8 Speechwriting Lessons You Can Learn from Songwriters

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I write about strategies to guide speakers with their personal branding and turn it into cash. I also share ways to use real-time strategies to spread ideas, position clients as influencers, and build business.

You can use the advice of songwriters to make your speeches sing. You can practically get your audiences to tap their feet, nod their heads, and even hum along to your message by using these eight songwriting approaches.

Triad from Cadence Harmony Rhythm Rhyme Echo Sound Effects #1

Have you ever attempted to waltz to music? (Or at least watched famous people attempt on ABC’s popular competition Dancing with the Stars?) One, two, three… one, two, three was the count performed for you. Your clumsy steps soon became more fluid. You were in the lead. You were in rhythm. Flow was with you.

The three-beat pattern energized you. The three-beat pattern inspired you. And the three-beat pattern made you feel energized. The three-beat pattern is engrained in our daily speech, flowing rhythmically into other people’s ears:

Pro Tip

Develop your theme.

A triad is a chord in music made up of three notes. A triad is a group of three words or three phrases that are used collectively to boost impact and memorability with a rhythmic 1-2-3 beat, to apply the same idea to speechwriting. Alliteration, where each of the three words starts with the same letter, can increase the effect.

Think about these instances:

#2: Conclusion

A refrain in music is a line or stanza that is repeated repeatedly. In speechwriting, too. 

A refrain is a brief sentence that is repeated throughout (at least) three other sentences. Repetition is less smart for the message and less memorable for the audience than this brief repetitive sentence.

Take this example, which was delivered at the 2004 Republican Convention by the then-First Lady Laura Bush, to consider the messaging strategy and memorability:

Although Abraham Lincoln did not want to go to war, he understood it was necessary to keep the country together. Although Franklin Roosevelt did not want to go to war, he understood that it was necessary to end tyranny. And although my husband did not want to go to war, he was aware that it was necessary for the safety and security of both America and the rest of the globe.

“What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Jim Beggs

The refrain can also be developed using just two words, as Arnold Schwarzenegger did at the 2004 Republican Convention:

Finally, think about former President Ronald Reagan’s 1984 D-Day speech:

The troops of Normandy believed that what they were doing was right, that they were fighting for all of humanity, and that a just God would show them mercy on this beachhead or the one after it.

Third: Cadence

A cadence is a repeated phrase that starts at least six sentences in a row. The words are hammered into the ear by the increased repetition, which increases the rhythmic impact and memorability.

Action Item

Ensure to ask yourself questions about the title/hook.

Think about the following line from Martin Luther King Jr.’s well-known “I Have a Dream” speech:

Feel the struggle in Winston Churchill’s June 1940 speech to the British Parliament:

In August 1964, after accepting a nomination for president of the United States, Lyndon Johnson spoke in this cadence:

#4: Coherence

Harmony in music is a harmonious combination of sounds that is visually appealing. A harmonizing sentence structure can be used in speeches to balance the beginning and the finish of a run of (at least) three sentences.

Put your words on a teeter-totter and remember that any weight you place on one side must be counterbalanced by weight on the other. Parallel structure is the more official name for this method.

Shakespeare employed the following teeter-totter, harmonic approach in Shylock’s words in Act III, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice:

Here is another illustration of harmony taken from 2006 Super Bowl champion Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts.

Finally, here is another illustration of harmony from one of my own presentations about setting deadlines.

#5: Tempo

Depending on your intended message, you can alter the tempo of your speech much like a songwriter alters the tempo of a song from a smooth four beats per measure (waltz) to a brassy eight beats per measure or more (jazz). To create a recurrent beat that resonates with your audience, use at least five verbs in a repetitive sentence pattern.

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.”
Dianna Booher

Look at the verb-driven, rhythmic speechwriting samples below. First, let us look at another instance of Shakespeare’s Shylock from Act III, Scene I of The Merchant of Venice:

A Jew is just as likely to be fed with the same things, injured with the same things, afflicted with the same diseases, treated with the same things, and warmed and cooled by the same summers and winters as a Christian is.

On January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy employed this rhythmic device in his inaugural speech:

To ensure the continuation and triumph of liberty, we are prepared to pay any price, carry any weight, endure any adversity, stand with any ally, and confront any adversary.

Finally, remember what the Rev. Billy Graham said:

Humor assists us in ignoring the inappropriate, comprehending the unusual, tolerating the uncomfortable, overcoming the unexpected, and enduring the intolerable.

#6: Rhyme

Every cheerleader, poet, and singer are aware that rhyme is a tested technique for developing rhythm.

Look at the poetry “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley’s opening lines:

To create a rhythmic flow that pushes greater emphasis and significance to the desired message, effective speechwriters use rhyme in a specific order.

Look at this 13-sentence rhyming example:

The following is an example of how rhyme can help you create movement, meaning, and memorability: 

#7: Echo

You can use the crowd to your advantage to add additional rhythm to your speech and get them to repeat a crucial part of your message.

Take this illustration, used by the late Senator Ted Kennedy at the 1988 Democratic Convention to criticize Vice President George Bush for separating himself from then President Ronald Reagan’s decisions on contentious matters. Take note of how the audience response is sparked by the rhythmic sentence structure. Where Was George? is echoed by the audience after the third or fourth rendition.

The vice president claims he was not present, cannot remember, or was never informed of the administration’s covert plan to sell Iran guns. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask: Where was George when that enormous error was being made?

Pro Tip

Use technology and don’t get discouraged.

The vice president claims that the intelligence report on General Noriega’s role in the cocaine cartel was never shown to him, he cannot recall seeing it, or he does not understand it. So, it is reasonable to ask: Where was George during the preparation and discussion of that report?

The vice president says he cares about seniors, but it is clear he was either unaware of or absent when the administration repeatedly pushed to cut Social Security and Medicare. So, it is reasonable to ask: Where was George at the time those judgments were being made?

The vice president, who today speaks passionately about civil rights, was either not present or did not fully understand when the administration planned to restrict voting rights, provide tax incentives to segregated schools, and reject the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988. So, it is reasonable to ask: Where was George during all those assaults?

Eighth: Sound Effects

To convey more emotion and give inanimate objects alive, such as “squealing” tires, “groaning” gates, “whining” sirens, “whistling” trains, “gurgling” creeks, or “screaming” winds, use a term for the sound effect, such as “crash,” “boom,” or “crunch.”

The formal name for this technique is onomatopoeia, and it concentrates on words like “slap,” “slash,” and “growl” where the sound of the word implies the meaning. Search for verbs in your speech and try to replace at least one of them with an onomatopoeic phrase. Say “the carpenter’s hammer thumped out a steady rat-a-tat-tat” rather than “the carpenter pounded the nail.”

Contact Us

Please send an email to support@mitchcarson.com for inquiries.Click Here

You can use the advice of songwriters to make your speeches sing. You can practically get your audiences to tap their feet, nod their heads, and even hum along to your message by using these eight songwriting approaches.

Triad from Cadence Harmony Rhythm Rhyme Echo Sound Effects #1

Have you ever attempted to waltz to music? (Or at least watched famous people attempt on ABC’s popular competition Dancing with the Stars?) One, two, three… one, two, three was the count performed for you. Your clumsy steps soon became more fluid. You were in the lead. You were in rhythm. Flow was with you.

The three-beat pattern energized you. The three-beat pattern inspired you. And the three-beat pattern made you feel energized. The three-beat pattern is engrained in our daily speech, flowing rhythmically into other people’s ears:

Pro Tip

Develop your theme.

A triad is a chord in music made up of three notes. A triad is a group of three words or three phrases that are used collectively to boost impact and memorability with a rhythmic 1-2-3 beat, to apply the same idea to speechwriting. Alliteration, where each of the three words starts with the same letter, can increase the effect.

Think about these instances:

#2: Conclusion

A refrain in music is a line or stanza that is repeated repeatedly. In speechwriting, too. 

A refrain is a brief sentence that is repeated throughout (at least) three other sentences. Repetition is less smart for the message and less memorable for the audience than this brief repetitive sentence.

Take this example, which was delivered at the 2004 Republican Convention by the then-First Lady Laura Bush, to consider the messaging strategy and memorability:

Although Abraham Lincoln did not want to go to war, he understood it was necessary to keep the country together. Although Franklin Roosevelt did not want to go to war, he understood that it was necessary to end tyranny. And although my husband did not want to go to war, he was aware that it was necessary for the safety and security of both America and the rest of the globe.

“What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Jim Beggs

The refrain can also be developed using just two words, as Arnold Schwarzenegger did at the 2004 Republican Convention:

Finally, think about former President Ronald Reagan’s 1984 D-Day speech:

The troops of Normandy believed that what they were doing was right, that they were fighting for all of humanity, and that a just God would show them mercy on this beachhead or the one after it.

Third: Cadence

A cadence is a repeated phrase that starts at least six sentences in a row. The words are hammered into the ear by the increased repetition, which increases the rhythmic impact and memorability.

Action Item

Ensure to ask yourself questions about the title/hook.

Think about the following line from Martin Luther King Jr.’s well-known “I Have a Dream” speech:

Feel the struggle in Winston Churchill’s June 1940 speech to the British Parliament:

In August 1964, after accepting a nomination for president of the United States, Lyndon Johnson spoke in this cadence:

#4: Coherence

Harmony in music is a harmonious combination of sounds that is visually appealing. A harmonizing sentence structure can be used in speeches to balance the beginning and the finish of a run of (at least) three sentences.

Put your words on a teeter-totter and remember that any weight you place on one side must be counterbalanced by weight on the other. Parallel structure is the more official name for this method.

Shakespeare employed the following teeter-totter, harmonic approach in Shylock’s words in Act III, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice:

Here is another illustration of harmony taken from 2006 Super Bowl champion Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts.

Finally, here is another illustration of harmony from one of my own presentations about setting deadlines.

#5: Tempo

Depending on your intended message, you can alter the tempo of your speech much like a songwriter alters the tempo of a song from a smooth four beats per measure (waltz) to a brassy eight beats per measure or more (jazz). To create a recurrent beat that resonates with your audience, use at least five verbs in a repetitive sentence pattern.

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.”
Dianna Booher

Look at the verb-driven, rhythmic speechwriting samples below. First, let us look at another instance of Shakespeare’s Shylock from Act III, Scene I of The Merchant of Venice:

A Jew is just as likely to be fed with the same things, injured with the same things, afflicted with the same diseases, treated with the same things, and warmed and cooled by the same summers and winters as a Christian is.

On January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy employed this rhythmic device in his inaugural speech:

To ensure the continuation and triumph of liberty, we are prepared to pay any price, carry any weight, endure any adversity, stand with any ally, and confront any adversary.

Finally, remember what the Rev. Billy Graham said:

Humor assists us in ignoring the inappropriate, comprehending the unusual, tolerating the uncomfortable, overcoming the unexpected, and enduring the intolerable.

#6: Rhyme

Every cheerleader, poet, and singer are aware that rhyme is a tested technique for developing rhythm.

Look at the poetry “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley’s opening lines:

To create a rhythmic flow that pushes greater emphasis and significance to the desired message, effective speechwriters use rhyme in a specific order.

Look at this 13-sentence rhyming example:

The following is an example of how rhyme can help you create movement, meaning, and memorability: 

#7: Echo

You can use the crowd to your advantage to add additional rhythm to your speech and get them to repeat a crucial part of your message.

Take this illustration, used by the late Senator Ted Kennedy at the 1988 Democratic Convention to criticize Vice President George Bush for separating himself from then President Ronald Reagan’s decisions on contentious matters. Take note of how the audience response is sparked by the rhythmic sentence structure. Where Was George? is echoed by the audience after the third or fourth rendition.

The vice president claims he was not present, cannot remember, or was never informed of the administration’s covert plan to sell Iran guns. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask: Where was George when that enormous error was being made?

Pro Tip

Use technology and don’t get discouraged.

The vice president claims that the intelligence report on General Noriega’s role in the cocaine cartel was never shown to him, he cannot recall seeing it, or he does not understand it. So, it is reasonable to ask: Where was George during the preparation and discussion of that report?

The vice president says he cares about seniors, but it is clear he was either unaware of or absent when the administration repeatedly pushed to cut Social Security and Medicare. So, it is reasonable to ask: Where was George at the time those judgments were being made?

The vice president, who today speaks passionately about civil rights, was either not present or did not fully understand when the administration planned to restrict voting rights, provide tax incentives to segregated schools, and reject the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988. So, it is reasonable to ask: Where was George during all those assaults?

Eighth: Sound Effects

To convey more emotion and give inanimate objects alive, such as “squealing” tires, “groaning” gates, “whining” sirens, “whistling” trains, “gurgling” creeks, or “screaming” winds, use a term for the sound effect, such as “crash,” “boom,” or “crunch.”

The formal name for this technique is onomatopoeia, and it concentrates on words like “slap,” “slash,” and “growl” where the sound of the word implies the meaning. Search for verbs in your speech and try to replace at least one of them with an onomatopoeic phrase. Say “the carpenter’s hammer thumped out a steady rat-a-tat-tat” rather than “the carpenter pounded the nail.”

Contact Us

Please send an email to support@mitchcarson.com for inquiries.Click Here

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