tips on hooks~

"And just remember what fuckin' language you speek; or attempt to." - Krystof


Krystof,


As a Northern lad myself, I find your pseudo-macho statements pathetic. You give English people a bad name with your ignorance of life. Also, you need to learn the difference between "They're" and "There".

Your stereotyping of Southern people as all having "posh" accents is ridiculous. The Southern working class have a completely different accent from the middle and upper classes. Ever heard a cockney accent? I would hardly call that a posh accent. My advice to you my friend, is to rid yourself of that chip on your shoulder.

PS. Regarding song writing formula's, I don't even think about it, it just comes to me. Every song I write is different, I don't think about songs in choruses and verses.

Just my two cents/pence

PPS. It's spelt "Speak" NOT "Speek"
 
Hi Guys....I am a Newbie, but I think I may have something to add to get us back on track. Here are a couple of songs to check out for Cool Hooks!! (1) THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU...Ramones
and SOMEWHERE OUT THERE L Ronnstad i think
These songs are very different from each other but each makes excellent use of the Hook. Listen and you may get some good ideas of your own....chazba
 
I suppose that, like songs generally, some hooks really say something unique and some just stick in mind because they're stupid, annoying, salacious or otherwise base in some way. The latter we can call "cheap". If it's a "good" hook, I guess, it's unique and effectively and simply communicates a complete thought or feeling. So name some classic hooks:

I wanna be sedated
I can't get no satisfaction
All you need is love
We are living in a material world and I am a material girl
Girls just want to have fun

There are thousands of course.

What's your best? Mine are probably:

I hate you Spring
Would you like to buy some time?
God is in the internet.
 
Agree with buf. bob...

What I do on the songs with a good hook is get some stupid line in my head. Sometimes it's a melody, and sometimes it's just a lyric, and sometimes it's both. Sometimes it's when someone says something that strikes me as humorous, sick, sums up my life, etc.

Then of course I develop verse.

The onese I don't do that with, ie, it starts with the idea and I have verses, generally have crappy choruses. Oh well.

But if your after hook.... look for inspiration from your favorite writers, movies, advertisements, other songs.... crazy shit your friends say, etc.

And don't try! When you start trying for "hook" well, it's rare. A hook is a natural thing and generally, once you force it/tweak it enough to fit into the song how you want it too, it's destroyed. Try building a song considering that the "hook" is the foundation.
 
Long hooks

I tend to think of hooks as being a little longer--or at least I may require that of a song, I don't know. Three of my favourite lines, and they are transitional but absolutely necessary and quesinably brilliant:
"His sister Pam works in a shop, she never stops, she's a go-getter..."
"Never ever let success go to your pretty head..."
"So where are the strong, and who are the trusted? and where is that harmony?"

I could, and have done in days gone by, go on about these lines. Their respective songs hinge on them and on their success. Their synchronization with transitional moments within the music also qualify their brilliance. These are what I look to write for "hooks" in my songs...

MH
ps.Something happened with the font size, I think, and was unintentional...
 
Just do what Noel Gallagher does

The songwriter from Oasis (most would argue the brain behind the band) had a formula years ago.

Even though his record company bought him an 8 track for ideas (tracking them to remember) - he never used it and never wrote any of it down.

In his mind, if it's not good enough to remember, it's not good enough to be a song.

Damned good point there. If it doesn't come back into your head, then it's not a hook.

D'ya know what I mean?

RB
:(
 
MadHack.....thanks for the inspiration

"NEVER LET EXCESS GO TO YOUR HEAD"

Could that be a hook for somebody??Go ahead, man, No Charge
 
I think you'll find it was Mr Paul McCartney that originally said that statement not Noel Gallagher although he may well have taken that advice.
 
Tops

The line "never ever let success go to your pretty head" [baby 'cause, I...], is from "Tops" off of Tatoo You . If you have it listen again to how these words roll along together with the music...brilliant. "Never let excess go to your head" doesn't cut it, sorry. How about " Never ever let excess undo what Mick has said [baby or I...I'll write you a flop..."?:D
MH

ps. I though that was interesting how it seemed Paul McCartney had said never let excess go to your head. "Scrambled eggs..."
 
Excess

Sorry Guys....Didn't mean to detract from Paul M
He's one of my all time fave's. Just looking in a different direction.
 
I somewhat agree with paul/noel said but, well havn't you also listened to stuff you did awhile back and said "hey this is a hook" but you had forgotten it in the meantime? Or heard something on the radio that was popular a couple of years back but you didn't like it because it was overplayed, only to say "yeah this is pretty good"? I do that all the time.

What I like to do it record it, work on new stuff, listen to it a couple of months when I've kinda forgotton it and if it sounds good, that's a good sign. When I get too into a new song I can't realize that it sucks.
 
Hook placement

If you're concerned about hooks from the standpoint of marketability, the placement of the hook is also important. Any longer than 40 seconds into the song is considered too long by most A&R and radio types. But shit...what do they know? ;o)
 
If you repeat the word "hook" at various pitches out of the audible range, it will have a subliminal effect on the listener and "hook" them into the song. The Beatles did this on all their songs. You have to slow down the records to hear it, though.
 
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