The Heart of Songwriting: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Memorable Songs

By John G. Elliott and Misty Edwards

What distinguishes a great song from a good song?
How does a songwriter achieve memorability?
And what leads to longevity for songs and the songwriters behind them?

Dove Award-winning producer and career songwriter John G. Elliott digs to the core of Christian songwriting, answering these questions and demystifying the writing process in this insightful and detailed guide to the craft. You will learn the essentials of lyric, structure, rhythm, style, and more, underpinned by a solid spiritual foundation and discussion of the unique dynamics faith brings to songwriting.

Specialized topics include prophetic song, writing for congregational singing, and the role of the Holy Spirit and inspiration. Filled with practical instruction, tips, and chapter assignments, this book is transformative for aspiring and experienced songwriters of any genre. Great songwriting is within your grasp!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781938060458

Book preview

transformation.

Introduction

Have you ever been in a gathering where the first lines of a song are sung and everybody joins in to sing the rest? It may have been years since they last heard that particular song, but an entire room full of people remembers it. What is it that makes certain songs so memorable? Is it possible to learn the principles that make great songs? I am convinced that if you have shown enough interest in songwriting to read this paragraph, then you can acquire the necessary skills.

Great songs have power—power to inspire and encourage, the ability to create an atmosphere or change the mood in a concert hall, a prison cell, a kitchen, or an automobile. It is a huge understatement to observe that music is one of the greatest gifts God has given to mankind.

As a writer, you can choose to compose songs from an extremely wide range of subjects, styles, and genres. All kinds of songs have value, but the Christian songwriter has a priceless opportunity to deal with subjects that go far beyond this present world and touch upon eternity itself. This fact sets the songwriter who deals with biblical truths apart from the rest of the pack. The things that are the most important in all of life, the worship of God, salvation, eternal life, and so many other things, are what constitute our songs. What a privilege! There are moments when it dawns on me that I have been given the honor of creating songs that can encourage people at the deepest level. Priceless.

There have been hundreds of one-hit wonders—artists or groups who had a number-one song, but that was the end of their public success. They had albums with more songs but only one made it into the public arena. In many cases, we cannot even remember the name of the group or artist, but we remember the song.

Re-read that last phrase. It contains an important word that every aspiring songwriter must come to cherish: remember. You may be a beginning songwriter, but you can learn how to write songs that lodge themselves in the hearts and memories of people. It is important to understand that artists and performers usually come to the attention of the public primarily because of great songs. Such things as the quality of their singing, their persona, their style, their stage presence, and the kind of production and arranging used on their recordings are only supportive of their success. The song is what launches them. The song is what opens the door and brings them to the party. Whether the artist is a national celebrity or a singer-songwriter working a live show at a small restaurant, the principles that foster success are the same.

That is what this book is all about: how to make your song memorable. This is the heart of Christian songwriting.

It is true that anybody can write a song. Only a few seem to be able to separate from the pack and write something that transcends the average. Relatively fewer write a song that people want to sing and keep on singing. Even fewer are those who are able to sustain this kind of writing throughout their lives. This book is for those who are not satisfied with writing merely good songs. This book is for the writer with a sense of adventure who wants to tap into the secrets of great songwriting.

This book includes a chapter on the valuable subject of the prophetic song or what can also be called the prophetic oracle. This is usually a chorus or a fragment of a song that has its beginning in a live worship or intercessory gathering of believers. I illustrate how the Christian songwriter can implement both the prophetic song and the crafted song in their creative output. Both approaches have great value. There can also be a strong connection between the two—one being a spontaneous expression of prophetic singing and the other being a crafted, finished song that incorporates certain tools and skills.

I moved to Nashville in 1983 with the primary aim of being a songwriter. I had a vague sense that songwriting was where the real action was. Within a very short time I rubbed shoulders with some veteran writers and composers. I read a few books on songwriting. I immediately applied what I was learning to the songs I had in progress. During my first three months in Music City I had two songs recorded by a major artist (Pat Boone). The principles I was learning actually worked! As I continued to write I had over forty songs recorded by major and semi-major artists during the next eight years. My royalty reports to this present day (2018) reveal that most of those songs active in the 1980s are still active today. The principles I had learned were vital to this success.

This book is a summary of what I have learned and experienced. I am eager to share it with you in the hope that these insights can inspire you to write songs that will deeply touch and move people. Perhaps you are the reader who will write an anthem that will move an entire congregation to grateful worship. Perhaps you will be the one who takes a biblical truth and creates a melody and lyric that brings home the gospel in a way that makes the message understandable. The result: deep and genuine encouragement.

Perhaps you will be the one to use these principles to create a stirring patriotic song, a beautiful romantic ballad, or a spiritual tune that will bring help and insight to someone’s faith. Your songs may never reach the charts; maybe they will, but that, in and of itself, is certainly not the measure of great songwriting. In this book, I will offer new ways of defining success. I think you will find my redefinition both refreshing and realistic.

Also, I have taken the liberty of redefining a hit song. Once again, I am somewhat confident you will like my redefinition. For the Christian songwriter, a hit should have a much deeper and more significant meaning than merely a successful financial and commercial enterprise. Life is so much more than money or popularity. Life is made significant when we sense that our work has had a transformative effect upon others. I have received some very nice royalty checks throughout the years. But I can honestly tell you that my most gratifying moments have been listening to a congregation or a choir sing one of my songs. It has been thrilling throughout the years to hear a song of mine on the radio or in a movie soundtrack. In addition, I have had the privilege of receiving hundreds of letters testifying how a certain song got someone through a dark night and a difficult season. Essentially, this is why I write.

This book is very practical. It is written for the beginner but also the veteran who needs a refresher course and a shot in the arm. When a pro golfer on the PGA Tour finds their game slipping a little, they immediately hire a coach. The best coaches always take their clients back to the fundamentals of the swing. For songwriters, the fundamentals are the key to success even if you have written hundreds of songs.

May my ceiling become your floor. I wish you the very best.

1

Who Is Qualified to Write a Song?

FROM MECHANICS TO MOTHERS TO MONARCHS

One of my all-time favorite songs is Revelation Song. Jennie Lee Riddle, a mother who was raising four children, wrote this powerful and worshipful hymn. She wrote it in the midst of a busy life and yet from a place of deep and quiet intimacy with her Lord.

When I lived in Nashville, I rubbed shoulders with many successful songwriters who had formerly worked in a wide range of occupations, from mechanics to farmers, from taxicab drivers to carpenters, hair stylists, and insurance salespersons. Almost everyone who had made it originally came to Nashville willing to work almost any kind of job until a song opened doors for them. It was a standing joke that about half of the waiters of any restaurant in town were hopeful songwriters, singers, producers, and session players. Well, it may not have actually been half, but the number was not far off!

Long before Nashville was a city, a famous king and military commander was a prolific songwriter. While we know nothing of the melodies this man composed, millions of people for the past three thousand years have cherished his lyrics. David contributed approximately seventy-five psalms to the collection of one hundred fifty psalms found in the center of the Bible. In order to fully appreciate these songs, it would be essential to speak and understand the Hebrew language. Yet, no other songs have been translated into as many languages as the psalms of the man after God’s own heart. Whether in English or another language, the lyrics are exceedingly powerful, authentic, comforting, encouraging, and majestic.

David was referred to as the sweet psalmist of Israel. He wrote many, if not most, of them from a place of distress, as he was often in personal danger. His lyrics reflect the entire spectrum of human feeling and experience, from the heights of victorious joy to the deepest anguish, from distress to deliverance, from dire failure to true integrity. His songs live on and became worthy of being included in the greatest Book of all time. Every person alive can fully relate to David and his songs on any given day of the week.

You are eminently qualified to write songs. You may not be a queen, a king, or a commanding general, but you can relate to the humanity of David. Some of the most powerful and moving songs have been the work of so-called ordinary people. If you have a sense of purpose in life, you are qualified. If you have known the sorrow of failure, you are suited. If you have known the joys of success, you are eligible. If you have experienced life on this earth, known love and loss, heartbreak or adventure, and everything in-between, then you are authorized to express yourself through music.

If you have a message that burns in your heart, you are more than qualified to communicate your desire in the powerful medium of music. The Christian songwriter has the potential to fulfill the role of preacher, pastor, evangelist, counselor, missionary, intercessor, and teacher. Many a person has been drawn into the kingdom of God through songs that convinced them of the reality of the gospel. Many a believer has found fresh courage when singing or listening to a spiritual song. Many a disciple has been brought to greater depths of wisdom and insight through songs written with great care, prayer, and thought.

If you have a passion about something, you are qualified to write a song that reflects your genuine enthusiasm. For instance, I have a passion about communicating the wonderful truths found in God’s Word, the Bible. I also have a passion for worship, prayer, and anything that will serve to stimulate those activities in the hearts of people. There is nothing as contagious as a heart that burns with a message! We who have found life in the Son earnestly desire for others to see the beauty of the Lord. If someone has a story that needs to be told, let them set it to a melody that is effectively suited to carry that message.

MUSICAL EDUCATION | PROS AND CONS

Do you need to allocate time and resources to study music in a formal setting, such as a college conservatory or music academy? There is little doubt that whatever knowledge you can bring to the table will serve you well. However, if you have not formally studied music at a recognized music school, you do not need to feel like a second-class songwriter. It is safe to say that people without formal education have written a goodly portion of the great songs throughout time.

However, regardless of your musical education or your lack of it, you should commit yourself to always be a student of great songwriting. Your willingness to listen and learn will greatly affect your success in communicating your ideas. Personally, I have made my living in music for over thirty years. My income included songwriting and production, recording and arranging, all without the benefit of formal education.

I focused my formal education in the field of theology and Bible. It is possible that my educational focus helped me in the writing of Christian lyrics. In reality, most of those lyrics came primarily from my quiet times of reading the Bible and praying. However, I did study piano with two different private instructors. Those seasons of study were extremely valuable to me as a studio musician and performer.

When I moved to Nashville, I was stunned by how many of the talented musicians could barely read music! Most of them had mastered reading chord charts. However, they could not read musical notation on a page. On the other end of the spectrum, I was surprised to find that many college-educated musicians seemed unable to be spontaneous with their music. Many, certainly not all, had difficulty improvising, creating music ad-lib or on the fly. Whether you have studied music at college or not, you must be willing to experiment, try out new and innovative ideas, and think outside the box.

The most important ingredient is persistence. Yes, perseverance. As we will explore in a future chapter, there is no substitute for an attitude that refuses to quit. A person with lesser natural talent who is unwilling to give up will always go further than someone with great talent who has an inadequate work ethic.

As a songwriter, there will be many times when you will come up against a wall that seems to block your progress. Your creative juices have turned into sauerkraut. This happens to everyone and it will happen to you. When it happens, do not be discouraged. You are still qualified to be a songwriter! In an upcoming chapter, I will give you some tips that will help you and catapult you back into a creative flow.

Perseverance pays a rich dividend. So many times I have been tempted to give up on a song or even quit being a songwriter altogether. All I really needed was a break. Sometimes a ten-minute coffee break will do the trick. Other times you may need to do something else for a few hours, a day, or several days. However, if you keep on working, you will be surprised what treasures can be unearthed from the gold mine of your life experiences.

LIFE EXPERIENCE

If you have lived for any length of time, you are qualified to write a song. When I was sixteen years old, I received counsel from a wise older man. I had related to him some deep feelings I had experienced. He made a comment I will never forget. He stated that a sixteen year old can have deep feelings just like a man who is forty years old. I encourage young people to write down their thoughts, impressions, aspirations, and ideals. It is never too early to become a songwriter.

There is no doubt that the longer we live,