Alert Interlochen Online's last session for the summer begins July 14.

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The Single Most Important Element of a Great Song

How professional songwriters build powerful, emotional impact in their songs with just one technique.

By Shane Adams, Interlochen Online Course Instructor

2022-21 IAA festival singer-songwriter

Our goal as songwriters is to move our listeners—to make them feel something. There’s a quote from the famous American lyricist Yip Harburg that states this beautifully:

“Words make you think thoughts, music makes you feel a feeling, but a song makes you feel a thought.”

Great songs make listeners feel a thought. They also:

✔Communicate a well-developed idea, story, or emotion
✔Contain musical choices which support the emotional intent of the song
✔Have tightly connected verses to support the chorus, which contains the meaning or message of the song
✔Have memorable melodies and choruses
✔Have contrasting melodies and chords between song sections
✔Stay true to your taste in music

Inexperienced songwriters tend to write about “situations” without revealing any emotional context. “Situations” are definitely important, but listeners emotionally connect with a song by discovering how the narrator feels about the situation, how the situation affects or affected them, or how the situation has changed or is changing them. Emotion draws a listener in.

But how can we as songwriters create the greatest possible connection with our listeners and heighten this emotion?

“Prosody” is the term we use to describe how a song’s lyrics interact with melody, chords, and all other constructional elements of a song to communicate the song’s meaning and message. To create prosody in our songs, we work with these constructional elements:

  • Tempo: Is the song fast or slow?
  • Rhythm: Are the drums and/or percussion prominent or in the background?
  • Arrangement: What instruments are heard?
  • Key: Major or minor?
  • Lyric Speed: Are the lyrics sung fast, slow, or maybe both?
  • Melody Notes: Are they long or short?
  • Melody Shape: Does the melody move smoothly, have big leaps, or start low and go high, or vice versa?
  • Dynamics: What is loud and what is soft?
  • Song Structure: Does the story need another verse, another chorus, or a new section?
  • Harmony: Where does your chord progression repeat, and where does it change?
  • Feel: Is the rhythmic feel tight or loose?

Suppose you have the lyric “I can’t wait to see you.” Does singing it fast convey anxiousness? Does using a minor melody make it sarcastic? What musical element could you use to make it sound optimistic, or embarrassed, or insecure? An intense drum beat creates a different experience than plaintive bagpipes. A melancholic classical guitar may show emptiness, and an aggressive string section could emphasize frustration.

The choices you make in any or all of these elements will have an effect on the feel of the song. What choices work best for the message or vibe you’re trying to create? Each of these constructional elements can help underline what the lyrics are saying and maximize your listeners’ emotional experience.

Tip: When confronted with two or more musical choices, always choose the option that creates the most prosody.

You’ll be amazed to hear how prosody helps to elevate the meaning in Yip Harburg’s classic, “Over the Rainbow.” Listen to Shane Adams describe the magic of this iconic song:

Want to continue learning with Interlochen Online?

Find your perfect course now—the next session starts July 14.

Recommended Online Songwriting Courses

Each course offers four weeks of instruction and personalized feedback from a professional songwriter.

Songwriting Basics 1
Discover tried-and-true techniques for writing songs that connect to your listeners.

Songwriting Basics 2
Expand your harmonic palette, write powerful lyrics, and craft melodies that draw in listeners.

Songwriting Basics 3
Create songs that resonate emotionally with your listeners with more advanced techniques.

Take all three courses and earn a certificate from a world-renowned institution.

The Songwriting Techniques certificate program is perfect for...

✔ Adults looking to boost their creative résumé and LinkedIn profile

✔ Teens who want to earn high school credit for their passion

What are students saying?

Students who enrolled in songwriting courses rated their experience 4.7 out of 5.

“The course was done so well. The online classroom was easy to use, the teacher was incredible, and I learned a ton. I really did not think that online class could be this engaging.”

— Middle school student, 
    Songwriting Basics 1

“I loved the course and I would love to attend another one! Shane was an amazing teacher and I would suggest this course or any other course from Interlochen Online.”

— Middle school student,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“One thing that makes Interlochen special...is it's always a notch above—or deeper—than most of the options where to learn. As a student, you know you'll walk out with something next-level. Because everything about Interlochen goes deeper into subjects/ideas/learning than average outlets. Thank you, Shane!"

— Adult learner,
    Songwriting Basics 2

"Shane is an amazing instructor! He created a wonderful program, and his enthusiasm for the subject matter has made learning from him truly a joy!”

— Adult learner, 
    Songwriting Basics 1

“I really enjoyed the course thoroughly. I met very talented people in the course in the Zoom lessons. I think that Mr. Shane Adams is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.”

— Middle school student,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“I loved how the course was structured but also gave you so much room to be creative and explore.”

— High school student,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“I had lots of fun learning and making my own lyrics. I also learned that songwriting is more complex than you would think.”

— High school student,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“I loved the fun and creative energy that the teacher brought to the videos and Zoom meetings. I also loved that he made it a safe and encouraging environment for me to feel comfortable sharing my songs.”

— Middle school student,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“Wow, this was a great course! The course exceeded my expectations and I learned a lot! It is very important to note that Shane Adams was an outstanding teacher and mentor! He is a patient, encouraging, and talented instructor that shared his insights on songwriting and helped me grow.”

— Adult learner,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“I am so looking forward to Songwriting Basics 2 and 3!”

— Adult learner,
    Songwriting Basics 1

"This class was awesome! I learned so much. Truly, I have always had ideas but no tools to actually create a working song. Shane has clearly given a lot of thought to how to help new people understand the working structure of a song, create it, revise it, and bring it to life.”

— Adult learner,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“The course moves fast and actually sets a high standard that matches Interlochen. Interlochen is the place for artists. This course was not fluff. It was practical tools, delivered in a genuinely helpful and strategic way. I would definitely sign up for Shane's other courses."

— Adult learner,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“The course material was really great. Shane included topics that were pretty unique in the online songwriting instruction universe. The process will be super helpful to me.”

— Adult learner,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“Shane's ability to connect in the videos is amazing! I've got six old songwriting books that proved to be too boring to read, and he made the course totally doable, interesting, and motivating!”

— Adult learner,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“I liked that the instructor was always friendly, positive and very inspiring. He was very passionate about songwriting, his methods, and helping students to achieve success at their personal ability levels.”

— Adult learner,
    Songwriting Basics 1

“I loved this course! I had no real songwriting experience prior to the course. I was excited to take it, but I didn't realize how much time and effort I would want to put into it—but I got so much out of it. I also got to experience writing my own songs and getting them stuck in my head, which was great. I signed up for Shane's next course because I don't want this to end.”

— High school student,
    Songwriting Basics 1

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