Are you stuck in a rut like the guy in the picture above? Do you want to know how to come up with vivid and memorable titles? Most of the songwriting experts agree that you should first write your hook, which often ends up being paired with your title. This means you need your title at the beginning of the songwriting process. Read more to learn how to go about brainstorming your song titles.
A hook is a memorable piece of music that “hooks” in your audience and makes them want to continue listening.
- Your title, though, acts as the central theme of your lyrics.
- Your hook melody usually has the title line and is placed at either the beginning or end of the chorus.
- Or at the beginning or end of the verse in an AABA song structure.
- Everything else in the song should be written to support your title/hook.
- Here are some examples of title placement in songs. Click the links to listen to the full songs:
- Yesterday: the title at the beginning and end of the verse in an AABA song
- Carry on My Wayward Son: the title at the beginning of the chorus
- Let It Be: the title at the end of the chorus
The topic of writing a good hook will need to wait for another post. Today we’ll talk about coming up with great titles. How do you do it? Brainstorm words and images and keep a list of the ideas you’ve created.
This article uses technical musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.