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Song-Writing
How To Rip-Off Famous Tunes
Now, I’m not saying you should rip-off other’s music in this way, only that you could. I’m just going to assume you need this video because you innocently and accidentally copied someone else’s work – this is the internet, no judgements here.
Basic Song Structure
Simple guide for going about structuring a song. Below are the chord charts accompanying the video.
The video does refer to this video as “Tumblr”, which it isn’t. Try not to freak out…
Example 1
Our first example is the simplest kind of song – it’s one set of chords that repeats. Arguably, most 12-bar blues songs are like this, as is Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix.
The reason it’s not a common style of song is that a listener will want a catchy Chorus to sing-along with.
Example 2
This example introduces an extra pattern, in the same key. This will be our Chorus. We’re playing this 3 times over, and doubling-up the first Verse.
Example 3
Bridges add tension to a song as they’re usually used as a ‘free pass’ for songwriters to be a little more creative, implementing unusual chords or swapping the key entirely.
Example 4
A Pre-Chorus can appear before a Chorus and perform one of several roles. If your Chorus is in a different key to the Verse, or in a different style, a Pre-Ch can help ease the transition. They could also perform the simple task of adding a little more time before the Chorus, thus adding anticipation.
this example includes a Pre-Ch before the 1st and 2nd Choruses.
It may also be useful for you to check out some Standard Chord Progressions.
