Songwriting Is A Science (And How To Take Advantage Of It)
- Michael O'Connor
- Aug 23, 2022
- 3 min read
Help your art by making it a science. Many people see music as an art, very creative with no real rules, no rhyme or reason to it, just coming from inside you; but I’m here to say don’t go all in on that mindset if you really want to grow and reach more people. While there are benefits to both mindsets of songwriting as an art or science, I don’t think many people are giving the science of it enough credit. Here’s why you should consider the mindset of: songwriting as a science.
Science Breeds Intentionality
The art mindset is often used to shrug off any intentionality to your work. Don’t want to rhyme even though the song would benefit from a simple rhyme at this particular spot? “Don’t worry, it’s an art. I can do what I want!” Okay but you have two clashing guitar parts here, what if yo- ”Nope it’s my art!”
See how you can just do things without reason? Look, it’s totally fine if you wanted those things, but without any reason other than just “wanting it”, it probably won’t fare well to the majority - including you after some time has passed!
Having the science mindset here will help you determine what and why things are, and stand the test of time when looking back at it later down the road. Unless the point of your song is to be a complete enigma, and have people speculate what you’re trying to portray like some abstract art in a museum - it’s best to have a reason for every little thing you do; and it should all support the theme, vibe, and overall point you’re trying to portray.
If shrugging off intentionality is done enough times, your art can turn into a jumbled mess very quickly and looking back at it, you probably won’t be as proud of it as something you tried your best at!
Make Like A Scientist And Hypothesize
There’s two main things scientists do: ask questions and figure them out. How can you apply this to your music?
How does this song fit in this situation? What happens if I mix this with this? Experiment; but to do so you need a reason and a prediction first. Find a need, hypothesize how you can fix it, predict the outcome, and if it turns out well then it was a success!
The more questions you ask, the better. It will make for a more robust project and be able to withstand more scrutiny AND improve quality!
Art And Science Both Have Their Merits
I’m not saying you need to completely ditch the idea of seeing music as solely art; it has its benefits as well! Thinking of music as art can really help with creativity and providing some sentimental value on the piece. I think it’s a great starting place for songwriting; but after you’ve got the general idea down, it’s time to put on your science hat and start to critique your decisions on what you’ve made!
Simply put, I think the balance is a little shifted towards the art side and many people are missing out on what they can make; they aren’t giving the science of songwriting enough credit.
Too much science on songwriting can have its downfall as well though; it can produce very similar songs just to please the masses; which is what pop is trying to do. Pop is super structured and designed to catch your attention and keep you there for its entirety, all with the intention to do so!
A nice balance of art and science can make for a very interesting and entertaining song, while also appealing to a good number of people and standing the test of time!
What are your thoughts on this art vs science deal on music? How do you feel about super thought-out songs designed to be popular? What about songs that “come from the heart” that has the most meaning to the songwriter but not much to others? I’d love to hear your thoughts, super interesting topic!
To add to this science vs art thing, I've created a songwriting guide called the Top-Down Songwriting Pyramid that you can use to stay structured and on track when writing songs! All you have to do is subscribe to receiving email notifications over at the blog homepage, and you can download the document there! Don't worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, so no reason not to go get something that can help you write your best song yet! :)
-Michael
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