Gears is an ongoing project that defines dozens of songwriting terms and techniques. Here songwriters can learn about the craft, look up terms, and find ideas for new songs.
This index is under perpetual construction. Bookmark this page and come back often to see what’s new!
Featured Gears
(scroll down for all the Gears)
All the Gears:
- Answer Song
- Archaism
- Bridge
- Chorus
- Circle-Back Ending
- Cumulative Song
- Destination Writing
- Deus ex Machina
- Dummy Line
- Freewriting
- Genre
- Ghost Melody
- Head Rhyme
- Idea File
- Instrumental Chorus
- List Song
- Lyric
- Object Writing
- Parallel Structure
- Payoff
- Peripeteia
- Popular Lyric Writing (book)
- Pre-Chorus
- Refrain
- Reprise
- Second Verse Hell
- Song Cycle
- Track Positioning
- Verse
- Writing Better Lyrics (book)
photo of Lego gears by Sonny Abesamis