Buddhists preach non-attachment. Today, though I’m not religious, I will join their ranks, at least as it pertains to songs.
It’s easy to get attached to things as I write them. And it’s natural. This post is not so much about the ‘writing’ stage (where being open, accepting, and excited about one’s ideas as they happen is necessary) but about the ‘editing’ stage (where it’s necessary to be ruthless about the usefulness of those same ideas to the song as a whole).
Realistically speaking, a writer can get a pass on leaving something in here and there just because, ‘I like it.’ But beyond a certain point… the tail starts wagging the dog. The cool little ideas overwhelm the important big idea.
And (I think this applies to most things that are created) having the discipline to use the details and smaller components to support the important big idea is one of the most telling qualities of a developed writer.
My most recent previous post was about Pre-Choruses, and I stated something to the effect of, ‘If you can skip the Pre-Chorus and not miss it, you don’t need it.’ I think this goes for most parts of a song – sections, words, notes, even chords. If you try taking it out and the song doesn’t miss it… leave it out!
This isn’t as horrible as it sounds. That’s why I call this ‘The Joy of Cutting’. Because taking something away and seeing a song come into clearer focus (addition by subtraction) is something I’ve really come to enjoy; there is pleasure in it.
Einstein said, ‘Things should be as simple as possible… but no simpler.’
So the point here is not to Cut, Cut, Cut. Some things need time, space, digression to develop in their own way. But, when one is in the ‘editing’ stage of finishing a song, practicing non-attachment can be extremely valuable. And so can getting used to the idea that cutting things – even (and maybe especially) things that I think are really cool – can itself be really cool.
Focus on the overall result, the big picture – don’t get too attached to any single piece of a larger puzzle.
Please let me know your thoughts in the Comments section below:
Yeah Tony,
I dig… I’m at that point with a new song right now.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
PAX
AM
Thanks, Andy. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
And the bonus is: if the stuff you cut was actually quality, you can build new songs around it! Or at least keep them in the spare parts drawer for some kind of future use.
Jason,
Great point! Personally, I’ve never had much luck with this (like sometimes happens with an organ transplant, the new song seems to reject the ‘foreign body’), but I know other writers who have.
The great songwriter Tamara Hey responded to this post with: ‘As one of my teachers used to say,
“If it’s not working it should be fired, but you can always hire it back in another song.”‘
Best wishes,
Tony
In my opinion, there is no such thing as a “pre-chorus.” I say this because I’ve heard the term used (mostly by unschooled writers) for over five years and in that time, no better or more accurate name for it has come into use.
Ira Gershwin called it the “Vest.” It’s that little piece of material between the coat and the shirt. The coat and the shirt are two major and indispensable pieces of clothing. The vest is a sort of connector. If you want to see how it’s used by a master, the library has books of Gershwin lyrics.
In the interest of economy of language, which can add immeasurable power to a lyric, I try to avoid using a Vest unless the melody demands it — and that’s because the emotion in lyric is going through a transition. So my advice is, Be wary of any new kind of section in a lyric that doesn’t have a substantial name. A name of substance indicates usefulness, function. If it’s called a pre-anything, it’s probably not necessary. Learning to cut will make you feel more powerful as a communicator. And you can always save the previous version on your flash drive in case it turns out to be the one you like better.
Thanks, Annie.
You make some great points that I appreciate. I absolutely agree that many bloated Pre-Choruses would be better cut down to Vests or lost altogether.
However, I’m not sure I can agree with you about non-existence of the Pre-Chorus as a section in itself (in 2014, anyway).
In my previous post I mention three of them – if they are just ‘vests’, they’re down vests – quite substantial! And there are many other songs with similarly substantial new sections between the Verse and Chorus that are different enough from both to require a name when discussing.
So… whether there should be Pre-Choruses is one thing; a matter of opinion… whether there are Pre-Choruses I think is pretty established (though one can certainly call it by whatever name one likes…).
Thanks for all your comments, and for caring enough to share them!
Best wishes,
Tony
https://tonyconniff.com/lorde-adele-mj-the-art-of-the-pre-chorus/
cut