Notes from Berklee's Songwriting
Note: These notes are from Ongoing Course. I will update them as I go along.
Table of Contents
The Journey of the Song
Identifying Point of View and Identifying the Development Engine
Point of View
To write a song is to express an idea
Where does this idea come from? everywhere. Talk about something that happened in life
There's something we have to say, and the song can be the vehicle to express that feeling, to express that idea
What would this song be? , for this we need to answer three questions
- Who's talking?
- To whom?
- Why?
Who's talking → What's the relationship of the singer to the audience?
Four possible relationship:
- Third Person narrative or the Storyteller
"He loved her so much, yet she failed return his love"
Singer and the audience has no intimate relationship. The singer is turning the audience to observe the third party here.
Most objective. Wide long shot range. Facts.
"Stan" – Eminem (narrates Stan’s letters to Eminem)
"Eleanor Rigby" – The Beatles (tells the story of lonely people)
-
First Person narrative
"I loved her so much, yet she never return my love" The singer and the audience have a intimate relationship, as the singer telling something about themselves.
"Back to December" – Taylor Swift (reflecting on past regret)
"Someone Like You" – Adele (heartbreak from her own perspective)
"Bohemian Rhapsody" – Queen (told from the protagonist’s POV)
- Second Person narrative
"You loved her so much, yet she didn't return your love"
There's sense of connection, a sense of intimacy that isn't going to be fulfilled.
"Like a Rolling Stone" – Bob Dylan ("How does it feel?")
"For No One" – The Beatles ("You stay in your room…")
- The Direct Address
"I loved you so much, yet you wounldn't return my love"
The most intimate point of view.
"Hello" – Adele ("I was wondering if after all these years…")
"If I Ain’t Got You" – Alicia Keys
There's no rules in songriting, only tools.