Definition
The songwriting process is the sequence of decisions that leads from a fragment (a title, a chord loop, a loop, a phrase sung into a phone) to a finished song recorded as a demo. There is no single order: in Berklee's songwriting courses (Pat Pattison for lyrics, Jimmy Kachulis for form and melody), the point is stressed that every starting point works, as long as at some point title, central idea, hook and form are brought into relation with one another.
The most common starting points
- Title first: typical of Nashville. You start from a strong phrase (“Someone Like You,” “Shake It Off”) and build everything so that it lands at the most exposed point of the chorus.
- Music first: a chord loop or riff on piano/guitar, then melody, then lyrics. Risk: melodies that follow the chord too closely.
- Track first / top line: the dominant method in pop, hip hop and K-pop. A producer creates the track (an 8–16 bar loop), and one or more topliners write melody and lyrics over it (see the Topline card).
- Lyric first: typical of singer-songwriters. The rhythm of the words suggests the melody (see Prosody).
- Groove first: you start from drums and bass, very common in funk, afrobeats, reggaeton.
The practical stages
- 1. Capture: voice memos, saved loops, an “ideas” folder in the DAW. In FL Studio it is useful to save each idea as a separate project with BPM and key in the name (e.g.
idea_122_Am_pad.flp). - 2. Central idea: in one sentence, what is the song about? It is the “thesis” that every section must serve. Pattison calls it the point of view to defend.
- 3. Hook and chorus first: the chorus is the section that justifies the rest. It is best to write it first, then build verse and pre-chorus as roads leading there.
- 4. Form: choose a scheme (Verse–Pre–Chorus, AABA, Verse–Chorus–Bridge) and an approximate length: a typical radio pop song runs between 2:45 and 3:30; at 120 BPM a bar lasts 2 seconds, so 3:00 is about 90 bars.
- 5. Contrast: for each section decide register, rhythmic density of the melody, first chord (see Contrast between sections).
- 6. Final lyrics: replace the “dummy lyrics” (nonsense syllables or placeholder phrases) while keeping the stresses.
- 7. Demo: guide vocal, harmony, essential drums and bass. The demo serves to judge the song, not the production: if it works with just piano and voice, it will also work produced.
- 8. Revision: listen a day later, check the length of the intro (today often under 10 seconds), the time before the first chorus (often within 45–60 seconds), the clarity of the title.
A concrete example in A minor
4-bar loop Am–F–C–G (i–VI–III–VII), 100 BPM.
- Verse (8 bars): melody in the low register of the voice, around E4–A4, short phrases with pauses.
- Pre-chorus (4 bars): harmony that stops on F and G (VI–VII), melody rising by step.
- Chorus (8 bars): title on the first bar, the highest note of the song (C5 or D5) on the key word, longer melodic rhythm.
Co-writing
In professional sessions there are often three roles: producer (track and sound), topliner (melody), lyricist (lyrics); sometimes they coincide. Golden rule: don't reject an idea until it has been tried sung over the track. Writer shares (splits) are agreed at the end of the session.
Use in real songs
- Adele — Someone Like You (2011): written with Dan Wilson starting from the piano loop and the central idea, completed in two sessions.
- Max Martin and his team typically work on an already existing track, with the topline built from syllables and stresses before the final lyrics.
Practical exercise
Set a 45-minute timer. In 10 minutes write 5 titles; pick one. In 15 minutes create a 4-chord, 4-bar loop. In 20 minutes sing over it with free syllables until you find an 8-bar chorus that contains the title. Record everything, close the project and listen again the next day.
Related
Hooks in pop songwriting, Topline, Building the chorus, Prosody, Verse–chorus form, Developing an idea into a complete song.