Tuesday, January 16th, 2024.
Hey, it’s TJ Miller, “You want some game?” Let's #tipundathehat!
For the best indie music click, and follow my Playlist on Spotify.
Unda The Hat is now doing affiliate marketing for Amazon. “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” We feature musical equipment, OG music band Tees & merch, games, and books. This week's Amazon feature is Watson's Head
Do you really need a hook? - Let’s Geaux -
When songwriting you want to make sure that you write something that people will remember and that they can sing along to. Generally, you have about 1.7 seconds to grab someone's attention so you better come correct. One surefire way to gain someone’s attention is with a strong hook. Songs that are vocal, rap, or instrumental pieces can and should all have a good hook. So you may ask what is a hook? A hook is a memorable phrase or line in a song that grabs the listener's attention and keeps them coming back for more. It's often the first thing people remember about a song, and it can make or break its success.
A hook is the apex of a well-crafted song. It’s part melody (remember melody from last week?), part lyric, and most likely it’s both. It’s usually the title of the song, repeating throughout the chorus and sitting in the most prominent positions of the first or last line. As stated before, a hook can come in many forms generally three but this is music and there are always exceptions to any rule. There is the Rhythmic hooks: based on a catchy rhythm, Melodic hooks: based on a catchy melody (we can’t get away from that term melody - it’s the king!), and Lyrical hooks: based on a catchy phrase or verse. All of this is considered song structure, the hook is the musical idea that can be repeated over and over and can be a sound a phrase, or a motif and can be considered the fingerprint of a song.
Some of the more popular songs that have great hooks include “We Will Rock You” by Queen, “Happy” by Pharrell, “YMCA” Village People, and “Hey Ya” by Outkast.
Now let’s be clear, every song does not have a hook. There have been a few songs that didn’t have a hook, but told a good story and kept the listener engaged. When I think of this, the first song that comes to mind is “A House is Not a Home,” by Burt Bacharach sung initially by Dion Warrick and popularized by Luther Vandross. The story is so strong the listener is engaged from beginning to end. Other hookless songs include That's What I Like: By Bruno Mars, I Don't Wanna Live Forever: By ZAYN & Taylor Swift, iSpy: By Kyle & Lil Yatchy, and Love On The Brain: By Rihanna.
My opinion is however, as a DIY musician, especially if you are just starting, you want to make your bones on songs with good strong hooks. Something that your listeners and audience can remember and hold on to; something can remember you by. There’s nothing worse than someone saying hey you heard that new song by what’cha call-it, you know the one that goes uhhh uhhh….well, I can’t remember, but I liked it, anyway……
Here are some things to remember when writing a hook. Use the KISS principle, keep it simple and catchy, and make sure you aren’t using a hook, just for the sake of using a hook. Make sure it’s a part of the story and relevant to the song’s theme. Use descriptive verbs, strong metaphors, and interesting similes. They should create a vivid image in the listener's mind; make’em feel something! It is a song and a song is poetry, so make sure you are using rhythm, rhyme, and repetition.
A good hook can also pull at the emotional drawstrings. It creates an emotional connection between the listener and the song. It’s what makes them close their eyes and scrunch up their face when singing the hook over and over again. And lastly, a good hook can help with the commercial appeal. You want to sell your art at the end of the day and you are more likely to attract and retain a listener with a good strong emotional catchy hook. Without a strong hook, a song may struggle to find its place in the competitive music landscape; and you will have lost that opportunity to make that connection and keep a fan.
This week's #IAOTW - Independent Artists Of The Week is - Watson’s Head 
Born and raised in St. Louis Missouri, Shawn Watson has been involved with music his entire life. His primary instruments are the guitar, drums, and flute. The genre as he likes to call it is Psycodelic Funk-Rock with a lil taste of Reggae. When you hear him you can hear his influences of Jimmi Hendrix and Funkadelic instantly.
Click on the name link, scroll down to the picture, and then click, and support. For more information on this or to hire Unda The Hat as your brand or label consultant send a message via undathehat.com. If you are an Indie artist and want to be featured, hit me up. See you next week!!