How's that hit song coming along? Last time, to refresh your memory, we kind of broke-the-ice on the subject, and talked about some of the basic tools that might come in handy for composing. I also shared with you a personal preference for choosing a chord progression as a starting point, and offered some hints regarding logical choices for both the chords themselves and the personality of the voicings. Let's continue our conversation in the second of this three-part article.

Time Signature & Logical Structure

Time signatures. 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 2/4, 12/8, 5/4, 7/4, cut time, common time... Confused yet? Let me make life a whole lot easier for you, the composer. About ninety percent of what you hear on the radio and CDs is in 4/4 time, also called common time. Simply put, it's four-beats-to-the-bar. Now you can dwell, if you wish, on the likelihood of writing originals in the other time signatures (which you will do at some point), but I'd highly recommend that you follow the conventional order to start. And speaking of conventional...

Structure and organization. Yes, these traits most certainly exist in all successful compositions that you're likely to hear. You'll do well to observe what they are and pattern your song after a formula that your listeners are inclined to be drawn to. Will this damage your chances of being perceived as original? Well, if you alienate your audience by veering from the normal time signatures and structures, you may see yourself as original, but you probably won't be successful.

Intro, verse, chorus, bridge, hook, etc. All building blocks of an original song. Take some time to analyze other tunes and you'll find that almost every progression in any song section is divisible by four. Think about it. Four-bar intros, eight-bar verse, chorus, or bridge. Thirty-two, sixteen, or twelve-bar song lengths. On and on. When you start to section-off your ideas, try as hard as you can to make those sections conform to the accepted standard. By doing so, you not only increase your chances of success with this song, but pave the way for solid songwriting in the future.

Dynamics & Harmonic Density

One of the most common mistakes that novice songwriters make is in overlooking dynamics and what I like to call the "harmonic density" factor when moving from verse to chorus to bridge. You simply can't afford to bore your listeners and not offer some surprises and diversity when moving from one section of the song to another. If you're clever, you'll hide a powerful chord and save it for an upcoming section. It can be as simple and traditional a device as using interplay between major and relative minor (e.g. C & A minor in the key of C) to something more complicated. Whatever you choose to do, the last thing that you want is to have one section sound too close harmonically to another. Another thing to keep in mind is that, just like during an improvised solo, repetition can be a highly dynamic tool for songwriting. But be sure to confine your repetition within a section (especially during the hook).

Another easy way to instill dynamics between sections is by juggling the harmonic density. How? Easy. Generally speaking, if your verse has a lot of density (chord changes every two beats), make sure your chorus has less (every four beats), or vice versa. This way you allow your song to open up from time to time, and not become too constricted.

The Almighty Bass Line

So, bass players get no respect, eh? Well, make no mistake about it. In an ensemble situation or composition, the bass is often the singular most defining piece of the pie. In even the most simple pop song scenario, the bass is at least the very glue that holds everything together. And if the song is in the dance, funk, blues, or jazz genre, the harmonic makeup and syncopation of the bass part is critical to the overall feel and personality of the final product.

Most of my colleagues and students know how much I enjoy the bass. My preference, strictly from a playing standpoint, is performing in a situation where I can be spontaneously creative (usually jazz-related). All of that takes a backseat when I'm composing, however. In that context, all that concerns me is being a team player and hitting a home run with the bass part. That can be anything from composing the funkiest line that I can imagine, the hippest jazz walk that I can hear, or just holding a whole note for four beats. Whatever works! Next time: more on bass, melodies, etc.