How To Succeed With Writing Bridges

The Songwriter's Podcast with Anne Sibley

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Now for today's episode!

Anne’s Top 10 Tips for Writing A Bridge

1. It’s a good idea to have a unique chord at the very beginning of your bridge. Signals to the listener that something different is about to happen here. It can be a minor chord unless that doesn’t fit the feeling of your song.
2. A bridge often gives us more direct insight into the thoughts of the song’s narrator or the song’s message. Go deeper then you’ve gone in the verses.
3. To help your bridge be distinctive from the rest of your song, give your bridge a unique chord progression and melody.
4. Take us somewhere you haven’t yet in the song, walk us over a wooden bridge off the main path of the song. Then bring us back!
5. Is your bridge necessary? I wouldn’t write a bridge just because you think you should. It should have purpose and give us a welcome diversion before it brings us back to the familiarity of the song.
6. The bridge is usually located about three-quarters of the way into the song. You’ve already given us some verses and a chorus (familiar) before you introduce this new part. Study other songs for placement ideas.
7. Just like your Chorus has a different melody than your verses that preceded it, the bridge has its own unique melody.
8. Best way to learn how to write great bridges (especially if you still feel uncertain on how to create one) is to listen to some of your favorite songs with a curious ear. What is the purpose of the bridge in this song? How is it different from the rest of the song? What chord progression did they use?
9. Do you have to write a Bridge in your song? Nope. Always a good idea not to force it because you think you “should”. What does the song want and need?
10. If you are a new songwriter and new to writing bridges, play around, experiment and learn. Bridges are pretty amazing components of songs when they come together (and fun to sing and play!).

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