Style and Story

So far we’ve looked at songs in their parts. Before re-looking at those parts in more detail, let’s step back and look at songs as a whole, the sum of those many parts. You’ve finished a new song, and like the proud builder of a little log cabin, you put down your tools and take an inquiring walk around it, inside and out. As you sense its overall symmetries, ask yourself these two questions: “What style is this song in?” and “Does this song tell its story?”