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Water - Dissertations - Songwriting - Part 7Living
Water - Dissertations - Songwriting - Part 7|
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I've found that when I write a song, it helps a lot to lay down the framework sometime near the beginning of the creative process. There are a few reasons for doing this:
There are an infinity of different sectional frameworks which can be worked into a song. Usually, at least by classical music people, they're indicated by letters. If a section is repeated, then the letter is repeated; if a section is reprised in somewhat altered form, the letter is "primed" (e.g. A and A'). For instance, the "sonata form" is usually called "ABA," although the pocket dictionary I have at home described it more as "AA'BAA."
Personally, I've changed the letters so that "I" stands for "introduction," "Vx" for "verse x," "C" for "chorus" (occasionally "Cx"), "B" for "bridge," and "T" for "tag/coda." The value in this for me is that it more clearly defines the music I'm writing in terms of its textual as well as its musical elements. For instance, many contemporary songs use the form "I V1 C V2 C B C' T," which translates to "intro-verse 1-chorus-verse 2-chorus-bridge-chorus reprise-tag."
By the way, I feel that adoption of an unusual sectional form should be justified in terms of the text. My rationale for thinking in this way is that an unusual section form has a tendency to leave the listener a bit lost because of its unfamiliarity; consequently, the text must provide a logistical anchor for the audience to appreciate the song. A very good example of this is Dave Ruder's "Rejoice In The Lord" (really tough to sing, but a dandy piece based on Philippians 4:4-9 - if you want to look at it, you'll find it in box 266 in the Valley Church choir library). Dave wrote this piece based on the text, which happens not to rhyme, which happens not to have any strong metrical patterns, and which happens to display several different moods in only five verses. So Dave wrote the piece as an a cappella motet, a musical form which essentially is a chain of different themes tied together by the continuity provided by the text. To package the piece neatly, the first theme is reprised at the end, so the musical form is "ABCDEA'" (you might happen to remember when the Sanctuary Choir sang this about three years ago).
One final word about music (and text): If you decide to use someone else's music or words, you are required by the U.S. copyright law to get the copyright holder's permission before you use it. You can ask by writing the publisher or composer, detailing why you want to use it, what sort of arrangement you plan to do, where and how you'll use that arrangement, and how many copies you intend to make. Bear in mind that if you don't ask and tromp on someone else's legitimate royalties, they can take you to court to recover said royalties...
Many copyright holders will return word that it's fine for you to use their stuff for free. However, there are some who will tell you equally kindly that permission is not granted (usually for reasons best known to themselves). The largest number of responses, though will come from those copyright holders (mostly publishers) who will send a relatively informal contract stating the purpose, number of copies, and quoting a nominal price (e.g. 50¢) for each copy you intend to make, and further stating that you agree to use the arrangement for personal use only, i.e. not for profit. Benson, among others, might also require you to send them a copy of the finished product so that they can evaluate it for publication.
Of course, this is all a moot point if the piece or text you wish to use has reached ""public domain" status. If this is the case, it means that the copyright has expired and that anyone can use the piece, whether for profit or not. Many of the old hymns fall into this category; virtually all of classical music, at least up to the last century, also is public domain. To check whether a piece is public domain, you can check the copyright index in a hymnal or contact the publisher if the piece was first published in the last eighty or ninety years (notable exception: a couple of Scott Joplin's original pieces are still in the hands of their copyright holders and remain unpublished as of this writing).
Final note: The current copyright law<F1> states that a copyright expires fifty years after the death of the last applicant listed on the copyright form. "Out of print" does not mean that the copyright has expired! However, copyright holders are usually quite generous in that they'll let you copy out-of-print stuff for free (or at least for a nominal fee), and in whatever quantity you specify.
Why all this about copyrights? Read Romans 13!