writing a song intro right now while this information is fresh on your mind. If you need to, write down your musical ideas on a piece of paper so that you don’t forget them. Additionally, learn how to write tons of new ideas of your introby studying this audio course on creating new song ideas .

So far, you have learned how to quickly grab the listener’s attention by writing an intro. Next (in part 2 of this mini course), I will show you what to do once you have your listener’s attention. See you soon!