how to write RELATABLE music

Summary

The video script offers three key insights for making music more relatable: write for one person to create a personal connection, be specific in your lyrics to resonate deeply with a niche, and balance memorable hooks with less memorable verses to encourage repeated listening. It emphasizes the importance of authenticity and specificity in storytelling, using personal experiences to convey broader truths. The script concludes with a song example and a promotional offer for a songwriting course.

Takeaways

• 🎵 Write for One Person: Focus on creating music for a specific individual who encourages and excites you about your creativity.
• 🤝 Communicate Through Music: Use your music to have a 'meta-musical' conversation, showing a part of yourself that is not commonly seen.
• 🔍 Be Specific: Aim to be relatable to a few through specificity rather than being vaguely relatable to many.
• 📣 Speak From Experience: Share personal stories and experiences to make your music more impactful and emotionally clear.
• 🎼 Specificity in Lyrics: Use specific details in your lyrics to express broader truths and evoke emotions, like the example from Sufjan Stevens' song.
• 🎶 Balance Memorability: Understand that not all parts of a song need to be catchy; a mix of memorable and less memorable parts can enhance the overall experience.
• 📚 Verse-Chorus Structure: Utilize the verse-chorus form where verses can be varied and less memorable, while choruses are designed to be catchy.
• 🔄 Versatility in Songwriting: Incorporate changes in verses to keep the audience engaged, while maintaining a memorable and 'hooky' chorus.
• 🐾 Personalize Your Music: Write songs with personal and specific details, as demonstrated in the short song written for the speaker's wife.
• 🎁 Offer Value: Provide a course for those interested in learning more about songwriting, with a special discount for a limited time.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script provided?

The main theme of the script is offering advice on how to make music more relatable to others by focusing on writing for one person, being specific in the content, and balancing memorable and less memorable parts in the music.

What is the first piece of advice given for making music relatable?

The first piece of advice is to write for one person, having a specific person in mind who encourages and is excited about your creativity, to create a meta-musical conversation with them.

Why is it suggested to write for one person rather than trying to please everyone?

Writing for one person helps to avoid the difficulty of predicting what many people will think and allows the music to feel more communicative and connected, while still being specific to the creator.

What is the second piece of advice for making music relatable?

The second piece of advice is to be specific, suggesting that it's better to be very relatable to a few people with niche tastes and experiences than to be just sort of relatable to many.

Why is specificity important in making music relatable?

Specificity helps people feel more connected to the music because it allows for the expression of broader truths through personal stories and experiences, making the music more impactful.

Can you provide an example of how specificity can make music more relatable from the script?

An example given is the story about the for-profit immigrant detention center in Lumpin, Georgia, which is specific and allows the creator to express a broader truth about the dehumanizing nature of immigration policies.

What is the third piece of advice for making music relatable?

The third piece of advice is to let the audience forget, suggesting that not all parts of the music need to be catchy or memorable, and that a balance of memorable and less memorable parts can make the music more engaging.

Why is it suggested to have parts of the music that are hard to remember?

Having parts that are hard to remember, such as verses with varied lyrics and melodic embellishments, can make listeners come back to the music to discover more, enhancing the overall experience.

What is the purpose of the chorus in music according to the script?

The chorus is meant to be memorable on the first listen and serves to make the listener remember that the song exists after they've heard it.

Can you provide an example of a song with a memorable chorus from the script?

The script includes a short song written for the creator's wife with a memorable chorus that emphasizes the promise of love and the best things imagined coming to life.

What is the final call to action for those interested in learning more about songwriting from the script?

The final call to action is to check out the course 'Getting Songs Done' at Ben L Music School, which is offered at a 25% discount for the spring.

Outlines

00:00

🎼 Writing Music for a Singular Audience

The speaker emphasizes the importance of writing music with a specific person in mind, rather than trying to please a broad audience. This approach encourages a more personal and communicative connection with the music. The writer should envision someone who supports and is excited about their creativity, aiming to surprise this person with aspects of themselves that are not commonly shared. This method leads to music that feels both personal and connected, with the potential to resonate deeply with the listener.

05:01

🔍 The Power of Specificity in Music

The paragraph discusses the value of being highly specific in songwriting to create a strong connection with the audience. It suggests that being relatable to a few is more impactful than being vaguely relatable to many. The speaker uses examples to illustrate how specificity can convey broader truths and evoke stronger emotions. They also reference a song by Sufjan Stevens to highlight how a particular detail can make a song emotionally resonant. The speaker encourages songwriters to share personal stories and experiences to make their music more meaningful and memorable.

🎶 Balancing Memorable and Forgettable in Music Composition

The final paragraph explores the idea of balancing memorable and less memorable elements in music to create a lasting impression. The speaker argues against making every part of a song overly catchy, as this can detract from the overall impact. They explain how the verse-chorus structure naturally incorporates this balance, with verses being more varied and less predictable, while choruses are designed to be memorable. The speaker shares a personal song as an example, which includes specific, changing verses and a catchy chorus, demonstrating how this balance can make a song both unique and memorable.

Keywords

💡Relatable

Relatable refers to the quality of being understandable or having common experiences with others. In the context of the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of making music that resonates with the audience by writing for one person, being specific, and allowing the audience to engage with the music on a deeper level. The script mentions that it's better to be very relatable to a few people than just sort of relatable to many, suggesting that specificity can enhance relatability.

💡Specific

Being specific in this video means providing detailed and unique elements in the music that make it stand out and connect with a niche audience. The speaker argues that specificity in music can lead to a stronger connection with the listeners, as it allows for a more personal and authentic expression. An example from the script is the detailed story about an immigrant detention center, which is used to illustrate the power of specificity in conveying a broader truth.

💡Audience

Audience in this context refers to the listeners or consumers of the music. The video discusses how to make music more relatable to the audience by focusing on writing for one person who is supportive and excited about the creator's creativity. The script suggests that by surprising this one person with a part of oneself that is not often shown, the music can feel more communicative and connected.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something. In the video, the speaker encourages the audience to embrace their creativity by writing music that is specific to their own experiences and tastes. The script implies that creativity can be expressed through the unique stories and details that make the music relatable and memorable.

💡Meta Musical Conversation

A meta musical conversation is a concept where the music itself serves as a form of communication, revealing parts of the creator's identity or experiences to the listener. The video script suggests that by writing music with a specific person in mind, the creator can have a sort of conversation with that person through the music, showing them aspects of themselves that are not commonly shared.

💡Niche

Niche refers to a specialized segment of the market or audience with specific interests. In the context of the video, the speaker advises that it's better to create music that is very specific to a niche audience rather than trying to appeal to a broad audience. The script uses the example of immigration policies and a personal story to illustrate how specificity can make music more relatable and impactful for a niche audience.

💡Memorable

Memorable in the video script refers to the quality of being easily remembered or having a lasting impression. The speaker discusses the balance between creating parts of the music that are hard to remember and parts that are easy to remember. The chorus is often designed to be memorable on the first listen, while verses and bridges may contain more varied and complex elements that are not meant to be memorized immediately.

💡Songwriting

Songwriting is the process of creating the lyrics and music for a song. The video script provides insights into the songwriting process, focusing on how to make music more relatable and memorable. The speaker shares personal tips and examples from their own songwriting experiences, such as writing a song for their wife with specific details and a catchy chorus.

💡Hooky

Hooky in the context of the video refers to a catchy or memorable element in a song, often associated with the chorus or repetitive parts. The speaker advises against making every part of the music overly hooky, as it can detract from the overall impact and memorability of the song. Instead, a balance of hooky and less memorable parts can make the music more engaging and encourage repeated listening.

💡Chorus

The chorus is a repeated section of a song that is typically the most memorable and catchy part. In the video, the speaker explains that the chorus is designed to be memorable on the first listen, while verses and other parts of the song may contain more complex and varied elements that are not as immediately memorable but contribute to the overall appeal of the music.

💡Versus

Versus, often abbreviated as 'vs.', is used in the video script to refer to the contrast between different parts of a song, such as the verses and the chorus. The speaker discusses the importance of this contrast in making music memorable and engaging, with verses often containing more varied and less immediately memorable lyrics and melodies, while the chorus is designed to be catchy and easily remembered.

Highlights

Write music for one specific person to create a personal and communicative connection.

Focus on surprising that one person with aspects of yourself they don't often see.

Being very relatable to a few can be more impactful than being somewhat relatable to many.

Specificity in music can help express broader truths and create a stronger connection with the audience.

Sharing personal stories can make a stance more relatable and emotionally resonant.

Details in lyrics, like the Cardinal hitting the window, can highlight emotions and make a story more vivid.

Balancing hard-to-remember parts with catchy hooks can enhance a song's memorability and replay value.

The verse-chorus form is a classic structure that uses variation to keep listeners engaged.

Verses with unique details and changing lyrics can make a song more interesting and less predictable.

A memorable chorus can anchor a song in the listener's memory, encouraging repeated listens.

The importance of creating music that is both personal and universally relatable.

The role of specificity in making music that stands out and resonates with a niche audience.

The power of storytelling in music to convey personal experiences and emotions.

How to use specific details in lyrics to enhance the emotional impact of a song.

The strategic use of memorable hooks and less memorable verses to create a balanced song structure.

The example of a personal song written for the speaker's wife, illustrating the use of specific details.

The advice on not making every part of a song equally memorable to create a dynamic listening experience.

The promotion of a songwriting course called 'Getting Songs Done' with a 25% discount for the spring.

The final note encouraging listeners to learn more about songwriting with the provided course.

Transcripts

I'm a normal guy and here are my three

top opinions on how to make your music

more relatable to other people number

one write for one person number two be

specific and number three let your

audience forget part one write for one

person as you write music it's normal to

think about what other people are going

to think about your music but if you do

this too much it can be really hard to

make any decisions at all because it's

hard to predict what other people are

going to think so instead I suggest just

think about what one person is going to

think about your music and have this be

a specific person in your head someone

who encourages you someone who is

excited about your creativity and it's

not so much about making music that they

will like it's more about surprising

them having sort of a meta musical

conversation with them through your work

show them a part of yourself they don't

often see as a result your music will

feel communicative it'll feel connected

but it will also be specific to you part

two be specific I believe it is better

to be very relatable to a few people

than it is to be just sort of relatable

to many people and the more specific

your music is to your own Niche tastes

and experiences the more people will

feel connected to it for example if you

say we must stand together against

Injustice everyone will agree with that

but no one cares that you said it you

sound like a corporation or a robot but

if you say

the United States has a duty to support

people seeking asylum in this country

and our immigration policies are

dehumanizing to migrants well now you're

getting more specific people will have

actual opinions about what you say but

it's still an impersonal stance it

doesn't really connect with anyone but

if I tell you the story of why I will

never wear a necktie again and how it's

because there's this for-profit

immigrant Detention Center hidden in the

middle of nowhere in lumpin Georgia

where over a thousand migrants are kept

as prisoners and in it there's a waiting

room where family members of the inmates

sit and wait to talk to them through

glass on an old shitty phone after

driving for days to get there the room

is miserable the guards at the front

desk eyes are permanently rolled back in

preemptive annoyance at any question you

ask and on the wall there is a framed

picture of three smiling white men in

suit and ties the warden and his son

beaming proud of the hell over which

they rule and I do not want to look like

them that's something I've lived and

seen and in the specificity I am better

able to express broader Truth by the way

a good lyrical example of this is in

sufan Steven's song Casmir palasi day

when he sings in the morning when you

finally go and the nurse runs in with

her head hung low and the Cardinal hits

the window the part about the Cardinal

hitting the window is a detail that is

super specific to the story but feels

emotionally clear it highlights the pain

and confusion of the moment how would

you even think to make up a detail like

that part three let your audience forget

it can be tempting to try to make your

music super hooky and catchy all the

time but just because something is stuck

in someone's head doesn't mean they want

it to be stuck there music is often a

balance of parts that are hard to

remember followed by parts that are easy

to remember think about Verse Chorus

forms the verses are usually more varied

with different lyrics and melodic

embellishments things that you aren't

meant to memorize and they're not

supposed to get stuck in your head on

the first listen whereas the chorus is

often supposed to be memorable on the

first listen well why not make

everything so memorable on the first

listen well it's often the chorus and

the repetitive parts that make you

remember that a song exists after you've

heard it but it's the verses and the

variants in the bridge that make you

keep coming back so here's a short song

I wrote for my wife with very specific

details about how we got our doggy in

the snow with verses that change each

time quite a bit and are hard to

remember and a really hookie

chorus put the seats down in our van a

bed laid out for you and shopping bags

who knows what shape you'll be in

who knows what hell has shaped you in

the blizzard this time we take our time

driving slow so we don't miss the chance

to see a dream through of living for

something other than ourselves

don't give up shining your

life the best things you imagine and are

coming to life I promise you our love

our love for you when never die the

chaos in your

home is

fing dying alone in agony on the side of

the highway desecrated her body and

mangled in my tires something smells

wrong

under the car but you don't need to know

anymore

don't give up shining your

light the best things you

imagine are coming to life I promise you

our love our love for you will never die

the chaos in your home

it's

fting if you'd like to learn more about

songwriting with me check out my course

getting songs done it's 25% off for the

spring it's at Ben lmusic school.com I

hope you have a wonderful time till next

time