What makes a great song?

Ha! What a question.

I was reviewing some of my earlier posts on the blog, and it occurred to me that I've not really talked about the writing process, and what constitutes a truly great song. It's strange that I haven't talked about it, as it's something that I think about constantly!

I'm relatively new to the world of songwriting. I don't think I've written a truly great song yet, but I do believe it's in me. I wish that seven or eight years ago I'd had the knowledge I have now, then maybe that great song would be out there. But I think that just shows how far I've come in just a couple of months.

I'm studying for a Masters in Songwriting, as you will know if you've read any of my previous posts. When we first began the course, we were told how we would be assessed. For our Solo Songwriting module, rather than being assessed on the quality of our songs, we are assessed entirely on our critique of each other's songs! We were all handed a printout at the start entitled "But I don't know how to critique!". For me, this hit the nail squarely on the head. I've never had to critique songs before - where do I start? Who am I to judge other people's songs?!

But week by week, it has all begun to make sense. I think now that I can give useful, constructive criticism, and I can quickly identify what is "wrong" with a song. As an example, something that continually crops up is fundamental lyrical mistakes; mixing up tenses, or switching between 1st person/3rd person. This instantly makes the song more difficult for the listener to relate to.

When you think about it, every single person that listens to music critiques it. Whether this is a conscious thing or not, we all do it. For example, it could just be someone in work that hears the latest Lady GaGa song, and says "that's crap" or "I love it". If you asked that person to explain their reaction, you may well get a shrug of the shoulders. It's our business as Songwriters to realise why music inspires such a strong reaction in people.

So what constitutes a "great song"? Well, that's the elusive goal, and part of the reason why Songwriting holds so much appeal for me. No-one can truly answer that question. If there was a formula, there would be a supercomputer somewhere writing the Top 40 every week. Occasionally the operators would alter a few variables to create the latest trends, and pop music would be entirely controlled by machines. Adjust the "female kooky artist" setting a little, or the "male sensitive songwriter" control and Bob's your uncle.

Thankfully, that will never happen, as the beauty of music lies in the ideas of the people that make it. All we can do as songwriters is keep learning, be open to everything, and have supreme confidence in our own abilities. If you keep thinking "there's a million people better than me", you'll never succeed. Each time you write a song, try and make it the best thing you've ever written, and always learn from your mistakes. Accept all criticism, even if you don't agree with it. Don't ever think that your songs are perfect straight away, because they won't be.

I'll leave you with a few common things that are nearly always present in a hit record - a lot of this may seem obvious, but if you are a songwriter and you have never really tried analysing the songs you love, have a think about how many of these are in your favourite songs:

• - a catchy lead melody line (normally a strong chorus for pop music)
• - a great vocal
• - strong instrumental and vocal hooks
• - a great, memorable title
• - a subject matter that is universal, but unique in it's approach
• - a great "groove" and flow
  
• - an interesting and distinctive atmosphere to the track
• - an interesting song structure which makes you take notice
• - great production - the song may have lots of energy and really demand your attention, or it could be very subtle but equally engaging
• - a unique and fresh sound, maybe using a very distinctive choice of instruments or a great arrangement

Of course, your favourite record may have none of the above, and that is what makes the world of music so fascinating! I'll leave you with these thoughts... please feel free to leave a comment if you have any views on any of my meandering thoughts!

Pat