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Trevor Dimoff

song? Exercise:
Conflict and Drama - Is there conflict or drama in the story? Consider and then write your answers to these questions in
Emotional Journey - What is the emotional journey your lyric writing notebook:
during the song? Does it develop throughout the song? Which of these elements are the most important elements to
you in your lyric writing?
Learn to develop the story in your song and create an Which elements are easy and intuitive for you to use?
emotional journey in your song so you write songs that Which elements do you need to pay more attention to while
resonate with your audience: Building Better Songs. you write?

Connection and Contrast Between Song Sections Exercise:
What lyric elements would you add to the lists for each level?
Song sections need to have connection, a degree of
consistency so they sound like they belong in the same song. Exercise:
There also needs to be contrast between the song sections, Choose a song you love and explore how the songwriter
otherwise the song becomes monotonous. crafted the lyrics. Choose a few of the elements above to
analyze the lyrics. Print out the lyrics and explore one ele-
Rhyme schemes - Is there contrast in the rhyme schemes? ment at a time. Make written notes on your printed copy.
Rhyme words - Is there contrast with different rhyme words
and rhyme sounds in the sections? Learn how to study lyric writing using songs you love in
Lyric rhythms - Are there different patterns of Lyric Writing Reference Tracks Write Away, July 2019, p 8.
accented syllables and line lengths in the sections?
Emotions - Write down the emotions you evoke in each song Summary
section… is there contrast?
Tension - What is the tension between the emotions you If you feel your song lyrics are weak and the problem isn’t
evoke? obvious:
How can you emphasize the emotions you evoke and the Identify where the problems might be, then
tension between them? Diagnose the lyric issues one at a time, before you
What other contrast can you introduce to the song sections? Explore alternatives to improve your song lyrics.
Start by evaluating your work at the song level, it’s more
Each Song Section efficient than diving directly into the details of individual
lyric lines.
At the section level, examine how the lyrics sound as you When you plan your song in the early stages of your lyric
read them aloud. Each section should be strong enough to writing process you can eliminate the “what’s wrong with my
stand on its own. Weak verses will detract from an song?” phase of songwriting.
awesome chorus. If a section is problematic, start there.
Trevor Dimoff is a songwriter and songwriting teacher at
Coherence - Do the lyrics make sense as you read through www.epicsongwriting.com, where he teaches intentional
them? Would someone understand it as they hear it for the songwriting strategies to improve your songwriting
first time? process and strengthen your songwriting.
Conversational Lyrics - Do the lyrics sound natural, like
you’d speak in a conversation?
Lyric Flow - Do the words flow as you read them? Are there
lines where the grammatical structure is twisted to force a
rhyme word to the end of a line?
Point of View - Is it consistent throughout the section?
Verb Tenses - Are they consistent throughout the section?
Lyric Rhythms - Are the accented syllable patterns
consistent (especially in corresponding lines of the
verses)?
Rhyme Words - Are the rhymes interesting or too
predictable?
Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance - Are there
opportunities to add more?
Literary Devices - Can you make more use of metaphor,
simile, symbolism?
Emotions - Can you further emphasize the emotions you
evoke in each section?
Imagery, Sensations, Figurative Language, Vivid
Descriptions - Can you make them more intense?

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