For top lining dance tracks. This is it in reverse. So boom, I get sent an uptempo track and I can’t quite connect. ’cause I like to write something where I’m saying something meaningful about something. And I, and the music’s playing, it’s too fast. And I can’t think. I learn the chords from these, dance tracks. David GTA did one recently for David gta learned the chords and I play them on guitar or piano. And then I write a song. I connect. I’m not saying I write an entire, you know, verse pre chorus verse, pre chorus, middle, or whatever I write, I get in the same world and I write a kind of verse, chorus.
I know what the song’s about. I know who it’s about. I, it is not just kind of, I’m avoiding it being vacuous. I, it’s not going to be hollow even if we end up with one line like I’ve been wearing on that, but it’s not going to be hollow. Okay? So I learn the chords and I play them on guitar or piano, and I write from that place. And then I go back to the track and I sing what I’ve written over the track. And I go, oh, and it works up tempo.
Of course it does. It’s the same chord. I’ve just played it in halftime and then felt it. I’ve written down here, you know, it seems to give the musical mind more time to breathe. And that’s absolutely what it feels like to me. It’s like my musical mind, my heart and soul. It time to access it and kind of feel it and write from that place that we all know and love. Okay? That is the right place, by the way. Try writing melody in halftime. So that’s just the same thing. It’s just that you’ll, you’ll be doing that. Sometimes we tend to, because the music’s uptempo. We start going, I don’t wanna get over.
And we are all way off in the meter. And the, and the rhythm of the melody and lyric is, is all fast too. But actually the music’s doing that. So big long notes. You know, write your melodies. Just don’t rush your melodies, okay? Write them legato like, you know, just try. And again, when you going into halftime, this will often happen just because you’re writing it in, in from a more, ballad is not the right word, but you know what I mean. A sort of melancholic introspective place. So zone in on a sin. And this is then the, the next stage in the top lining process for me is when I then have written something that feels rich and deep and connected and just moves me.
Really just gives you the feels, the goosebumps were kinda like, oh, I love this. It’s like zone in on a simple and repetitive melody and lyric that you’ve written that works as a standalone line in a song you really mean. And that might be the one line that is on the top of the chorus for a dance tune. So zone in it means like, feel it, turn that radar on.
What’s moving me on a simple and repetitive melody and lyric that works as a standalone line. I know Martin talks about this, doesn’t he? Does the chorus work just on its own as a standalone line in a song you really mean, in this case, I’m just talking about where in what you’ve written when you’re just feeling it, you’re using the chords off the dance, tune your top line or something. What moves you? That could be your big line. Okay? And then work from there. So again, you can Go back over this ’cause you will get the video.
So this is the great reveal that I learned the hard way. Melodic, rhythmic, lyrical and emotional hooks are the same and as important in up tempo or, or in slur songs. It’s just the same. I just thought that up tempo songs were just all going to be kind of sun shining everyone party. That’s it. It’s like, that’s great if that’s how you feel and you mean it. it also doesn’t need to be that way. You know? I will survive, you know, Abba dancing Queen, my gosh.
so, so start at the source. You your feelings and the feelings of your co-writers. That’s the source. It’s the same source as when you’re gonna write some sort of big heartfelt, in the anthem or an uptempo dance banger. It’s like, go there first. and that includes, like I said, it doesn’t need to mean heavy. I really, I know I always underline this, but it’s because it sounds like I’m saying, and then you’ll find something with huge gravitas.
It’s like, no, you’ll mean what you say. And if that’s, you know, I kissed a girl and she liked it, that’s a killer line, you know? So there, go there. Say what you mean. Okay. So platinum tip, remember that the currency we’re trading in as songwriters is emotions, is emotion. Stay emotional when writing up tempo songs. It’s not a different you that writes commercial bangers. It’s the real, you always, I, as I said earlier, got this wrong and I started being wrote as to work with, artists that were working in a much more, chart, environment.
And that means one thing and one thing only, which is singles, which usually means a tempo. And, and the, and you know, and there the opportunity presents itself. And, and not being able to do it isn’t a great reason to avoid it. Is it, it’s like, you know, if you, if that’s not for you, that’s fine.
If you’re, if you wanna write a song in your life that your, your, your, husband loves, or your children, really respect you for and understand you, then that’s, that’s more than enough, more than anything. I’m just saying, if this is part of your journey, then that is an area that will happen where you, you know, you will want to write up tempos in this environment. It’s the, it’s the, it’s the name of the game really. so, but don’t, I hope I’m saving you a lot of lost time and a lot of lost heartache, where I’m telling you, it’s, you still the same source, right?
Emotionally, it’s not kind of suddenly become, you know, max Martin and try things that other people have done and say things that other people have said. tho those were said from people that felt them. Okay.
