Music Glossary: songwriting-craft category

Contrasting section (harmonic/melodic/lyric) before final chorus to refresh ear. more

Short, concrete words and images; avoid filler; show, don’t tell. more

Rate of chord changes; faster in pre/chorus to increase momentum. more

Memorable melodic/lyric fragment anchoring the song; appears in chorus or refrain. more

Choose keys for singer comfort; use up-steps (e.g., +2 semitones) for final lift. more

Balance sensory details with abstract themes; anchor big ideas in specifics. more

1st/2nd/3rd person and tense choices affecting intimacy and narrative distance. more

Shape of the melody over phrases; chorus often peaks higher than verse. more

Note lengths mirroring natural speech rhythm for clarity and groove. more

Transforming a small melodic/rhythmic idea via sequence, inversion, augmentation. more

Signature riff (guitar/synth) supporting topline and brand identity. more

Bridges verse to chorus; raises energy/harmonic tension and resets melody range. more

Alignment of lyric meaning and musical setting (stress, contour, harmony). more

Keep melody in singer’s comfortable range; save high notes for key moments. more

Perfect/slant/assonance/consonance; consistent schemes support memorability. more

Syllabic stress matching musical meter; avoids awkward lyric accenting. more

Common forms: Verse–Chorus, AABA, Verse–Pre–Chorus–Chorus–Bridge, etc. more

Narrative development across verses; raise stakes or perspective with each pass. more

Place the song title in the chorus landing spot for recall; align prosody. more

Short progression leading back to start or chorus (e.g., V–IV–I or ii–V). more