Have you ever started a song and left it unfinished? Thought of a good concept for a song and never even got around to writing it down in the first place? One common denominator I’ve observed during my travels and interviews with top-notch artists and producers is that whenever they had an idea, whether it be for an instrumental or a song, they would write it down in some sort of notebook or record it on a recorder & they would come back to later and work on developing that song or idea.
First of all I heartily recommend this song-writing program called Rap Pad.
1. Learn the Proper Structure for a Song.
A proper structure for a song is the following:
Verse 16 Measures
Chorus 8 Measures
Verse 16 Measures
Bridge 4-8 Measures
Chorus 8 Measures
Verse 16 Measures
Chorus/Outro 8 Measures
2. Hit Record and Let it Come Out.
Many times I’ve hit record on a track and I’ve been able to rap the entire time, actually, I would say thousands upon thousands of times. Yet this is not the finished product. I would have hundreds of songs on Pandora, iTunes, and on VEVO – I’d have collaborations with countless major artists if I only finished the songs that I started. One of the best ways to do this is to remember the following tip.
3. Count the Measures and the Syllables.
Sometimes we can go on too long if we’re “freestyling.” The reason for the Chorus is so that the listener doesn’t get bored – it holds their attention, and many times the chorus is one of the few things that people remember when they hear a song on the radio. From Soulja Boy’s ‘Superman’ to Akon’s ‘Lonely’ – we’ve all remembered their choruses, and I believe we can all come to an agreement that for the most part, the raps in many artists verses aren’t very well thought-out, nor are they uplifting, and many times they don’t make much sense; yet they still make it on the radio? Other than the fact that these songs are pushed by the record labels and radio stations are paid off to put the song on rotation, the structure is in tact, they have the intro, the bridge, the chorus, and the verses, in the timing that they need to be had in. Counting your syllables is so important, I’m going to recommend a product – the ‘Rappers Handbook’ – it has given me so much insight into the structure of writing rap I feel it’s an absolute necessity to read and apply it to your writing if you’re serious about finishing an actual product – an album.
Final Tip:
Use your free time to finish up songs that you’re working on – share the rough draft you have with others – fill up your time you spend waiting in line at the bank, waiting on people that you’re picking up, or even while you’re laying in bed waiting to fall asleep.
