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Song energy, or forward motion, is the necessary ingredient that keeps people listening to your song. Boredom sets in when energy levels stay the same throughout a song. The term “energy” is an important one to think about, because it doesn’t necessarily always refer to tempo, volume, or the rhythmic activity. Anytime a listener is anticipating something else happening, that means energy is building.
The thing is, something as simple as a verse lyric that describes a situation can be a very effective song energy booster, because listeners instinctively wait for the singer’s emotional response, in the chorus. That waiting builds momentum.
In general, you want song energy to build from beginning to end, so that the end of your song is more energetic than the beginning. With slow ballads, and fast tempo dance numbers, that energy development is more subtle, but still needs to be there.
If you haven’t thought about energy in these terms before, your songs could be missing out on something. Songs can then sound boring, without you knowing why.
Here are just five different ways you can be sure that energy is building throughout the length of your song:
- Increase vocal harmonies in chorus 2 (and subsequent choruses) over chorus 1. You might want to consider using upper harmonies in later choruses in addition to the lower ones you might have used in the first chorus (“Raise Your Glass” by P!nk is a good example).
- Implied harmonies should be used more toward the beginning of a song, less toward the end. An implied harmony means that the full chord is not present, usually just enough to give a hint of the chord. A bass line is typically all that’s needed to imply harmony, so consider accompanying your first verse with just bass, adding other instruments in the chorus and later verses.
- Allow the bridge of your song (usually after the second chorus) to explore more complex harmonies. This takes the song further afield, and it increases energy because listeners instinctively want to hear the more straight-ahead chord choices of the chorus return. It keeps people listening. (Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” does this to great effect.)
- Allow a prominent hook to disappear at roughly the 2/3 point of your song, then reappear for the final choruses. The 2/3 point is normally at the bridge, but even if your song doesn’t use a bridge, but uses a strong chorus hook, try the first of the final choruses without the hook if possible, then reintroduce the hook. The disappearance of the hook grabs listeners because they just know it’s coming back!
- Use an attractive “play-off” at the end of your song that doesn’t really resemble the verse or chorus. But introducing what is actually a 3rd melody, listeners (once they know that melody is there) tend to expect it, and don’t want to abandon a song until they’ve heard it. Give the last part of Rob Thomas’ “Someday” from Cradlesong a listen for an example of this.
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Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website
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