WRITING THE SONG - Part 16

Summed up, the composer's task is to create an original melody that can be fully expressed within eight measures, that is so novel that it will not be regarded as hackneyed or imitative of other compositions and yet is sufficiently familiar to be pleasing to the ear.

This seems like a large order, but it can be done, as evidenced by every new song that appears on the stands. Naturally, it requires practice, experience and a certain amount of natural talent on the part of the composer. More than that, it requires an honest, objective viewpoint. The songwriter that is new at the game is very apt to regard his composition as entirely original. Since he has slaved over every note that he has put into his melody he regards the work as strictly his own, not realizing that the progressions and melody patterns he has used may have become so hackneyed that they have lost their original appeal.

While it is always difficult to be one's own critic, in the field of popular songwriting it may be the difference between success and failure. It is therefore vitally important that the new songwriter should be in constant touch with the current market, listening to and playing every new song that he can lay his hands on. He is then in an infinitely better position to evaluate his own work correctly and to determine whether his song comes up to professional standards.

As far as simplicity is concerned, an inherently good tune may be spoiled by a rhythmic pattern that is either too complicated to remember or too difficult to sing. One must always bear in mind that the average non-production number is intended for the untrained voice. A phrase that is crowded with eighth or sixteenth notes or one that requires the voice to be sustained on one note for an abnormally long period obviously calls for a trained singing voice. Such a number is entirely impractical for general commercial use. In the following examples, the same tune is shown, first with a complicated rhythmic pattern, and secondly with a simple rhythmic pattern that makes the melody easier to remember and to sing.

In composing a song for the untrained voice, the songwriter, in addition to following the restrictions mentioned above, is also limited by range. The range of a song is the interval between the lowest note in the song and the highest note. In determining the range, the entire song is taken into consideration including both the verse and chorus. For instance, if the lowest note in the song is middle "C," and the highest note is the "G" following the octave "C," the song may be said to have a range of 12 notes.

For practical purposes, the range of the popular song should not exceed ten notes. This is the average range that can be encompassed easily by the untrained voice. For the same reason, it is always advisable to keep the melody in the middle register. In other words, it is preferable not to go beyond the "G" below middle "C," or beyond the "E" or "F" following the "C" which is an octave higher than middle "C". Thus, if the lowest note in the song is middle "C," the highest note should not go beyond "E" following the octave "C." If the lowest note is the "G" below middle "C," the highest note should not be beyond "B" following middle "C."

Show numbers which are written for trained singers often have larger ranges, but as a rule even these ranges are low enough to be sung by non-professional voices.