How do songwriters ensure that their song gets stuck in your head?

How do songwriters ensure that their song gets stuck in your head?

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In this lesson, we will understand how certain features of music can become an 'ear-worm' - so memorable you can't get them out of your head.

Licence

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5 Questions

Q1.
What does syllabic mean?
A single syllable sung over multiple notes.
Correct answer: One note per syllable.
Others
When you repeat the same syllable over and over.
Q2.
What does melismatic mean?
Correct answer: A single syllable sung over multiple notes.
One note per syllable.
When you repeat the same syllable over and over.
Q3.
Is "Imagine" mostly syllabic or melismatic?
Melismatic
None of the above
Correct answer: Syllabic
Q4.
What is the correct order when using the lyrics circle method?
Rhyming words, connected words, topic.
Rhyming words, topic, connected words.
Correct answer: Topic, connected word, rhyming words.
Q5.
Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
Fable, table.
Hesitation, King Cross Station.
Correct answer: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

5 Questions

Q1.
What is a hook in music?
Correct answer: A ‘hook’ in music is the ‘catchy’ part of the song.
A hook is the catchy loop in the background of the song.
A hook is the very first thing we hear in a song that gets our attention.
Q2.
Can a hook be a chorus?
Correct answer: No - Although a chorus may contain a hook.
Yes - The hook is always the chorus.
Yes - The hook is often the whole chorus.
Q3.
Can you have an instrumental hook?
No - A hook must always be sung.
Yes - A hook must always be instrumental.
Correct answer: Yes - Particularly in dance music, the hook is often instrumental.
Q4.
Can you have more than one hook in the same song?
No - there can only be one hook.
Yes - but it has to be the same hook.
Correct answer: Yes - you can have multiple hooks in the same song.
Q5.
What is one way to make the hook more effective?
Play the hook backwards so it is more distinctive.
Correct answer: Reduce the texture so it is more easily heard.
Start with the hook as the intro.

Lesson appears in

UnitMusic / Band Musicianship 3: Songs for a better world