How To Write A Love Song

How to Write a Love Song
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©William Brooks—All Rights Reserved www.SongGuru.com
About the Author

William Brooks was born and raised in southern Oklahoma between
the cool shade of the Arbuckle Mountains and the endless turns of the
promiscuous Red River. While friends honed their rodeo and football
skills, young William diligently nailed down his television viewing and
music listening abilities.
After earning a business degree from The University of Oklahoma, he

chose to ignore the sirens call of corporate life and exited north to the
folk music garden of Greenwich Village.
Since landing in New York City, William has released six full length CDs,
which have sold in more than a dozen countries. He is also featured on a
number of compilation CDs.
His music has been heard on The Late Show with David
Letterman and CBSs primetime comedy how i met your
mother. His film music credits include The Dinner Party, Out of the
Garden, Underground New York and American Jed.
As a performer, William has played many of Gothams most notable digs

from CBGBs to Cafe Sin, The Bitter End, The Public Theater,
The Continental Divide, Arlene Grocery, Wetlands, The
Stephen Talkhouse, Webster Hall, Tramps, Fez, and about every
club on NYCs famous Bleecker Street. He has also appeared on several
daytime dramas, including Another World, One Life to Live and
Search for Tomorrow, as well as on the Gordon Elliot Show.
William has been honored as a New Folk Finalist at Americas most

respected folk music festival, The Kerrville Folk Festival. He is also a
recipient of the Meet the Composer Grant from New York State
Council on the Arts.
Under the banner of collaborator, his works have been performed at The
Songwriters Hall of Fame, Songwriters Guild of America Pro
Shop and the prestigious New York Songwriters Circle.
Married to actress Lisa Masters, he continues to teach, write and record

in New York City…he married for love.
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©William BrooksAll Rights Reserved www.SongGuru.com
How to Write a
Love Song
Clearing The Blocks

Between Heart and Pen
by
William Brooks
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Clearing Away the Debris
This is your writing ............................................................. 6
Rebirthing the creative mind................................................7
You are the authority on you.................................................8
Learn how you really feel about things ................................ 10
Trick yourself into the truth............................................... 10
Be here now....................................................................... 12
Chapter 2: The 7 Biggest Mistakes Beginning Songwriters Make

1 Being too poetic ............................................................. 14
2 Complicating the music ................................................. 14
3 Being too clever.............................................................. 15
4 Covering too much ground ............................................. 15
5 Repeating the same information ..................................... 15
6 Going on too long ........................................................... 16
7 Judging themselves too harshly....................................... 16
Bonus mistake ................................................................... 16
Chapter 3: What Comes First?

The eternal question .......................................................... 17
Chapter 4: If You Know Nothing About Music

The blue pill or the red pill? ................................................ 19
The bare bones of music ..................................................... 19
These chords gotta have shorter names............................... 23
Music must be mapped or wed be lost ................................ 25
Charts ............................................................................... 25
What works best and easiest............................................... 28
The cookiecutter piano chords .......................................... 28
The old IIVV................................................................... 32
Just start from the verse, maam......................................... 33
Four things about the chorus.............................................. 34
Intro / outro ...................................................................... 35
A bridge too close...............................................................36
Its all together now ........................................................... 37
That pesky VII chord ......................................................... 37
That sad, sad minor chord .................................................. 37
The melody line .................................................................39
But I dont have a piano ......................................................40
How about a guitar? ........................................................... 41
But I cant play an instrument
or figure out my computer recording gizmo thing ............46
Or would you rather have a fish? .........................................49
Chapter 5: Looking for an Idea

The shoulders we stand on.................................................. 51
The good borrow; the great steal ........................................ 53
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Chapter 6: Sitting Down and Doing It

Tools on your desk ............................................................. 55
Tools in your head..............................................................56
Some ideas on love to list.................................................... 58
Lyrics are the story ........................................................... 60
The grand picture .............................................................. 61
Sneaking up on a verse .......................................................62
Joining the chorus..............................................................63
Crossing that bridge...........................................................64
Chapter 7: Songwriters Secrets Revealed

Headlines ......................................................................... 66
Furniture ......................................................................... 66
Imply and infer ..................................................................67
Metaphors........................................................................ 69
A little improv, please ....................................................... 69
Remember what the ear likes .............................................70
Musical dynamics .............................................................. 71
The power of three............................................................. 71
Chapter 8: Counting Syllables

Grab your rattle ................................................................. 73
Chapter 9: Its Rhyming Time

The ohs and ahs.................................................................. 78
Chapter 10: Take a Break

Chapter 11: Take a Peek
Working notes on actual songs ........................................... 85
Song 1: Grace.................................................................. 85
Song 2: Shes Right Over There ...................................... 90
Song 3: Hideaway............................................................94
Chapter 12: An Early Checklist

Chapter 13: Great Songs Arent Written, Theyre Rewritten
A checklist.........................................................................98
Chapter 14: Works of Art Are Never Finished,

They Just Stop in Interesting Places
Chapter 15: If You Must Know
More on music ................................................................. 101
Scales of a feather ........................................................... 102
Nice chords ..................................................................... 105
Naming the triads ............................................................ 107
The circle of fifths............................................................ 110
Chapter 16: Closing Time .................................... 113
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Chapter 1
Clearing Away the Debris
This is your writing

By purchasing this book, you have already taken the first step
in your artistic adventure.
Buying this book is a confirmation that somewhere in your

head you believe you can actually create something that
previously wasnt there.
Congratulations on believing in yourself!
Tooling around in the creative world isnt black and white.

Very few things are concrete. Everything is open to debate
and taste. It isnt enough to insert tab A into slot B,
balance the books or close the case. There are no finish lines
or bottom lines.
In songwriting, mistakes may lead to new even greater ideas,

your most painful memory may provide your funniest line,
anything is possible andguess what?every line you write
does not have to be brilliant. You are off the hook.
The world you create in your writing has no limitations.

The answer to every question is Yes!
Can you write your own version of Blackbird? Yes!
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Can you write ten songs about your dog? Yes!
Would it be okay to write a song that doesnt rhyme? Yes!
Elsewhere youd probably hear No to these questions, but

in the world of your writing, the only answer is Yes!
Before pulling out pens, paper or software, I recommend you

read through this book once quickly to get an idea how it is
laid out and let a few seeds get planted. Then come back,
reread it and let these concepts and assignments soak in.
Then keep this book handy as a reference during your
songwriting.
Now you need to meet someone. You.
Rebirthing the creative mind

You have already expressed your creativity, you have already
been an artist, you have fought entire battles in empty fields,
and you have built castles out of nothing more than sand and
water. You have filled in the words to songs when you
couldnt understand the singer. You have already been
creative; you are already an artist.
Whether your creative self has gotten a little rusty or you are
here to deepen your insight, in this book you will find some
very powerful tools to crack open your mind and free you to
write a great love song. Here are a few of those tools.
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You are the authority on you

You already know what music you like. You know what
sounds good to you. You already know what is a great song to
you.
Your opinion about what you create here is the only one that
counts. Dont let your friends and family try to wiggle into
your creative world. Protect your borders. Ive seen some
great potential brought to its knees by well-meaning
trespassers.
Your first step in writing your first love song is to list your 25
favorite things. They can be any thing, any person or any
notion. This is very important. Dont skip this at-first-glance
cheesy exercise. Be specific in what you list. Details are your
allies in writing. Dont worry about the sequence in which
you list them or if you leave one out. This is not a test.
Let the items on your list be as dark, silly or weird as they

want to be when they come to mind. This list will be useless
if you only write down what you think your favorite things
should be. This is called taking a should on yourself.
Keep this list and your other exercises to yourself. If you

dont, you will start editing what you put down because of
what others might think. Id even go so far as to hide it.
This list will be invaluable later in your songwriting sessions.

Here are a few of mine:
1 The Am chord on an acoustic guitar

2 The Beatles White Album
3 My wifes voice in the morning
4 Old Mustangs… etc….
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Now list yours:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
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24
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Learn how you really feel about things

Artists are salesmen of emotions. You are either expressing
what you feel or inspiring others to feel. So the better access
you have to your feelings, the better you get at your craft.
An early artistic mentor/teacher/guru-type person taught me

to have an emotional opinion about everything. He
demanded a practice of rigorous honesty about how you feel
about everything.
His first lesson was to always answer truthfully when asked

the social question How are you doing? Most folks give the
brain-dead answer Fine, and you?
Well, the truth usually is a little more complicated than that.

Sorry, but nobody is Fine. How can we live in the 21st
century with all the dangers, distractions, demanding
schedules, scientific breakthroughs and the bombardment of
24-hour news and information constantly thrown at us and
ever be Fine? Its not possible.
Im not suggesting you start going off about your endless pain
regarding the way things are or the results of your Aunt Mary
Claudes medical tests. Just dont be a robot.
Trick yourself into the truth

In songwriting, you want your artistic, whimsical,
unconscious mind to be a little faster than your critically
editing, pragmatic, conscious mind.
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You may not be able to differentiate between the two minds

at this point, but as you progress the differences will become
glaring.
One way to free the creative mind by allowing it to cut loose,

roam around and stretch its legs. Unfortunately, the critical
mind is always on the lookout to attack. It waits patiently for
its chance to jump in and criticize. The best we can do is
learn to outrun it. Think of the gazelle outrunning the
cheetah.
You can do this by writing what Julia Cameron calls the

morning pages. In her incredible book The Artists Way, Julia
introduces her readers to what I think of as stream of
consciousness speed journaling, or
streamofconsciousnessspeedjournaling.
Write continuously for three solid pages. Write in this

journal every morning. You do not put the pencil down. You
keep it moving until you have filled the pages. Even if you
have to write blah, blah this sucks I blah blah hate this crap
Im watching my hand move this pencil on paper and all i can
put down is my hand is moving, did I really use a small i
instead of a big I…
Julia calls the morning pages nonnegotiable. And she is

right. Doing them now and then is a waste of time. You must
get in the groove of doing them daily. Every day. Dont fall
into the trap of confusing knowing about a tool with using
a tool. Unused tools get rusty and dull.
Eventually things will start to pop out from your mind: long
forgotten memories, new opinions, song images, clever lyrics
or nagging reminders to settle up old unresolved
aggravations.
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You will get your greatest song ideas from here. But, like all
these exercises, you have to do them. Just knowing about
them but not doing them is like going to a great restaurant,
looking at the menu, but never ordering. You wont get fed.
Be here now
This is probably going to sound a little weird. I challenge you
to spend as much time as you can in the here and now.
It can be quite a battle to stay present. Many people often

wander off into the past or future. Some enjoy playing out all
the possible worst-case scenarios regarding their lives. Others
practice acceptance speeches for the Great Guy Award. The
variations are endless.
Yes, you want your imagination to be free to explore and

discover new ideas for your next love song. You can go nuts
with your ideas when you are in a writing session. And of
course you can let your imagination go when planning a
vacation with a loved one. But take back those moments that
get lost when youre doing mundane tasks, while waiting in
lines and on train or bus rides. You might glimpse some real
life.
I believe reality is happening now. It is not ten years from

now, not even five minutes from now.
Creativity happens in the moment; ideas come now. When

we mentally time travel and replay old hurts, practicing our
revenge tactics, we are just playing the same old tapes over
and over. There is nothing new there. No new ideas. No
fresh spins. No surprises.
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Inspirational insights, the constant barrage of things

happening around us, phrases overheard great song
material, seeing something differently because of the time of
day or shade of light are only happening in this moment. If
you are mentally someplace else, you will miss some really
cool stuff.
As silly as they sound, these three suggestions will help you

stay present:
1 Breathe. Fully breathe from your deepest belly. Anytime

you discover yourself someplace other than the here and
now, gently come back by taking a deep, deliberate, belly
breath. It works every time. Its also important not to beat
yourself up for having to do it so many times. Be benevolent
with yourself.
2 When you walk down the street, thrive in your senses.

Take one block and be an ear. Listen to everything. Hear
your shoes hitting the ground, your breath, car noises,
construction sounds, dogs barking, cell phones…
Next block, be an eyeball. Then be your skin for a while. Try

being a nose a tough one. I suggest that being a tongue
should be reserved for the privacy of your own home.
3 Agree not to talk to people who arent physically present

to defend themselves. You will be amazed how much time
this will free up. This may even save you from getting hit by a
bus.
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Chapter 2
The 7 Biggest Mistakes
Beginning Songwriters
Make
Ultimately there are no mistakes in songwriting, rather
chances to learn and improve your craft. The list below
contains the most common pitfalls that trip up early writers.
The more work you do in the previous chapter, the less these
will appear in your work.
1 Being too poetic

is covering up a perceived lack of uniqueness.
When you doubt your ability to say what is on your mind,
youll never get to your writing. Youll be stuck writing
what you think is the right thing to say. How boring.
Flowering your words is a sign of doubt and inexperience.
2 Complicating the music

is covering up a perceived lack of musical
ability.
Some beginners try making music changes very complex to
cover up what they think are either weak lyrics or weak
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music, thinking if the music is good enough the lyrics wont

matter.
3 Being too clever

is covering up a perceived lack of lyrical
ability.
New writers believe they have to be clever frequently to be
good. Being clever once is plenty in a song. They fear the
possibility that this tune will become a permanent record of
their collected wisdom, so every line must be perfect, clever
or tricky. Wow, what pressure.
4 Covering too much ground

is covering up a perceived lack of interesting
material.
Many beginning writers try to tell too many stories in one
song. They fear one is not enough. Keep it simple. One story
is fine.
5 Repeating the same information

is underestimating the listener.
Adding new information in each verse is essential to
progressing a story, as long as its relevant and new
information. The listener gets it that the girl has pretty eyes
when she hears it the first time. They really are listening,
painting their own picture.
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6 Going on too long

is covering up a perceived lack of talent.
Some writers think they arent very interesting. They will
give you more song if they cant give you better song. This is
quite similar to the previous pitfall. What you have to say
really can be said in fewer than three or four minutes. More
does not make anything better.
7 Judging themselves too harshly

before somebody else does.
You cannot judge, criticize or beat yourself into writing a
good song. Be nice to yourself. No one is judging you
anywhere nearly as harshly as you are.
BONUS MISTAKE
8 If it aint backed up it aint written
The only mistake you cannot fix is lost work. Back
everything up on your computer and notebooks. It will kill
you to have seven or eight hours of work just disappear in the
back of a cab, left at a Starbucks or disappear from your
laptop.
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Chapter 3
What Comes First?
The eternal question

This has got to be the number one question about writing
songs: Which comes first, the music or the words?
The answer is Yes.
You see, whatever comes first, comes first. Maybe a music

riff stumbled across accidentally, a phrase you hear someone
say or maybe something that poured out of your pen during a
stream of consciousness speed journaling. Maybe two
separate ideas that came months apart suddenly fit
together. Maybe a Freudian slip sounds like a great title.
Anything can happen. Half a song might flow out in one

quick rush. Maybe a great idea or concept for a song might
come.
Maybe a little tiny bit of music comes, which then inspires a

lyric, which calls for more music. Rarely do all the lyrics or
music come at the same time. Unless youre doing it as an
improvisation exercise. You guessed it…more on that later.
Sometimes inspiration doesnt come at all. But if you keep

showing up at the piano, computer or journal, you will
improve your chances of catching it when it comes. You may
even spark it yourself. It comes when it comes.
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And why is the next chapter on music, not lyrics? Yes.
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Chapter 4
If You Know Nothing
About Music
The blue pill or the red pill?

You dont have to know everything about music to write the
music for your love song. All you need is to be able to count
to twelve and know your alphabet. This section contains only
the information you need right now. Dig in.
Music theory is a very deep rabbit hole that you may wish to
crawl down at a later time. Every technical term has another
term in its definition that you have to look up to understand
the previous definition of a term you dont need yet.
The last chapter of this book is entitled If You Must

Know. It takes a slightly deeper look into music and some
of its parts. You dont need it now, but it will help you in
later writings.
You will have the rest of your life to complicate your music.
The bare bones of music

The smallest unit of music is the note. A note can be brief or
sustained for a long duration. Think of a single key on a
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piano being struck or an open string being plucked on a

guitar.
In Western music, we have 12 notes that repeat over and

over. On the piano, some notes are on the white keys and
some are on the black keys.
This 12-note group that repeats over and over is called an

octave.
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The notes on the white keys are what we will be working

with in this first section. Here they are below:
These notes on the white keys are also the old Do Re Me Fa
So La Ti Do scale.
The notes on the black keys are below. We will only be

working with one of them later, the B flat or Bb. But for
now, its good to see them all.
These black keys are called flats and sharps, indicated by

adding b or # to the letter name. What the note is called
depends on if it is referring to the note above or below it. A
Db is the very same note as a C#. Most notes and chords are
referred to in their flat name.
A chord is when several notes are played at the same time. It

takes at least three notes to build a chord. A three-note
chord is called a triad.
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Chords get their names from which note they start or build
on. A chord with its lowest note or root on a white key say
the C note it is called a C something or other, for
example a C major or a C minor chord.
When a chord starts on a black key, it is called a B flat

something or other or a G flat whatchamacallit, for
example a B flat major or a G flat minor.
Keeping the spacing of your fingers equal as below, you can
go up and down the keyboard and sound great. Great enough
to write a love song with them, Ill have you know.
You will be working in the key of C. A key is a grouping of

notes that work together well. The key of C is the only key
that has no black keys. It is the simplest key and allows us to
use the cookie-cutter finger pattern above.
You will be working with three different types of chords in

this book. They get their names from the relationship of the
notes in the chord, which is the distance between each note.
There are three types of chords you will be playing.
1 Some of these chords are called major chords. They

often have a happy, light sound.
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2 Some of these chords are called minor chords. They

often have a darker, sadder sound.
3 One chord stands out poorly, called a diminished

chord. To me, it has an incomplete, unstable sound.
Chord sequence can change these general descriptions. You

will get a substitute chord for the diminished chord later.
These chords gotta have shorter names

For simplicity, these triads are assigned Roman numerals as
they move up the scale. Use the same three fingers all the
way up the keyboard.
The I chord is major. It is full and bright.
The II chord is minor. It is sad and dark.
The III chord is minor. It is sad and dark.
The IV chord is major. It is full and bright.
The V chord is major. It is full and bright.
The VI chord is minor. It is sad and dark.
The VII chord is diminished. You tell me.
When talking to other musicians, once the key is established

you can go back and refer to the other chords as the IV or
the V or the VI.
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But these chords also have formal names, their letter

names. In the key of C, here are the formal names with their
abbreviated letter names. Again, just the same old three-
finger cookie-cutter pattern up and down the keyboard.
The I is called C major or Coma or just C.
The II is called D minor or Dm.
The III is called E minor or Em.
The IV is called F major or Fame or just F.
The V is called G major or GMAJ or just G.
The VI is called A minor or Am.
The VII is called B diminished or Dim.
The substitute chord for the Dim or VII chord is created
by moving the lowest note in the chord down or flat by one
note and calling the new chord a major. In this case, the
new chord is called Bb major.
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Music must be mapped or wed be lost

Music is mapped out, measured and played in a universal
language called beats and measures.
The beat is the count that marks the rhythm of a piece of

music. You know when you tap your foot along with a song?
Thats the beat. Tap, tap, tap.
Most tunes have four beats per measure, also called 4/4
time. 4/4 is so common it is referred to as common time.
A measure or bar of music may have one or many notes,

one or several chords or simply contain a rest. A bar is the
music contained between two bar lines. In written music,
bars or measures are separated by vertical bar lines.
Twelve bar blues have twelve bars.
Charts
Musicians have a shorthand method for writing down their
music and chord changes, called a chart. It is the simplest
and easiest way to read music. It contains only the broad
strokes of a piece of music.
A chart gives the chord names, how long each chord is played
and the key of the song, as well as the beats. It may mention
the feel of the song slow or moderate or fast. It also will tell
you which sections to repeat and, finally, it tells you when to
stop playing.
The slanted marks or hash marks are the beats. The big
letters are the chords. The tall single vertical lines separate
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the bars. A double vertical line indicates both the start and
ending of a song.
Lets look at a piece of music that has 12 bars, is in 4/4 time
four beats per bar and some simple chord changes, which
youll recognize as IIVV.
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To repeat a section, you simply add a pair of vertical dots at

the two places where the music starts and finishes repeating.
Here are the same 12 bars in Roman numerals with one
repeat.
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What works best and easiest

Most American popular music is in the three-chord song
form, just as in the previous chart where we used the IIVV
chords. As a matter of fact, the three most common chords
used in music are the I, IV and V.
If you want to jazz things up a bit, try IIVI. That would be

DmGC.
Youll get other progressions, keys and chords later in the

book. But in the spirit of keeping it simple and getting you
to creating the music as soon as possible, stick with the well-
established IIVV in the key of C.
The cookiecutter piano chords

On the next pages, you will notice all seven chords look alike,
except the VII substitute. All seven chords have you placing
your fingers in the same position up and down the keyboard.
Use your thumb, middle finger and pinky. This is better than
the thumb, index and middle finger because later you will
want to have the ring and the index free to add a few accents
or drop your thumb over for that Bb major.
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Okay, lock in that hand position.
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30
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And heres the substitute for B dim.
Bb Major or VII chord
Get comfortable hammering out that old IIVV. Or any

other combination you like.
The old IIVV

It deserves repeating that most American popular music is
formed by following the sequence of IIVV. There are
plenty of other progressions, but were gonna stick with the
IIVV.
All Blues and most Rock and Roll and lots of Folk music
follow the old IIVV. Every songwriter from Hank
Williams to Bob Dylan has used the IIVV over and over
again.
Since its good enough for them, its good enough for us.
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Here are some quick IIVV progressions pulled from the

Roman numeral scale chart:
IIVV
C, F, G C major, F major, and G major
E, A, B E major, A major, and B major
A, D, E A major, D major, and E major
G, C, D G major, C major, and D major
Play and repeat any of these lines. Listen to the rise and fall,
feel the suspense build as you anticipate the return to the
beginning chord. It just feels right.
That resolve you hear in returning to the I chord is

sometimes called going home. Musicians may call out
bring it home as a command to close out the tune.
Experiment with stretching out a chord progression. Play the

I twice as long as you have been, then play a quick IVV
change. Have fun and stretch it out.
This should give us enough info to get started writing the

tune.
Just start from the verse, maam

Lets start with the verse music. The old IIVV will do
nicely, thank you.
Lets say weve chosen to write in the key of C. This is the

easiest key for most musicians. Honoring the time tested I
IVV, this will make our verse chords C, F, and G.
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Of course, you are free to play in any key or use any chords
you are comfortable with.
Lets say the verse has come around a few timesmaybe

twice, C, F, G / C, F, G and you think your ear is ready for
a change. If you think its time, its time. Trust your ears.
The ear quickly gets acquainted to music patterns and will

notice immediately when that pattern has been changed. So
we really want to contrast the chorus music from the verse
music.
We can achieve that contrast by starting the chorus section

with a different chord than what we started the verse section
with. Dont wait till the second or third chord to change
things; it will be too late and everything will get real weird.
In most American popular music, the chorus starts with the

IV chord. In the key of C, that would be the F chord.
Four things about the chorus

1 The first chord of the chorus needs to differ from the
last chord of the verse. The ear really likes surprises.
2 The last chord of the chorus needs to differ from the

first chord of the returning verse.
3 To add contrast between sections, vary the number of

chords in the chorus from the number in the verses.
4 You can contrast sections when writing with length,

rhythm and beat.
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Lets say youve chosen F, G, C, G as the chorus music. So

now you have two verses and one chorus. Written out like a
chart more on charts later, it would look something like
this:
C, F, G / C, F, G / F, G, C, G
When returning to the verse music, I like to cut it in half and

get back to the chorus as soon as possible, giving us:
C, F, G / C, F, G / F, G, C, G / C, F, G
Most songs are loved for the chorus rather than the verse,
even though the verses are often more interesting lyrically. So
we add another verse and another chorus, and it looks like
this:
C, F, G / C, F, G / F, G, C, G / C, F, G / F, G, C, G
You are looking at the most popular music arrangement:
verse / verse / chorus / verse / chorus
Intro / Outro
The introduction or intro is the section that opens the
song. It can set up or give a hint about the rest of the tune. A
good intro can establish the whole vibe and groove of a tune.
It can be a section from a more developed idea that comes
later in the song. It can be a great place for a guitar hook or
important phrase in the tune.
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Some folks use a verse without vocals as an intro; some use

half the chorus. I love it when someone vamps on the IV
chord before going into the tune.
The outro, sometimes called the coda, is where we say

goodbye in the tune. This is a great place to have fun as a
performer. As a writer, you have fewer options. The outro is
often a repeat of a section. I think of that choice as a
bookend.
If a poignant lyric or phrase deserves another chance, this is a

great place to do it. Some even repeat the intro. Some songs
will go out on the I, leaving room for a long open-ended jam.
Live performers know audiences remember intros and outros

more than any other part of the performance.
More inexperienced singer/songwriters have a tendency to

blow off the importance of intros and outros. I encourage
you not to.
A bridge too close

A bridge, also known as a release, is a tiny song within a
song. Its used when a tune has reached a point where its too
soon to repeat a chorus and too soon to go back to a verse.
It will have a contrasting feel to the rest of the song. It

usually springs from the IV chord and works it way to the V
chord so it can slink back into the chorus.
A bridge is usually eight bars long, earning it the coolest

name in music, The Middle Eight.
36
Bridges will get more coverage later in the lyric/storytelling

section of the book.
Its all together now

Listen to your favorite songs. Soon youll be able to tell when
sections change. Study how many times the verse repeats
before going to the chorus. Listen to hear if the chorus
chords play twice each time. Is the intro also the outro? Was
a theme hinted at in the intro and developed more fully later?
Lets say you want to write a verse with a total of four chords.
You can throw in some minor chordsthats great, too.
In my next book, I will go more into chord substitutes. They

are many and they are cool, but Im staying with these seven
chords for this book.
That pesky VII chord

If you must have another chord, you can always take the VII
chord, lower it one half step and make it a major chord. This
chord is in just about every great guitar rock progression.
So if you are playing in C and you wanna go to the VII, just

substitute the B dim with a Bb major.
That sad, sad minor chord

These are the sad chords or the dark chords. They add
dramatic depth to music.
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Where do the minor chords come from and where do you

find them? They are called relative minors because they are
relative to the key you are in. Look back at the chart with the
Roman numerals. Notice that the II, the III and the VI are
all minor chords.
Here is the major chord chart with their minor chord

buddies:
I, IV, V II III VI
C, F, G try Dm or Em or Am
E, A, B try Fm or Gm or Cm
A, D, E try Bm or Cm or Fm
G, C, D try Am or Bm or Em
Throw these babies into the mix, see what works for your
ear. Try using a minor as the second chord in a progression.
It will act as a nuance without making the whole song dark.
However, limit the number of minor chords you put in a

song. Two is about the maximum. I can usually only get two
in a song if I start the tune with a minor chord.
Here are a few other progressions to repeat:
1 I IV / V IV / …
2 I IV / VII IV/ …
3 I VII IV / …
4 I VI IV V/ …
5 I IV VI V/ …
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Any of these progressions can be a verse or a chorus or the

entire song. Its up to your ear.
The melody line

Its never too soon to start knocking around melody lines for
your tune. Some folks just hear/create melody lines when
they hear chords played. Its easier than you think, if you
dont psych yourself out.
These exercises will get you ready:
1 Practice singing along with songs youve never heard.
2 Make up melody lines over parts of songs that dont

have any voices singing.
3 Pick out notes on your piano that stay in the key of C.
4 Practice memorizing your favorite melody lines.
5 Pull out your songbooks and play the melody lines

backward.
6 Keep making things up. There are only eight notes.
7 Sing nursery rhymes, but change the notes.
8 Whistle over the chord changes you have.
9 Make up new melodies over your favorite songs.
39
But I dont have a piano

Thats okay. Im assuming you have a computer or you
wouldnt be reading this e-book.
Every kind of music is already recorded and available to you

through the Web. These samples or snippets of music are
called loops. These are tiny little musical performances
available in every size, depth, length, speed, arrangement or
instrumentation you can imagine.
You can place them end to end, stack them on top of each
other or let one play endlessly as it loops around and starts
over. With some you can even change the tempo beat and
pitch key.
Besides providing interesting music you otherwise might not

come up with, these also work great as intros or outros,
breaks or bridges, solos or back beatswhatever pleases your
ear. They are addictive and inspiring.
If you arent a musician but have recording software already

pre-installed in your computer, get familiar with that
program. Most are as simple as a tape recorder.
I use GarageBand on my Mac. It is the easiest for me.
All kinds of real people information is available on the

Web. If you have no program on your computer and want to
start with computer recording and loops, get this
information together:
1 What brand of computer you have.

2 What model you have.
3 What year.
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4 What format you are running on, i.e., OSX.
If you are still lost and still dont know, e-mail or call any
online music software store. I recommend
BIGFISHAUDIO.com. They have been around for 20 years.
They seem pretty nice.
How about a guitar?

Do you have an old guitar lying around? Luckily, these guitar
chords in the key of C have some of the easiest fingerings
possible. Sorry, but no cookie-cutter here. The hand on the
next page shows the finger numbers that correspond to the
numbers marked on the strings.
41
You will strum all six strings on the guitar unless indicated by
a big red X:
42
C Major or the I chord
D Minor or the II chord
43
E minor or the III chord
F Major or the IV chord
44
G Major or the V chord
A Minor or the VI chord
45
Bb Major subbing for VII
Q: Whats a barre?
A: One finger pressing more than one string.
But I cant play an instrument or figure

out my computer recording gizmo thing
You still have loads of options. There are other instruments
and options you may not have thought of.
OPTION A
Every town in America has some guitar player or pianist
who willfor very little moneysit and help you find the
music you are hearing. Kind of like a criminal sketch artist,
only with music. Here are some tips:
46
1 Paying someone to do this allows you to keep all the

songwriting credit for yourself.
2 If someone doesnt ask for money, they will assume

they are getting a writing credit.
3 Leave the session with a good recording, as well as a

back-up copy.
4 Have the chord changes and any significant music

lines written down. Know what key it is in.
5 Make sure you know what b.p.m. beats per minute it

is. This also known as the count.
OPTION B
You can post on Craigslist.com that you are seeking a
collaborator and/or collaborators. Maybe you hear the song
in your head but need lyrics or vice versa. Collaborating is a
blast with the right person. They will think of things you
missed and can bring extra insight to the tune. I always learn
something useful from almost every exchange.
OPTION C
Sing a different melody line over a karaoke CD. Okay,
maybe thats a little lame.
OPTION D
Go to singer/songwriter nights and ask around. Any one
looking for a lyricist? Or a collaborator? Did one of the
performers sparkle to you? Could you relate to what they
were expressing? Did they remind you of someone you
already enjoy?
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OPTION E
Entertain the idea of studying an instrument. You do
not have to master it. I am a singer/songwriter who plays
some passable guitar, some really embarrassingly awful piano
and my inability to take a solo in rehearsals got so
hilariously excruciating, drummer Tom OBrien nicknamed
me Nubbins.
It doesnt take long at all to get passable on any

instrument. Some people find instant satisfaction after just a
couple of lessons. You can get great later if you like.
Remember we are talking about getting good enough to write
music.
OPTION F
There are two very old-time instruments that are always
available on eBay. It seems like someone is always selling one
or the other. They are the Auto Harp and the Toy Key
Organ. They are soooooo old-time that they are now
considered hip and retro. And there are many, many styles of
each still around.
The organ has tiny chord buttons you play with your left
hand. Each button creates an entire chord while you diddle
around with your right hand hitting the notes. Usually the
names of the chords as well as the notes are written clearly
on the instrument. Make sure you get one with as many
different chord buttons as possible.
When you first look at an Auto Harp, you see dozens of

strings in increasing lengths along the instrument. It can look
pretty intimidating at first, but it is exactly the opposite. The
Auto Harp has lots and lots of chord buttons that do the
work for you. Press a chord button and strum. It couldnt be
simpler. Its a lot easier than a ukulele.
48
Or would you rather have a fish?

Its has been said many times It is better to teach someone
to fish than to just give them a fish. But lets say you cant
even play the radio.
Well then, you get five fish. You can do with them as you
wish. Did you catch that totally accidental rhyme? Oh, no…
what about the word catch? All accidents… I swear!!!
Sometimes the work gets done for you.
Okay, you can do anything with these fish/songs:
1 You can use them to practice working on your lyrics.
2 You can add more instruments to fatten them up.
3 You can use them as final tracks to sing over.
49
4 Call them your own. Unless you get an award or

something.
I wrote each of these on GarageBand with the loops they

provide with their software. They vary in style, tempo and
accompaniment. These five songs are on MP3 files and can
be dumped into almost any recording software if you wish to
record your lyrics over them.
Here they are:
Fish 1
Fish 2
Fish 3
Fish 4
Fish 5
This is the end of Chapter 4. To write a love song, you now

have enough tools and options to cover your tail musically.
This is still just basic stuff needed to simply just write a song.
Ive written Chapter 15 for those who may want a little more
information.
50
Chapter 5
Looking for an Idea
The shoulders we stand on

Its helpful to know exactly who you like to listen to. These
artists have had the largest impact on your writing, much
more than any teacher or muse.
Since this is who youve spent the most time listening to, it
stands to reason that this is who youll model most of your
songwriting on, too.
My heroes are Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Cat

Stevens and The Beatles.
Pick your 10 favorite albums and your 10 favorite love songs.

Here are mine as of this writing. Tomorrow the list could be
different. So dont worry about leaving anything out. Its all
cool.
TOP 10 FAVORITE ALBUMS
Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones

Hats The Blue Nile
Hour of the Bewilderbeast Badly Drawn Boy
Tea for the Tillerman Cat Stevens
Court and Spark Joni Mitchell
Sgt. Pepper The Beatles
Harvest Neil Young
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Moondance Van Morrison

Closing Time Tom Waits
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman
TOP 10 FAVORITE LOVE SONGS
Maybe Im Amazed Paul McCartney

Company Rickie Lee Jones
Moondance Van Morrison
Maggie Mae Rod Stewart
Visions of Joanna Bob Dylan
How Can I Tell You Cat Stevens
Wonderful Tonight Eric Clapton
Every Breath You Take The Police
I Will The Beatles
You Are The Sunshine of My Life Stevie Wonder
Now jot down yours down without thinking too much. What
comes to mind first is what we want. Nobody else gets to see
this list. Oldies are great, even silly songs that arent cool
anymore to like anymore. Okay, GO.
TOP 10 FAVORITE ALBUMS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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TOP 10 FAVORITE LOVE SONGS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Now that you have your list, study these songs. Study their
arrangements, intros and outros, number of verses. Do the
choruses change when they come around a second time? Do
they even have a chorus? Do any of these songs kinda sound
alike? Are they sung in first person? Is the singer singing to
the world or himself? Are these songs happy, sad, satirical,
humorous, ironic? Do these have obvious changes between
the sections? Is there any IIVV?
Come up with your own questions. You want you to stretch

your powers of observation as well as expression.
The good borrow; the great steal

Yes, Im serious. Ever since I heard Paul McCartney say in an
interview that early on hed take other musicians bass lines
and turn them around backward, it was open season out
there for ideas and inspiration.
53
Taking someones melody line or exact lyric isnt cool, but its
cool to move things around, change perspectives, lift chord
progressions, paraphrase, turn progressions around backward,
snatch some ideas from books or movies.
I have gotten some really great ideas from Steven King

novelsnot gory lyrics, but keen observations of people.
Many movie scores sound a lot like some classical pieces Ive
heard.
Old hymnals have some great chord progressions.
You can tip your hat to another artist and call it a tribute;
just dont blatantly rip anyone off. If you want to model
after another artist and not draw too many comparisons, try
going cross gender. I can think of one really popular female
who appears to be doing old Rolling Stones these days. New
York City is packed with sensitive guy singers doing a great
Tracy Chapman. Hell, I wish I could do Rickie Lee Jones.
54
Chapter 6
Sitting Down and Doing It
Tools on your desk

You may have already begun jotting down notes on scraps of
paper and old utility bills, or you may have a musical phrase
bouncing around in your head. Maybe you picked a riff from
a computer sound file loop or chose one of the tunes from
this book. If so, now is the time to bring it all together and
put it in front of you.
If you have nothingno ideas, no thoughts, one big

blankthen welcome to a frequent state of any writer. Some
call it writers block. I call it the Big Empty. Everything is
still cool. Are you asking how can I just make up words?
Well, you already do it all day long. Its called talking.
We want to get all our tools together in one place. In

addition to the obvious pencil, paper, computer and/or
instrument, you will need:
1 A rhyming dictionary. Yes, there is a book with all the

words that rhyme together. My favorite is the Capricorn
Rhyming Dictionary. It has a helpful little poetry glossary up
front. What I like about the book is that it clearly breaks
down all the vowel possibilities. Besides giving the exact
rhyme matches, it also gives many almost rhyme matches. I
often prefer almost matches because they are less expected.
55
2 Rogets Thesaurus. A thesaurus is a book of synonyms.

Synonyms are words with similar meanings. This gives you
more options when expressing a feeling or describing a place.
Its greatest gift is that it will keep you from being
repetitious. Be careful you dont fall into the flowery overuse
potential of this book. A few spices are always best. I love
this book. If you dont have anything to write about, you can
look through its opening section, Synopsis of Categories.
Everything is in this list.
3 A tiny tape recorder. Its great to just turn it on and

forget about it being there. If you have the bucks, some
brands make voice activated ones, but Ive never gotten use
to them turning on and off.
4 Bartletts Familiar Quotations. Get inspired; find a

new phrase or thought, which could turn you in another
completely different direction.
5 A few songbooks of your heroes. Lost? You might be

able to find what they did. Maybe find a different chord than
you had planned. These books can also help you find the
right key for your tune.
Tools in your head

The first thing I do when writing any song is write down
every word that can be associated with what I have.
And if all I have is Love, then I write down every word I

can that relates to thatevery adjective, opposite, adverb,
substitute, crazy left-brain associationeverything. I prefer
pen and paper during this step.
56
List your words making one long column going down the left-
hand side of the paper, leaving several lines blank between
each word. This will be your column 1.
You can open your thesaurus to love or romantic and find

more words. You can check Bartletts or go online to some e-
quotes site and find even more. The more, the better. List
those words.
Now take this list and make four more columns with new
headings right next to it. Use opposite, adj./adv., left
brain and sub for substitute.
Look at the first word in your first column, love and go

across writing what words come to mind, as they relate to
each of those headings.
Focus on columns 2, 3, 4 and 5. Fill in all those spaces under

columns 2, 3, 4 and 5, allowing each word to affect the next
word.
1 2 3 4 5
original opposite adj./adv. leftbrain sub
love hate squeaky mush fond

love nest disarray complete away maze
desire loneliness emptier stare long
wife ghost desperate stretched wander
sex plan novel skull hump
revolt map old treasure plan
anniversary miss hungry touch lesson
Etc., etc., etc.
57
Start putting these images together. Notice some words have

nothing to do with the headings. We want what comes up
from your mind first, not what makes complete sense.
I find:
A desperate ghost
A novel plan
An emptier stare
A touch away
Complete disarray
An old treasure map
A hermit stares
A complete maze
A squeaky plan
These are some creative ideas to include or springboard

from. Maybe a title is in there somewhere? You can always
dig deeper, though.
As an example, A Touch Away seems the best title. But

before we go further with that, here are some ideas to spark
your imagination.
Some ideas on love to list

1 Firsts are a great source for song ideas:
First kiss
First smile
First glimpse
First date
First hand holding
First parting
First dance
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First moment you knew they were The One

First thought of losing them
2 A specific wish for your future:

Always be together
Follow your dreams together
A family
3 An acknowledgment of the moment:

Never been happier
Never been sadder
At peace
Scared to write this song
At a loss for the right words
4 An abstract or silly image:

Walking around in her head with a flashlight
Building a bridge to her heart
Running naked at the mall
5 A spin on a clich:
Dont just do something, stand there
Take me drunk, Im home
Penny wise, love foolish
6 The absence of someone:

Feeling empty when they are gone
What do you miss doing together?
Was it a breakup?
7 Your history:
Shared places of importance
The honeymoon cabin
Your bedroom
Some quiet little church
A favorite garden
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8 How the other person has changed you:

Are you braver now?
Are you more self-assured?
Feel safer?
9 Some quirky nuance:

That thing her mouth does
The sparkle in her eye
The way they say a word
10 Something you need to change about yourself:

Your view of the world?
Your view of love?
11 What keeps you around this person:

Their voice when they say your name?
Their wit?
Their skin?
Their eyes?
The way they make you feel?
12 What they have taught you:

How to listen
Patience
Lyrics are the story

Songs are like little movies. They have scenes, players and
story development. Some folks write songs knowing full well
where the story is headed, who the characters are and what
the big message is.
60
Others approach the process like slowly driving in a thick

fog, only able to see a few feet ahead, discovering the parts of
the story only as it develops. Both are sound and rewarding.
Hopefully youll slip back and forth between the two, staying
on track, yet allowing one thought to inspire another.
You only have to write the verse music once, same with the
chorus and bridge music. You can always make tiny changes
later if you wish. Once a lyric and its music come together,
you can start plugging in the rest.
The grand picture

The story line of your mini-movie is played out in three
places:
1 The verses, telling the main story.
2 The chorus, where we observe or comment on the

story.
3 The bridge, where new perspectives are introduced.
Heres another way to look at it. Do you know ancient Greek

theater? No? Well, let me tell you, every old Greek theater
play has three types of players in its cast.
First you have the mortals running around talking funny,

killing each other and generally moving the story along.
Think of the mortals as the verses in a song.
Then you have this group of masked guys in robes standing

together. They stand there on stage during the entire play,
61
watching and occasionally reciting something in unison about

what the gods are thinking. Think of this group of
masked guys as the chorus of a song.
And finally...
Theres this old dude, the narrator, who comes out and wraps
things up. He tells you what the moral of the play was, what
eventually happened to the hero, and then announces that
the play is over.* Everybody claps politely and goes home.
Think of the narrator as the bridge in a song.
* Maybe audiences werent too bright back then. Perhaps no

one had invented The End signs yet?
Sneaking up on a verse
After you have made your lists, combined some phrases and
picked a title, you probably have some general idea where
things are going. You have enough to set the stage for your
first verse.
In one paragraph, write out in plain talk what youd like to

say in this verse. What pieces of information need to be
conveyed at this starting point? Realize the listener is relying
on you to set the stage. Who do you want to introduce?
Where is the location of the song? Are you there?
Implying a location can fill the listeners mind with images

and save you space to tell your story. Close your eyes and
look around the setting, what do you see? Hear? Feel? Do any
phrases come to mind? Done? Good.
62
After you have finished this paragraph, distill the ideas down
to four sentences. These are not your lyrics. Dont even think
about rhyming anything yet unless something wonderful
jumped out and got on paper. Just put down the four
sentences in plain English. Plain old talk. Done? Great!
You now have the beginning of your story. Youll need a

middle and an end. Repeat this process with all the verses. Ill
wait here… Done? Super!
Joining the chorus

Do have you a chorus idea? It will probably be your title, but
it doesnt have to be. This is one place where it is cool to be
too poetic.
I want you to repeat the outlining process again for the

chorus while remembering these points:
1 A chorus is usually simpler than a verse.
2 It doesnt bear the same burden as the verse to propel

the story along.
3 It will probably have fewer words and less

information.
4 It is often the big message section.
5 It must relate to all the verses in some way.
6 Keep it a different length than the verses.
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Crossing that bridge

You may or may not need a bridge. Not every song needs
one. Youll know if you need one when:
1 Your ear tells you its too soon musically for another
verse or chorus.
2 You have some part of the story that cannot be

presented in a verse or chorus.
3 You have an instrument solo that doesnt work over a

verse or chorus.
4 You really really want one.
Think of the bridge as the voice of the great observer

pointing out a revelation or new perspective. Everything is
fair game in the bridge; you can even contradict yourself. But
remember the bridge is the shortest section in the tune. It is
usually only eight bars, so dont cram in too much.
You are always free to:

start with a chorus idea
start with your last verse
use any progression you hear
explore a music idea with gibberish
change a bridge to a chorus
build a song around a bridge
work your way backward
have only verses
write a verse, then a chorus, then a verse
go to another song and come back
Everything is cool.
64
At this point, you have rough sketches for the verses and
chorus only. Dont pressure yourself with a bridge in this
song. Just stick with the verses and choruses. Look… you are
sneaking up on your song…
You are now working toward an arrangement of your love

song. Im giving you the heads up on this so you can begin
narrowing down your story to three verses and two choruses.
The arrangement will look like this:
Verse / Verse / Chorus / Verse / Chorus
65
Chapter 7
Songwriters Secrets
Revealed
Headlines
The next step is writing a headline for your song, just as if it
were the lead story in your daily newspaper. However, this is
not the title. It is a lighthouse to help you stay on course.
Here are a few for the example tune A Touch Away:
1 Man craves lovers touch

2 Woman demands contact
3 Man to do anything for touch
4 Woman near death for touch
I like the first one best: Man craves lovers touch. Using
whatever headline you devise from your lists can work as a
lighthouse to check where youre going. Lets go a little
further.
Furniture
Ever wonder why one songwriter could hold your attention
longer than others? Some had cool stories and intriguing
words, while some kinda blathered all over you with blah,
66
blah, I feel, you make me feel, I remember feeling, remember

when we felt? blah, blah.
Here is the straight story. Chances are these tedious songs

youve suffered lacked solid objects. Every line was either
about feelings, quotes, spiritual axioms, promises, resolutions
or resentmentsall ethereal concepts. They were gaseous
puffs with nothing to grab onto.
Give us an old truck, a three-legged dog or a front porch,

what songwriters call furniture. Items that can be touched,
thrown or tripped over. Something noun-like.
Our ancestors drew their first stories on the walls of caves.

They drew the hunter and the bear, battles for victory and
rivers. They didnt draw love, happy or wishes. We still gotta
have the pictures in our stories. Weve come so far. Even
light can be furniture, or a rainbow, or a certain smell.
Instead of Remember when we said goodbye, try I

remember saying goodbye at the train.
Rather than That morning with you was so beautiful, use

The morning light made a rainbow behind your hair.
I walked downstairs this morning could be The smell of

coffee brought me down the stairs.
Look where you can include furniture in your distilled lyrics

to help anchor things down.
This cannot be overlookedits too important. Furniture

and the next two words could be the most important tools in
your box.
67
Imply and infer

To infer is to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge from
premises or evidence.
To imply is to indicate or suggest without being explicitly

stated.
These two words make it possible for the listener to work a

little. Listeners come to listen and figure things out. Thats
what people like to do. They like to work things out. Why do
you think puzzles are so popular?
Just give the listener some images, facts to reason and a good
back beat, and theyll be happy.
Our minds are quick; they can process images lightning fast.
But you dont want to stack on too many, because you may
lose a few folks. Just as long as you let the listener breathe a
little, theyll think you are the smart one.
Instead of:
She likes me.

I am very tired.
His clothes were old.
try using:
She smiles when I come around.

All I can think of is sleep.
The rags on his back were ripped.
As mentioned earlier, implying location will fill the listeners

head with images, saving you valuable space for the story line.
68
For example, where do you think these lyrics take place?
The cash register was louder than the bartender

Crickets singing outside our tent
stuck there, bumper to bumper
Where can you imply or infer your images in your lyrics?
Metaphors
A metaphor is a figure of speech. Its a phrase that is applied
to something to which it is not exactly applicable but close
enough to suggest a resemblance. Shes a Brick House is
one of my favorites.
Metaphors are powerful in songwriting. My only suggestion

is dont mix them. If youve already used a few car metaphors
in your tune, dont use a nautical or animal one in the same
song.
If you have it in you to make another list for your song, why
not list what related metaphors might work in your song? For
example, a songwriters toolbox is a metaphor. And, as in all
things, moderation.
Metaphors make great titles and choruses!
A little improv, please

Improvisation games are of great use to a writer. They
stretch your mind a little, trip you up a bit. They can loosen
up that left brain mojo.
69
Adding new information

With each new line, add more information to the song. It
could include something new like:
1 Who you are

2 What you are doing
3 About the other person
4 Where you are
The five senses

Include one or more of your five senses in your tune. They
can act as furniture. Check out the senses used in just the
first verse of Hotel California.
Changing characters
Change the person who is singing the song. What if you were
65 years old and writing this song? What would you say then?
What if you were 12? What if you were a dog? A book? What
if you had never seen daylight or stars?
Get any new insights?
Remember what the ear likes

Keep in mind the three things the ear loves above all else. It
loves, seeks out and craves:
1 Resolution: Music progressions coming back to the I

chord.
2 Repetition: A great music riff reminding us of itself.
70
3 Dynamics: Building and falling musical peaks and

valleys.
To arrange these components in a pleasing, simple piece is

one of the most challenging goals in music. You want the
music interesting enough to hold your attention without
being too complex to follow, yet still simple enough to
remember without being boring or repetitious. It will come if
you dont try too hard. The whole Zen thing.
Musical dynamics
Tucked away in this lyrically laden section is the most
important point in marrying the words and music of a song:
the dynamics. Music builds emotion, and lyrics build
emotion. Lyrically its when the story reaches its highest
suspense or drama, and musically, when the song is at its
highest note. You want these to occur at the same time.
Verses and choruses both have their high points. Both tend
to happen at the end of their sections. But it is the chorus
that has the biggest climax in the song. It is the big daddy.
Keep this in mind when writing your music and hammering
out the melody line.
The power of three

This tool has been used all through this book. Almost every
example given in sentence form has been given in threes.
Three always works, four is usually too many and two not
enough. I cant tell you any more than that: it works.
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Did you make any lists in your song lyrics? Your eyes, your
ears, your noses…
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Chapter 8
Counting Syllables
Grab your rattle

Most American popular music has the same structure as
nursery rhymes, usually two or four lines forming a thought.
These rhyming paired lines are called a couplet. Any
number of couplets can form a verse, but usually its two
couplets.
Look at the poetry of some of your favorite songs and see if

they can be recited like a nursery rhyme.
Good. See, I told you so. You checked one of your favorite
songs, didnt you? Welcome back! Now lets change gears and
look at a nursery rhyme we all know, Mary Had a Little
Lamb. It has two couplets.
couplet 1
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow.
couplet 2
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
Yes, it rhymes more on that later, but for now you want to
focus on the number of syllables in each line. Words have
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beats just like music has. These word beats are called
syllables.
In songwriting and poetry, the number of syllables per line is

more important than the number of words. And remember
that one thought is often two lines long.
Its these syllables that line up with the notes of the music,
not the words. You must keep the syllable count of each line
consistent in the song so they will sing with the music.
Tap out this first rhyme with your finger, hitting the
syllables, not the words. For example, the words Mary and
little each have two syllables.
Mary had a little lamb 7 taps

Its fleece was white as snow; 6 taps
And everywhere that Mary went, 8 taps
The lamb was sure to go. 6 taps
It followed her to school one day, 8 taps

Which was against the rule; 6 taps
It made the children laugh and play, 8 taps
To see a lamb at school. 6 taps
And so the teacher turned it out 8 taps

But still it lingered near 6 taps
And waited patiently about 8 taps
Till Mary did appear. 6 taps
Why does the lamb love Mary so? 8 taps

The eager children cry; 6 taps
Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know 8 taps
The teacher did reply. 6 taps
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Notice the first and third lines of a verse have the same
number of syllables and the second and fourth have the
same number. However, as in the first verse here, they do not
always have the same count, but it is a good parameter for us
to follow at this point. What matters most is that each verse
has the same pattern as the verses unfold.
You will establish the number of syllables per line for the
entire song with the first two lines. The rest of the verses will
need to match that first verse in syllable count.
Since you usually you only write one chorus and then repeat
it, you dont have to keep track there.
To further enhance the contrast between a verse and a

chorus, you can create different line totals for the choruses
than you did for the verses.
If you speak your lines in a nursery rhyme pattern, they will

eventually fall into place. Again, remember that one thought
usually takes two lines.
Now take your distilled lines and rewrite them with similar
syllable counts.
Feel free to take from any nursery rhyme you know.

Remember to match the count in the first and third lines as
well as second and fourth lines.
Allow any rhyming to happen if it appears. Dont force it.
Try to work toward three verses and two choruses.

Remember, you only need to write one chorus, since they
most often repeat themselves.
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We are ready to put this tune into a rough draft outline. The
form you are sneaking up on is:
Verse / Verse / Chorus / Verse / Chorus
This will be your first draft outline for your love song. It is
not the final draft. Dont worry, just put in the lyrics you
have. Use the new verses with the corrected syllable count.
Just write them down. Shoot for one thought to be taken up
by two lines. Again, rhyming is great, but not necessary yet.
Each verse has four lines with one pair of eventual rhymes on
the second and forth lines.
Each chorus also has four lines with one pair of eventual
rhymes on the second and forth lines.
On the next page, just fill in the blanks:
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My Love Song
Verse One
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Verse Two
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Chorus One
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Verse Three
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Chorus Two
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Great. You now have a non-rhyming first draft.
77
Chapter 9
Its Rhyming Time
The ohs and ahs

Remember that vowels rhyme, not consonants. And nothing
rhymes with orange.
Here is where we make our first rhyming rough draft. Check

to see if you have any little voices putting any pressure on
you. Ignore them. You can have as many chances as you need
to finish this section, and you can take as much time as you
want. This could be the most fun part of the book for you.
This probably will also be the most rewarding section in the

book. This is where a lot of magic happens…if you treat it
like fun and dont force it.
Lets say you have a line you really like, but you dont have a
rhyming line to go with it. Lets also say its the second of the
four lines in the verse. Lets say this second line is:
I knew youd always be there.
A quatrain is formed by two rhyming couplets. In a

quatrain, as in Mary Had a Little Lamb, sometimes the first
and third lines rhyme as well as the second and fourth.
Another possible rhyming pattern is where the first and
second lines rhyme and then the third and fourth rhyme. For
this exercise, youll want to establish and stick with a pattern.
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If the first and third lines rhyme in the first verse, keep it
going. If they dont rhyme in the first verse, dont start
rhyming them later in the song. It will confuse the listener.
In fact, I have a real problem with Mary and her lamb. In the
first verse, the first and third lines dont rhyme, but then they
do rhyme in the second and third verses, but then dont
rhyme in the fourth verse. Drives me nuts.
If you only rhyme the second and fourth lines, then you are
free to end the first and third lines with anything you like. In
reality, if you only have to find a rhyme for the fourth line,
you only have to find as many rhymes as you have verses.
Okay, write down your first, second and third lines from your
last rough draft. Leave an empty space for the fourth line.
You want to be sure you have the syllable count nailed down
in your head.
Lets say the first three lines are:
I dont know how I ever knew it but 10

I knew that youd always be there 8
And when I couldnt see your smiling face 10
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 8
Go to your rhyming dictionary and find a few words that

might work, for example, care, where, dare, flare, swear,
hair…
Now go back to the nursery rhyme test. Recite the lines you
have in your best nursery rhyme fashion. Each time the
fourth line comes around, say Ya Da Da Da Da in the
correct cadence/count up until you hit the place where the
rhyme takes place. Then throw in one of the possible rhymes.
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In this verse, you will need seven counts of Ya Da until you

throw in the new one-syllable word. You could also do six
counts of Ya Da, working up to a two-syllable blank.
Just keep doing it over and over. Your mind has been so
immersed in this song, this process, this rhyme that it will
eventually appear.
Just like all the other lines have appeared, so will the rhyme.
If you let it. You may have to fiddle around with what comes
to mind, but you will have the rhyme. It is always there.
Remember to stay with the nursery rhyme trick while you
recite your work. Repeat it over and over and over.

Ya Da Da Da Da Da Da scare 8

Ya Da Da Da Da Da Da where 8

Ya Da Da Da Da Da Da share 8

Ya Da Da Da Da Da Da spare 8

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I had to pull out some spare 7
Okay, it rhymes, but it doesnt completely make sense. What

can I tweak in the song to make it work? Can I fix it with
changing some other line? Even the holiest of holy favorite
line?
You can change anything, anywhere, anytime. Ive had to let

go of some great lines to allow a great song to get finished.
Realize you already have the rhyming word. Its the rest of
the line you are looking for. The hard part has already been
done.
Okay, try this. Change the last line.

Id find some love to spare 6
Still not great. Try changing the first three lines.
I remember the night that you told me 10

That you might not always be there 8
And if Id just picture your smiling face 10
Id find some love to spare 6
Almost there…

And if Id just picture your smiling face 10
I would feel your love anywhere 8
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Almost…

But if I could picture your smiling face 10
I could feel your love anywhere 8
Whew. So now its your turn with your tune. You have all the
time in the world. Remember how folks love puzzles? This is
your puzzle. Have a blast!!! Oh, and this isnt the final version
or draft either. Still no pressure.
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My love song
Verse One
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 1
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 1
Verse Two
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 2
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 2
Chorus One
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 3
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 3
Verse Three
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 4
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 4
Chorus Two
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 5
_______________________________________
_______________________________rhyme 5
Congrats!!!! You have completed your first full draft.
83
Chapter 10
Take a Break
But you have to come back.
84
Chapter 11
Take a Peek
Working notes on actual songs

Still staying in break mode, follow along with these writing
notes on other tunes. What would you do differently? This
is not a test…
song 1: Grace
© brooks/yules
I met Michele Yules at a songwriters workshop on New

Yorks Upper West Side, proving that its good to get out
and meet other artists.
We met and discussed ideas that each of us had bouncing

around in our heads also backed up in paper notebooks. We
traded ideas for about an hour until one idea stood out as
exciting to both of us. Notice that we waited until something
sparkled. We didnt just start with the first thing laid out
on the table.
Not every idea is going to move the next person. That isnt
an insult; its just usually a timing/universe kinda thing.
Somewhere down the road, youll find someone who is also
excited by your idea. Or youll be moved to work on it
yourself.
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When you collaborate, its important to select an idea that is

interesting to both parties. You just cantand dont want
tofake enthusiasm.
Okay, back to Grace. When we agreed to work on it, it

wasnt a lyric or a phrase. It was only an idea. The idea was
that there was a girl who felt trapped in her small-town life,
couldnt find the love she craved and was looking for an exit.
We wanted it to be upbeat and have a motivating message.
Why not have the girl be protected by the gift of having
the magical name Grace?
Great. Here was some conflict, a little mystical magic and a

story that could have a clear beginning, middle and end. We
also agreed the music would need to be upbeat and very
simple.
Beginning: Girl feels lost.
Middle: Girl looks to get out.
End: Girl gets out.
I had a music riff screaming in my head for a while that was

the reverse of chords of something I had just finished with
another songwriter.
In the first verse, we set the stage for Grace:
She waited for so long

For some message from God.
It was feeling like the Planet of Apes
When the tarot said move along.
She knew she would find love
If she could find the patience to wait.
She knew it would be easy
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Cause her mama named her Grace.

Her mama named her Grace.
Youll see Ive italicized the rhymes. You will also notice we
didnt use exact rhymes.
Did you notice we dropped the word the in the movie title?
This had to be done to fit the syllable count to the beat.
We imply she is spiritual by mentioning tarot cards. We

also imply she needed to leave without saying the words she
needed to leave.
We held off on the magic of her name until the last line. It
worked so well that we later decided to make it a repeating
last-line chorus. This often happens in Dylan tunes.
Since we already set the stage for her longing to get out of
town a common theme in songwriting in the first verse,
now it was time to get her started on the move. In the
second verse, saying that she packed her...bag and put out
her thumb tells us shes leaving town without spelling it out
that shes leaving. Imply, Infer, Imply, Infer…
We wanted to add some furniture to the song Ray Bans and

little pink bag and give a little more information about her.
We didnt want her to be a goody-goody, so we had her dress
sexy, pierce her nose piercing of the body or cutting of the
hair is seen as a defiant gesture in many cultures and commit
a small forgivable crime.
Heading toward the sun is reminiscent of the Phoenix, which

symbolizes rebirth.
The repeating theme line relating to her name fit just

perfectly after the second verse. This was when we decided
87
to make it a one-line chorus. So we went back and added it to

the first verse. Notice it doesnt rhyme with anything in the
verse. It stands alone as a one-line chorus.
So she packed her little pink bag

With all her hot pink clothes.
She stole a pair of black Ray Bans
And pierced her nose.
She put out her thumb,
Started heading toward the sun.
She knew itd be easy
For what her mama done.
The story continues and we find her in Tulsa, standing in line

waiting for her change. We had a double meaning for
change, for money as well as good fortune.
Humor is also the greatest thing to hide in a song. An

Optometrist who caught her eye says it all.
Again we see her courage birthright of her name when she

approaches the doctor with the faith shell be all right.
And by the time the last verse line comes around, we need to
set up that one-line chorus by mentioning again how she got
her name.
She was waiting for her change

At the Tulsa Five and Dime.
When the handsome young Optometrist
Walked in and caught her eye.
She walked right up to him
Without knowing what to say.
She knew it would be easy cause
Her mama paved the way.
88
The song could have ended there, and it did for a couple of
years, until Tommy James Crimson and Clover, Mony
Mony, I Think Were Alone Now and Crystal Blue
Persuasion heard the tune and asked us to write another
verse. Talk about coolone of my childhood heroes wanted
to hear more. The last verse came out in about four minutes.
Infer/Imply time… We find her with a baby, a new front

porch and the doctor working in the yard. I guess they got
married. And I guess we split the ending into 2 verses.
And the big finish is we find out the baby must have just
been born because she just received her name that day…and
her mother passed the gift on to her. Not a dry eye in the
house, not even mine.
Now she sits on her new front porch

With her baby in her arms.
The doctor is pulling weeds.
His back is so wide and strong.
She knows her daughter
Will always find her way,
Can always lean on
The gift she got today.
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song 2: Shes Right Over There

© brooks
I was obsessed with this girl, and I wanted a song to impress

her. Impress her? More like I wanted her to drop to her
knees, marvel at my passion and swear her eternal undying
love for me.
Playing it out in my mind, I would perform it live at

TRAMPS in NYC. She would be in the audience and Id be
singing the song, and Id point to her whenever the title came
around. It would be something about her, but I didnt know
what yet.
It was clear to whom I was writing and singing the song. It

would be to the audience, the universe. This song would be a
secret between the listener and myself.
I first stumbled across the music while practicing a jazz

progression. Most of my guitar riffs are glorious accidents
that I trip over. I only really compose/write the rest of the
song, making the song build on the accident. Some call this
inspiration. I call it stumbling.
All I had was this idea of pointing to this girl across the room
and telling my buddies how it was love at first sight.
Of course, Im not going to write love at first sight. It

would just be too cheesy. So I made a long list of all the ways
to imply love at first sight, a list saying how important
someone could be, a list of what is cool to me.
90
I acted out the scene as an improv on what I would say to my

best buddy about this girl. Immediately I came up with the
title Shes Right Over There.
Super. I had a title and was pretty sure I had a chorus I could
sing as I pointed to her.
Soooo... I had this riff for the chorus music. It pretty much
demanded I start and finish each chorus with the same line.
This left me very little wiggle room between the start and
finish of the chorus. So I went back though my lists and
picked out all the ones that rhymed with there.
I didnt have enough lines, so I pulled out the old rhyming

dictionary and looked for all the possible rhymes I could find.
Close rhymes, exact rhymes, distant rhymes, anything to do
with love, beauty, coolness, being at a party, best friends,
chance, anything to do with what I already had. Lists, lists,
lists...
I didnt know where the story would go except I needed to

connect with the girl across the room. Notice I never come
right out and say, Here I go, Im walking over there...
I also wanted to give some information about the place, like

how it was crowded without saying the word crowded. This
gets handled by answering my buddys question about which
girl I am talking about. And you can assume the distance
between me and the girl is just beyond earshot.
Wanting more dialogue between my buddy and me, I

avoided getting into he said, then I said, then he said by
questioning his questions. This is a great tool for saving
valuable lyric space.
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The conflict is the question of whether Im going over to her.

I could question the stars and fate great romantic themes
by wondering about the chances of me seeing her on this
night in this room.
Admittedly, this tune has very little furniture. I make up for

it with the specificity of how she makes me feel.
Notice the simple rhyming pattern and how it goes straight

into a chorus after only one verse.
Shes Right Over There
I love that girl and I want you to know

If you catch my eye youll see where it shows
You ask me wheres my life, wheres my love,
Wheres my soul?
Just turn around now, but turn around slow
because shes right over there
Shes right over there

Twirling her hair, so twisted and fair
So unaware of my every stare
Shes so so so right over there
Howd I end up here on the very same night

In the very same room, with such a wicked sight?
How can you ask which one Im talking about
Can
t you see the light just pouring out
from right over there

I swear she just sweetens the air,
Like a shadow shed fit anywhere
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Ive never felt like... no never... not like this...

I know that I want her... I know that I need her
more than my next breath
Im floating my head is spinning me too

I pray that my feet will carry me through
Dont dare ask me if this will take long
Cause you know what I want
And you know where Ive gone
right over there

So tempting, shes a lovers dare
The only answer to my only prayer
Oh… She went to the bathroom as I started the song. She

never heard a note. I swear.
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song 3: Hideaway
© brooks/yules/peterson
Put a smile on my face

And erase every trace of this world
Settle in, cuddle up
And well watch the night unfurl
Open up those bedroom eyes,
Bring your lust and your lullabies
Pull the shade on another day
Ill do anything you say
Ohhh... Say you will

Ohhh... Lead the way
Keep me in your hideaway
Put your hand on my heart

And promise not to part when we dream
Of that place I dont race
With everyone and everything I see
I aint getting out of bed,
Till those monsters leave my head
You can make them go away
Theyll do anything you say

And when I am here

Im safe
And when I am here
Im complete
And when I am here
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God I have everything that I need

That I need

Hideaway
Hideaway
Ray Peterson gave me this guitar riff; it sounded like a Joe

Jackson song, but twice as fast. I wont say which one.
We had some lyrics lying around from some previous

sessions that never got worked into any other songs. One was
pull the shade on another day, another was put your
hand on my heart and lust and lullabies was the third.
The sessions began with asking ourselves what was important

to lovers, what do they romantically long for? Each other?
Escape? The idea of finding a place to hide from the world
seemed pretty universal for couples.
The title came pretty quick after we picked the theme. This
would be a busy little tune.
The bridge lyrics were inspired by a movie scene. I wont say

which one.
This song is rhyming all over the place. Its got internal
rhymes:
face, erase and trace

heart, not and part
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Basic rhymes:
world and unfurl

eyes and lullabies
day and say
head and bed
It also has some alliteration with:
lust and lullabies

put, promise and part
The verses came fast and easy because we made all our lists of
relative words up front. Lists about love, lovers, bed, sex, and
so on. Having some nice clever anchoring phrases sure helps,
too.
The verses were coming out very involved with thick

imagery, lots of constants and few vowels. They were also
longer than our average verse lyric. We knew we would need
a much shorter chorus. So we ended up sending the chorus
off as an extension of the last line of each verse. Notice,
however, that the chorus would stand on its own.
The bridge music starts on the IV and leads so sweetly into

the last chorus.
This is not a story song. It is a snapshot-of-a-moment tune.

We learn more about the subjects inner landscape than the
outer events. Yes, one is asking to be taken somewhere, but
in reality they are already there. That place is alone.
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Chapter 12
An Early Checklist
Do you have all the lyrics rhyming? Do the syllables count
out right? Is there a strong melody line? Does it come
together over the chord changes? Do you have a song?
Almost? Great. Time to marry the two parts of words and
music. This is where even more magic happens.
Play it over and over. Sing it the nursery rhyme way and start
changing the notes around; stretch some out some of the
notes. Take someone elses melody line and change a few of
the notes. Start with a different note as you sing. Most songs
start with the root/first note. Try starting on the third note
in the scale, or the fifth. Does anything click? Does anything
stumble? Fiddle with it. Record it on a simple cassette player
and listen over and over. Walk away and rest your ears.
Come back to it. Does the story make sense? Do you have a
collaborator? What do they think? Is there a nice contrast
between the verses and the choruses? How are the dynamics?
Is anything missing? If you are working alone on this song
and are craving feedbackand you have someone whose
opinion you trustnow is a good time to bounce your song
off somebody else. Of course, that should be someone other
than your intended love song recipient.
Did you meet any singer/songwriters on your trips to the

local coffee shop? You might wish to visit www.copyright.gov
and copyright your song before venturing out.
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Chapter 13
Great Songs Arent
Written, Theyre
Rewritten
Q: How do I know if its any good?
A: It doesnt matter.
It doesnt matter for two reasons:
1 When the object of your affection sees/hears what

youve done, it wont matter what it sounds like.
2 This isnt your last song. This doesnt even have to be

the final version of this song. Your next song will
probably be even better. You will improve.
Check your tune against these points before letting it out for
review.
A checklist
1 Are my pronouns clear?

2 Did I vary my vowel sounds?
3 Are the changes dynamic in the tune?
4 Are the verses and choruses varied enough?
5 Are my time and place consistent?
98
6 Have I overused any unnecessary words?

7 Am I assuming anything that needs to be clearer?
8 Is my furniture consistent?
9 Does the tune maintain a consistent level of
intelligence?
10 Have I moved the story forward?
11 Have I stayed in character?
99
Chapter 14
Works of Art Are Never
Finished, They Just Stop
in Interesting Places
If you look around your work area, you will find lots of notes
and ideas that maybe didnt work this time. Let them be your
next inspiration. Let them be the seeds of your next idea
next time youre stuck. Save them for collaborations. They
are all songsongs that havent come very far…yet.
You are free to come back and revisit your finished songs;
you may think of a better phrase or an extra verse. Anything
is possible, anything is allowed in your writing.
100
Section 15
If You Must Know
More on music with some repetition

The smallest unit of music is the note. A note can be brief or
sustained for a long duration. Think of a single key on a
piano being struck or an open string being plucked on a
guitar.
The absence of sound in a song is called a rest. A rest can also

be brief or long. Think of a piano or guitar and dont do
anything, just stare at it. See below:
Nice and quiet, huh?

101
The distance between two adjacent notes is called a

semitone or a half step.
Or you could say...
Each note is separated from its upper and lower neighbors by

the interval of one half step, or semitone.
You could also say...
Whenever you move up the piano, hitting every note one at a

time you are moving up one semitone or half step at a
time.
Scales of a feather
Notes are grouped together in sets called scales. Or look at
it this way: a scale is a set of notes that provide the raw
material for musical.
Scales are typically ordered in pitch. They sound higher as

they go up the scale.
When musicians or singers are practicing these notes, they

are doing their scales.
There are just two scales we need to know about right now.
The first is the Chromatic scale. It is the mother of all the
scales. It contains all the notes. Think of every note or key
on the piano, both black and white:
102
The second scale is the Diatonic scale. You probably know

it as the do re me fa so la ti do scale. It is the scale we will
mostly be working with. It has seven notes. In the key of C,
they are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Think of only the white keys
on a piano when playing in C:
Do remember the Diatonic scale will be our scale.
In between some of the notes of the Diatonic scale, you will

find what we call flats and sharps.
103
In the key of C, these are the black keys on the piano. See
below:
A black key is called flat when it is below the note it refers

to and sharp when it is above the note.
Most musicians refer to the flats when naming notes, rather

than the sharps. For example, it is better to say Gb than F#.
Below are the names of the notes on the black keys.
The word key has another meaning, other than the keys
you pound out your notes on.
A key signature, or key for short, indicates a group of

notes that belong together in a piece of music.
When you hear a musician ask Hey, what key is this in?
hes asking which group of notes he can play and not clash
with everybody else.
There will be NO test later...
104
Nice chords
Several notes played at the same time are called a chord.
It takes at least three notes to make a chord.
The three-note chords we will be working with are called

triads.
The names of the three notes in a major triad are:
1 The root, which is the lowest note in the chord.
2 The third, which is the middle note.
3 The fifth, which is the highest of the three notes.
105
I apologize in advance for the next few paragraphs…
Triads can be major triads or minor triads. As the name

indicates, the root note is the heart of the chord. It also
determines the name of the chord. This makes great sense to
me. In any type of triad, this is always the same.
With major triads, the third note is four semitones above the
root. This is called a third. Its called a third because its
two whole tones above the root. Remember do, re, me, fa, so,
la, ti, do? Well, the third is the me to the roots do.
The fifth note is seven semitones about the root. This is

called the fifth of the chord, because it is four whole tones
above the root. The fifth is the so to the roots do.
The only difference between a major and a minor triad is the

middle note. The root is always the beginning, and the fifth is
always seven semitones above the root. But that middle note
drops down one semitone to create a minor chord. This note
is called a flatted third. Every minor chord has a flatted
third.
Since this is such a hodgepodge of black and white keys, not

all chord types look the same on the keyboard. This is why
the cookie-cutter technique is so great. It creates majors and
minors while you keep your finger position constant. The key
of C is the only key this cookie-cutter works in.
My way of keeping it straight is:
1 The root uses my thumb.

2 The third uses my third finger.
3 The fifth uses my fifth finger.
106
Naming the triads

These seven triad chords need some names. Just like when
you are naming the key, naming the triad starts with taking
the lowest note in the chord.
Q: Tell me again why seven?
A: Because we are working with the seven-note Diatonic

scale: C, D, E, F, G, A and B.
We build our seven chords from the seven root notes of that
scale.
These triads we are working with are gonna have two names:
1 A letter name referring to what notes they contain.
2 A number name referring to where they are in

relation to the other chords.
The letter name comes from whatever note the root is. If the
root note is C, the chord will be a C something, like C
major or C minor.
The number name comes from where the chord rests in the
Roman numeral scale degree.
The what? I swear its easier than it sounds... I swear!!!!!!
Were gonna number these triads with the Roman numerals

I through VII. They are called the I chord, the II chord,
the III chord… all the way to the VII chord.
107
Each of these chord numbers corresponds to a type of chord:
The I chord is a major chord.

The II chord is a minor chord.
The III chord is a minor chord.
The IV chord is a major chord.
The V chord is a major chord.
The VI chord is a minor chord.
The VII chord is a diminished chord more on this
later.
As you can see, the three types of triads are major, minor
and diminished. Each type of chord has a very specific vibe:
1 A major chord usually has a happy, resolved sound.
2 A minor chord is a more dramatic, sad sound.
3 A diminished chord has an unstable no mans land

sound.
You can use this chart by plugging in the first chord in the
first position, and the others will fall into place.
Plug in the key of C and here are your chords:
I the C chord is major called C major

II the D chord is minor called D minor
III the E chord is minor called E minor
IV the F chord is major called F major
V the G chord is major called G major
VI the A chord is minor called A minor
VII the B chord is diminished called B diminished
or
108
Plug in the key of G and here are your chords:
I the G chord is major called G major

II the A chord is minor called A minor
III the B chord is minor called B minor
IV the C chord is major called C major
V the D chord is major called D major
VI the E chord is minor called E minor
VII the F chord is diminished called F diminished
It is okay to count these out on your fingers.
Lets say we want to write our tune in the key of C. Look at

your scale degree chart and plug in C. Since it is the first
degree of the scale, it will be the I chord.
Continuing using this chart or counting on your fingers, you

can easily determine the IV chord is F and the V chord is
G.
You dont have to remember if the I, IV and V are major or

not because they are always major, just like the II, III and
VI are always minor.
The VII is trouble unless you flatten the chord and make it a
major instead of a diminished. Ive written hundreds of
songs, and I hardly ever use it as a diminished chord.
There are a gazillion other chords and variations, but lets

keep things simple.
109
The circle of fifths

I friend of mine met Ringo Starr, and Ringo told him the
most important thing in music was to know your circle of
fifths.
At the top of the circle is the key of C. If you move

clockwise, you will find the fifth of C, which is G. Thus
the name circle of fifths. You can pick any chord on the
chart and go clockwise, and youll always find the fifth.
That first chord you pick on the chart, the one you use to
find the fifth, is also called the I chord. Sound familiar?
110
So any chord you start with is the I, and the chord
clockwise to it is then the V.
And thats not all! If you look now, you will also receive,
absolutely free, the IV chord!
Yep, If you move counterclockwise from the I, you will

find the IV.
Sooo... In the circle of fifths, you will always have the three
primary chords next to each other:
The I in the middle
The IV to the left The V to the right
This is works with any chord on the chart.
AND… as an extra bonus…
Inside the circle are all the relative minor chords that relate
to the major chords closest to them on the outer circle.
If we look at the top of the circle, we see the C outside the

circle is corresponding to the Am inside the circle.
111
If you look back to the major/minor chart that gave the

Roman numeral names to chords, youll notice Am is the VI
chord to C. So this circle of fifths also shows us the VI
chords in the same cluster.
or
Since we are only working in the key of C, this is more than

you need for now! There is a lot more to learn, but this really
is plenty to get you started on your first love song.
112
Chapter 16
Closing Time
Congratulations! You made it to the end of the book. I
didnt want to just drop you off without saying thank you and
goodbye. Some great teachers and generous collaborators
passed everything Ive presented in this book down to me.
Now, I pass it all on to you, hoping you continue these
disciplines and make use of and modify these tools.
There are just as many ways to write songs as there are songs
to write. Please keep looking for new ways to deepen your
connection to your art. Take risks, speak the scary truth in
your music, break some rules and think out of the box as
much as you can.
Above all, I hope you had fun. Songwriting can be an infinite

playground on which to express yourself. There, you can
become whoever you want to be and say whatever is on your
mind. So, play on!
Thanks,
William Brooks
113
THE END
More to come.
Look for my new book…
coming soon!
114
Acknowledgments
I've had some great teachers, collaborators and guides along the
way. I must thank them all for their inspiration, instruction and
insight. I list them in ascending height, Eric Morris ("Leave your
art for a day and it will leave you for three"), Rusty King ("What
is really being said here?"), Julia Cameron ("Keep the pen
moving"), Rick Beresford ("the answer to every question is
yes"), Walter Marks ("do something every day"), Mark
Lonergan (“It's easier than you think"), Rich Winter (“Make lots
of lists"), Rick Moody ("Write like you are driving in the fog")
and Robin Hackett (“It doesn't matter what people think”). A big
thanks to Mesan at actors-web.com also Margaret for the editing
and Linh at Tunenami.com for all the help and encouragement.
115
©William Brooks—All Rights Reserved www.SongGuru.com
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115
BONUS NUMBER TWO
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119
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120

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What is the author's background?

What is the author's background?

What are some of the biggest mistakes beginning songwriters make according to the author?

What are some of the biggest mistakes beginning songwriters make according to the author?

How to Write a Love Song

About the Author

After earning a business degree from The University of Oklahoma, he

As a performer, William has played many of Gothams most notable digs

William has been honored as a New Folk Finalist at Americas most

Married to actress Lisa Masters, he continues to teach, write and record

Clearing The Blocks

Chapter 2: The 7 Biggest Mistakes Beginning Songwriters Make

Chapter 3: What Comes First?

Chapter 4: If You Know Nothing About Music

Chapter 5: Looking for an Idea

Chapter 6: Sitting Down and Doing It

Chapter 7: Songwriters Secrets Revealed

Chapter 8: Counting Syllables

Chapter 9: Its Rhyming Time

Chapter 10: Take a Break

Chapter 12: An Early Checklist

Chapter 14: Works of Art Are Never Finished,

Chapter 16: Closing Time .................................... 113

This is your writing

Buying this book is a confirmation that somewhere in your

Congratulations on believing in yourself!

Tooling around in the creative world isnt black and white.

In songwriting, mistakes may lead to new even greater ideas,

The world you create in your writing has no limitations.

Can you write your own version of Blackbird? Yes!

Can you write ten songs about your dog? Yes!

Would it be okay to write a song that doesnt rhyme? Yes!

Elsewhere youd probably hear No to these questions, but

Before pulling out pens, paper or software, I recommend you

Now you need to meet someone. You.

Rebirthing the creative mind

You are the authority on you

Let the items on your list be as dark, silly or weird as they

Keep this list and your other exercises to yourself. If you

This list will be invaluable later in your songwriting sessions.

1 The Am chord on an acoustic guitar

Now list yours:

Learn how you really feel about things

An early artistic mentor/teacher/guru-type person taught me

His first lesson was to always answer truthfully when asked

Well, the truth usually is a little more complicated than that.

Trick yourself into the truth

You may not be able to differentiate between the two minds

One way to free the creative mind by allowing it to cut loose,

You can do this by writing what Julia Cameron calls the

Write continuously for three solid pages. Write in this

Julia calls the morning pages nonnegotiable. And she is

It can be quite a battle to stay present. Many people often

Yes, you want your imagination to be free to explore and

I believe reality is happening now. It is not ten years from

Creativity happens in the moment; ideas come now. When

Inspirational insights, the constant barrage of things

As silly as they sound, these three suggestions will help you

1 Breathe. Fully breathe from your deepest belly. Anytime

1 The Am chord on an acoustic guitar

1 Breathe. Fully breathe from your deepest belly. Anytime

2 When you walk down the street, thrive in your senses.

3 Agree not to talk to people who arent physically present

1 Being too poetic

2 Complicating the music

3 Being too clever

4 Covering too much ground

5 Repeating the same information

6 Going on too long

7 Judging themselves too harshly

1 Some of these chords are called major chords. They

2 Some of these chords are called minor chords. They

3 One chord stands out poorly, called a diminished

A measure or bar of music may have one or many notes,

If you want to jazz things up a bit, try IIVI. That would be

The cookiecutter piano chords

Get comfortable hammering out that old IIVV. Or any

The old IIVV

Here are some quick IIVV progressions pulled from the