1. A Reference Guide For Beginning Songwriters
MAKE YOUR SONGS STAND OUT
Lyrical & Musical Contrast
by Danny Arena & Sara Light
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One of the most obvious but easily overlooked songwriting devices
is the use of contrast. Most successful songs incorporate this
technique and once you are familiar with the various ways in which
you can achieve contrast, you can begin to incorporate it into your
own writing. Contrast is making each section of your song stand
out and sound different from the other sections in your song.
There are several ways you can do this both musically and
lyrically.
Creating MUSICAL Contrast: Musically, contrast can be achieved
several ways:
a. MELODICALLY. Try to make the melody higher in the chorus than
the verse. It's a good practice to try to write your chorus in
your highest comfortable range, giving you room to make the verse
lower.
b. RHYTHMICALLY. If the predominant rhythm for the verse melody is
quarter notes, try making the chorus rhythm eighth notes. Even if
you're solely a lyricist, you can build rhythmic contrast into your
lyrics. A good example of a song that incorporates rhythmic
contrast between two sections is the old standard, "Somewhere Over
The Rainbow."
c. HARMONICALLY. Try and change the chord progression between
sections. An easy way to achieve this is simply by consciously
choosing a different chord to start each section. For example, if
your verse begins on a G chord, try starting your chorus on a C
chord.
Creating LYRICAL Contrast: Lyrically, contrast can be achieved
several ways.
a. RHYME PATTERN. Change the pattern or placement of the rhymes
between verse and chorus. Let's say, for example, your verse has
an A-B-A-B rhyme pattern:
The sky above is blue A
The ground below is green B
When I look at you A
It's the prettiest sight I've ever seen B
You might try using an A-A-B-B pattern in the chorus. Remember,
however, that whatever pattern you set up in the verse should

2. remain consistent for all the verses. The same goes for your
chorus.
b. RHYME SOUNDS. Vary the primary vowel sounds of the rhymes
throughout your song. For example, if you use a long "e" rhyme
sound in your first two lines (be/see), use a different rhyme sound
in your next two lines (light/night).
c. RHYTHM. Change the rhythm of the words between sections. If
your verses have long lines with lots of syllables, you might try
using short lines without a lot of syllables in your chorus. This
will automatically create contrast when the lyrics are set to
music.
d. PRONOUN EMPHASIS. If you are primarily talking about "I" and
"me" in the verses, try emphasizing "you" in the chorus.
You don't have to make use of every type of contrast in each song,
but try to incorporate at least one type of musical contrast and
one type of lyrical contrast. The trick is to keep the song
interesting and contrast is a time proven technique for achieving
this.
Hope to see you on the charts!
-Danny & Sara
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Danny Arena & Sara Light are professional songwriters living in
Nashville, TN. They teach songwriting courses and several artists
have recorded their songs. Sara is the writer of the John Michael
Montgomery hit single, "Home To You." They have just completed
co-producing a tape series called "The Songwriters Survival Kit."
For more information visit their website at
http://www.craftofsongwriting.com/