Though we try to get everything right, some aspects of a song have a higher value than others. And if you don’t get the big things right, the song won’t work at all. If you nail the essentials, less important things can fall short and the song can still work.

I’m not recommending laziness or failing to make a song as good as it can be. But it’s like a car… If you’ve got a motor, transmission, steering wheel, axles, wheels… the thing’ll run, even if it’s dented, the paint’s chipped, the fender’s falling off, etc.

Focusing first on the essentials is a good habit to get into. Get those right and you can color in the rest around them.

So what are the most essential aspects of a song?

(Keep in mind that there quite a few songs out there that don’t get all of these right and are still great because the elements that are good about them are GREAT.)

• Title/Chorus. Having a strong central idea, a phrase or section of words and music that the song is organized around.

Many an otherwise great song has fallen short of its potential due to a weak central idea.

Often I don’t start with this. Many writers won’t start without it. But it’s something that I’m always keeping an eye out for as I wander through the writing process. When I find it, other things tend to snap into focus. Or the opposite – it becomes immediately clearer when things don’t fit.

• Structure. This connects directly to the Title and/or Chorus.

Am I supporting it with the right structure? Should it be a Verse/Chorus song or an AABA song; or something else? Should it have a Bridge, a Pre-Chorus, a Tag? Is the length of the Verses and Chorus right, as well as the amount of Verses? Is it the right structure for the story that’s in the lyrics, and vice versa? Too long, or too short?

This also has to do with the momentum of the song. Is it moving along at the proper pace? If not, does something need to be shortened, cut, or extended? Sped up or slowed down?

• Melody. The not-so-secret (but too often ignored) weapon of great songwriting.

Remember, melody has two aspects – pitches and rhythm. Does the melody have motion in the notes and in its rhythm? (Don’t forget that the rhythm of the notes needs variety too.) Without movement, a melody can quickly get static and boring. Does the combination of short notes and longer, held notes feel right?

  * Harmony. This starts with harmonizing the melody, which creates the emotional subtext of the song.

Also including riffs or chord progressions that go beyond harmonizing, musical signatures that can be so important to the character of a song that it’s hard to imagine it without these trademarks.

  * Lyrics. Why do I put this last? Lyrics are obviously crucial to a good song. But I’d venture to say that there are more good songs with weaknesses in the lyric than good songs with weaknesses in the other areas we’ve discussed.

This isn’t true for some songs that are mainly lyric-focused. But a song with a great Title or Chorus, appropriate structure, powerful melody, great harmony and key riffs… can get away with a mediocre lyric. Again, I’m not advocating this as a writing strategy. It just seems to be the case… generally speaking.

But I still include lyrics as essential. Not just the content of the words – the sound of the words, which in songwriting is just as important as the content. (In fact it’s the main reason why sometimes lyrics with weak content can work – because they just sound right – even if they’re not!).

So, in getting your car to run, think first about the engine, the wheels, etc. When those are in place you can spend as much time as you want on the paint job and taking the dents out of the fender.

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