I’ve just uploaded a new songwriting video, “How the Rhythm of a Melody Changes as a Song Progresses.” In it, I take a look at how rhythm plays a role in the emotional connection that a melody can make.
In large part, a melody’s rhythm is determined by the actual words of the lyric. But specific rhythm, natural pulse and accents aren’t the only part of the equation we should be looking at. There’s also note duration — how long we hold certain notes.
You’ll find that the longer you hold a note, the more potential it has for making that all-important emotional connection to the listener.
In this video, I use two songs to demonstrate the principle: “Take It Easy” (Jackson Browne/Glenn Frey), and “Love Me Like You Do” (sung by Ellie Goulding, and written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Ali Payami andTove Nilsson).
Click below to view it, and please visit my YouTube channel to see other songwriting videos.
Written by Gary Ewer. Follow Gary on Twitter.
“The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” eBook bundle shows you how lyrics and melody work hand-in-hand, and “How to Harmonize a Melody” shows you how to add chords to that melody you’ve just created.