Topline & Hook Writing

Writing the part people remember.

Writing melody and lyric over an existing instrumental, the way most commercial songs are actually made.

Writing to a track

The topline discipline.

1. What a topline is, and who writes it
2. Finding the pocket in an instrumental
3. Melodic rhythm against the beat
4. Leaving space for the production

The hook

What makes something stick.

1. Repetition, and how much is too much
2. The one-note hook and the leap hook
3. Lyrical hooks and melodic hooks
4. Placement: where the hook should land
5. Three toplines, one instrumental
6. Topline final