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The Power of Repetition
By Mary Dawson
Anyone with children probably already knows more than they ever
wanted to know about repetition!
I remember well curling up on the bed with my two little boys to
read them their nightly bedtime story. Although they had a shelf
full of books, there were three or four whose binding literally
fell apart from sheer overuse! I swear I could read the picture
book of David and Goliath in my sleep! As an overworked mother of
toddlers, I was usually more tired than they were at the end of
the day and there were many nights that I literally could not
remember finishing the book because I had dozed off somewhere
between David choosing the stones and the giant finally "cashing
in his chips." And it was a rare evening that one of the boys
didn't ask me to "please just read the story one more time." I
didn't realize it then, but I was being introduced to one of
the most ancient and effective learning tools ever devised by
man -- the powerful principle of repetition.
It's almost an innate phenomenon. Human beings somehow need to
see, hear and do things again and again in order to acquire any
kind of growth or self-improvement. Repetition is essential
whether it involves memorizing our multiplication tables, learning
to drive a car, or developing "six-pack abs" (in the gym we call
them "reps"). When it comes to songwriting, however, I frequently
encounter writers who endeavor earnestly not to be repetitious
in their songs. Such writers usually express a desire to create
songs that are "fresh" and "unique." This may be a noble goal
but the reality is that such writers usually end up with songs
that are somewhat like maps with no markings leaving their
listeners lost and confused.
At the bottom line, I believe, a hit songwriter is someone who
is trying to teach the whole world his/her song -- and remember,
most of the world is made up of "non-musical people." They are
not really looking for "fresh" as much as they are looking for
"familiar" -- a melody and lyric that they can remember and hum
or whistle in the shower. If you, the songwriter, are not using
the powerful principle of repetition to teach the listening
audience your song, you may find that you wind up with a catalog
of "fresh and creative" numbers that never see the light of day!
In previous articles here on Writers Write, I have explored
the important matter of song form in creating hits. We have looked
closely at the three main commercial song forms which have
dominated popular music over the last century and we have paid
special attention to the strategic way the hook (usually also
the title) is placed in parallel places several times throughout
the song. In fact, we have established that repetition is one of
the primary and most essential characteristics of any hook. If a
line isn't repeated, you just thought it was the hook! In the
AAA Song the hook/title usually occurs at the end of each verse
to form a refrain. In the AABA Song, the hook/title may occur
either at the first line or last line of each A Section, and
of course, in the Verse-Chorus Song, the hook/title ideally
occurs at the beginning and the end of each chorus, and
perhaps in the middle of the chorus as well. In each Song
Form the most memorable lyrical line (lyrical hook) and the
most memorable melodic line (musical hook) should occur
simultaneously and repeatedly. Why? To imprint that phrase
indelibly on the listener's mind! To teach the listener the
song!
Savvy songwriters know instinctively how to use both melodic
and lyrical repetition effectively without allowing it to
become monotonous or annoying. Let's take a look of some of
the more subtle ways a writer can use repetition to make a
song memorable.
- Repeated Secondary Melodic Hook (Riff) -- We are
becoming quite familiar with the concept of the hook by now
and we can probably identify it in almost any commercial song
we hear on the radio. However, it usually takes at least a
verse before we are introduced to the main hook or title of
the song in the refrain or the chorus. Experienced songwriters
don't want to let too much time elapse before they engage
the listener's ear, so they often make use of another
repeated element called a riff. A riff is a short musical
phrase that is completely distinct from the hook or any of
the musical phrases in the verses. It usually is part of the
introduction and it keeps reappearing in the musical sections
between the verses and again perhaps at the end of the song
as an outro. The riff acts as a "secondary musical hook" that
draws listener interest and maintains it to the end of the
song.
A wonderful example of a riff used as a secondary hook is the
incredible syncopated piano part that forms the introduction and
interludes in the song Walking on Broken Glass written and
performed by Annie Lennox. It captures the feel of the title,
but it is completely different from the main musical/lyrical
hook which kicks in a couple of bars later.
- Melodic Repetition with Lyrical and/or Harmonic
Variation -- This technique is often used in a chorus to
drive home the melodic hook. The melody of the hook line is
repeated several times, but the lyrics and/or the harmonies
surrounding the musical hook phrase are changed to prevent
monotony. Sometimes, the lyrics are the only thing that changes
as in the famous Carpenter hit, We've Only Just Begun, written
by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols. In this wonderful AABA song,
the main hook is clearly presented in the first line of the
first A section (We've only just begun...). In the first line
of the second verse or A section, we hear the very same melody
and harmony, but the lyrics have changed (Before the rising sun...).
In the last A section, we find that same melodic line, but with
the lyric changing again (And when the evening comes...). Note
also that these lines all rhyme with each other reinforcing
the familiarity of the now recognizable musical hook.1
Another way to repeat the melodic hook without becoming boring
is to change the harmonies under the musical phrase. A great
example of this is the recent hit, I'm Already There, written
by Gary Baker, Richie McDonald and Frank Myers and recorded by
Lone Star. Next time you hear it on the radio, pay special
attention to the chorus. The melodic hook/title is repeated in
every line except the next to the last line of the chorus, but
the chorus is kept fresh by the change in the lyrics and the
harmonies under the repeated melodic phrase. There is something
very rewarding for listeners to know that this familiar,
singable chorus is coming around again, and believe me... by
the time the song is over, they will NOT forget either the
melodic or lyrical hook!
- Sequencing -- This is a concept that is important to
both the lyrics and the melody. Melodically speaking, a sequence
starts with a musical phrase and then repeats that phrase at a
higher or lower pitch using the same or similar intervals and
cadence. For example, you may have a musical phrase comprised
of the following notes:
C->E->G->E (or Do->Mi->So->Mi)
You could then create a sequence by using the following
combination of notes keeping the same number of counts per
note as the original phrase:
D->F->A->F (or Re->Fa->La->Fa)
E->G->B->G (or Mi->So->Ti->So)
A->C->E->C (or La->Do->Mi->Do)
If the lyrics follow a similar sequence, using a series of
similar constructions to match the cadence and meter of the
music, you have a powerful repetitive device that subtly
engraves the music and lyrics on the minds of the listeners.
The word for a series of similar lyrical constructions is
anaphora. Here's an example from one of my own songs
entitled Here I Grow Again:
Just when I thought I had it all together
Just when I thought that I was so secure
Just when I thought my storms had all been weathered
Suddenly I'm struggling and I'm unsure...2
Another example can be found in the B or contrasting "bridge section"
of the song mentioned above -- We've Only Just Begun. The first two
lines of the bridge repeat melodically but are different lyrically
(Sharing horizons that are new to us... Watching for signs along the
way). The last two lines of the bridge form a sequence in that the
lyrics maintain the same meter and cadence, but the music is raised
to a higher place in a different key (Talking it over, just the
two of us….Working together day to day).1 Incidentally, it is no
accident that Williams and Nichols used anaphora to make these
lines similar in construction (each line beginning with the -ing
form of the verb -- sharing, watching, talking, working) or that
lines 1 and 3 and also 2 and 4 rhyme, further cementing the words
and music in the minds of the listeners.
Are you beginning to realize the power of repetition and the many
ways it can be used? Join us again next month for more ideas and
techniques in using this amazing learning tool to our advantage as
songwriters. And if you are still a little bit shaky about using
what we've discussed here today, you know what you can do about
it, don't you?
JUST READ IT AGAIN!
1We've Only Just Begun by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols
©Irving Music/BMI
2Here I Grow Again by Mary Dawson and Bruce Greer
© CQK Music/ASCAP
All Rights Reserved/Used by Permission
**From her earliest childhood years writing simple songs
and poems with
her father, through her twelve years as an overseas
missionary, to her present,
multi-faceted
career as an author, lyricist/songwriter and conference speaker,
Mary
has always been adept at using words to communicate her heart to
others.
She is the President of
CQK Records &
Music of Dallas, Texas, a company which creates and
produces songs in a panorama of musical styles for a
variety of audiences,
She is the host of "I Write the Songs,"
a nationally syndicated radio talk show,
especially created to
inspire and instruct the more than 40 million aspiring
songwriters in the U.S.
Mary is a frequent public speaker and seminar lecturer
and teacher of songwriting in her popular Living Room Seminars.
She is a Contributing Editor for The Internet Writing Journal
®. You can visit her website at:
www.cqkmusic.com. You can reach Mary
by email.
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