The main ingredient that distinguishes a perfectly respectable “album cut” from a hit song is the presence of a killer hook. But if hooks like that were that easy to create, we’d all be millionaires! How can you enhance the impact of your songs’ hooks to engage both audiences and people behind desks? Keep reading!
To make this article more useful, gather your 3 strongest or most recent titles, hooks, or choruses, so you can apply what we’re discussing to the “real world” of your material.
Leverage your personal experiences to get “Nuggets of Truth”
I firmly believe that the old adage, “write what you know” is as applicable to songwriting as it is to prose. Although some of us prefer to believe that we can write about anyone and anything, our most meaningful and successful songs often stem from “real life” experiences and our responses to and interpretations of those experiences. Every day we spend on the planet, viewed through the prism of songwriting, offers countless creative possibilities. The seeds of brilliant songs often lie just below the surface, but the writer must be willing to nurture their growth.
Let’s say you’re starting out with a blank slate: the germ of an idea brewing, the recording device turned on, and the instrument, voice, or blank page ready and waiting. How do you go about extracting the proverbial Killer Hook from your precious “nuggets of truth”?
o First, ask: what is true, real, intensely felt RIGHT NOW in your life? Watch for those flashes of accomplishment, the moments of his “aha!”
o What experiences do you have a burning desire to share?
o What contribution do you want to make to the world?
o What makes your perspective on life unique, compelling and interesting?
o In the movie “Walk The Line”, Sam Phillips asks Johnny Cash what song he would sing if he was dying in a ditch on the side of the road and only had 3 minutes left. What hook would you sing in that situation?
o How can you organize the words and/or musical notes so that your “soul” sings?
o Go crazy, be bold, discover your deepest truth or your dumbest notion.
o Your job as a composer is to express what others cannot express. Go overboard!
Now take a few minutes and blur whatever comes to mind. Really dig in there and fearlessly sing, write or play something, anything, as long as it rings true. This is a great exercise to try whenever you have a spare 10 minutes.
Then start putting that spark of inspiration into song form. Stay connected to the essence of your personal experience as you begin to experiment with lyrics and music.
Ways to improve the impact of your song’s hooks
In the verse/chorus song form, the most common form these days, the chorus, and especially the hook, is where you “deliver the goods.” It is the equivalent of the summary before the jury, the joke of the joke, the revelation at the top of the mountain. Every verse, every pre-chorus, every bridge, every line and every note leads to this final reward. A great hook (and chorus) is packed with meaning, fun, passionate intensity…or all three! It can’t be stressed too much that his hook really has to rock his world. But first, it has to rock YOURS. It has to ring true for you.
o Reduce your Big Idea to the smallest possible expression of its essence: your hook.
o Keep it simple but elegant. Less is usually more.
o Don’t beat around the bush. Be bold and risky. Always take a strong point of view!
o A great line supports repetition. If it’s worth saying, it’s usually worth repeating.
o Make your song move rhythmically. People want to be BOOSTED in more ways than one by your song.
o Think of it this way: your hook is the center of the wheel and the other elements of the song are the spokes.
o Marry your melody with your lyrics so that each one intensifies and deepens the other.
o If you’re excited about your hook, “they” probably will be too. And if you’re holding back, they probably will too!
o Show your “money” note, your best rhythm, your smartest line, your most unusual concept on your hook. Aim for the stands, emotionally and creatively.
Give your hooks mass appeal
Singles are distinguished from album cuts by their appeal, accessibility, and freshness. And the hook is the key to that mass appeal. Most listeners and People Behind Desks couldn’t sing every line of a song to you if they tried. But most CAN remember a killer hook or chorus. For those of you who are motivated by thoughts of financial gain, singles are also where the money is. (But remember: selling doesn’t mean selling!) When you get to your main hook, hit us with fresh language, chords, and melodic movement to wake us up physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He could mean:
o A passionate title or lyrical line: a turn of phrase, an unforgettable image, or an emotional outpouring that rings true
o A peak moment for the vocalist. This could be a high note, a long note, a cool rhythmic beat or movement, a cool interval, a repeated pattern or melodic sequence, etc.
o A catchy instrumental riff or chord pattern
o An underlying rhythm or groove that sweeps everything in its path
o Enough repetition to be catchy without becoming boring
o A stark contrast to what comes before and after (verses, pre-choruses, bridge), so your hook stands out in an obvious way
Remember, more hooks per square inch is better! In this age of sensory overload, listeners thrive on intense songs that cut through the clutter. We WANT to be moved at all levels. We are hungry for depth, for truth, for emotion, for humor. Strive to discover the universal within the personal, the details of real life. Have your song paint a picture or create an environment that people can live in.
By following these guidelines and learning from songs that are hits in your chosen genres, you can make your songs more accessible, fulfilling, and commercially viable.
Happy composition!
Copyright 2006 Alex Forbes