Blink 182’s The Small Things is marked as one the band’s most popular songs, yet all of their tunes tend to follow the same compositional style. Blink 182 writes a catchy intro, verse, chorus, verse, bridge, and final chorus similarly for every song.
“All The Small Things” is definitely a catchy song with some strong hooks, but anybody can create something as good. Check out these 7 tips to write a really catchy song that might someday get you into the music industry alongside Blink 182.
1. Keep it simple.
Some of the most memorable songs in history, “All The Small Things,” are simple songs. There might be a guitar solo here or there, but at the foundation, they’re easy to remember. Listeners want to be familiar with your song, so make it easy for them to get sucked in.
2. Find the hook and use it.
The hook of your song is the meat and the foundation. Work on finding that catchy core before everything else. Blink 182 never starts a song unless they have a strong hook to begin with.
3. Put simple leads over simple rhythms.
A strong basis for most of Blink 182’s songs is rhythm chords with a memorable lead riff played over-top. Don’t think to much about layering your songs. Too many layers can saturate your composition, while just one layer might be too thin.
4. Get two strong vocalists.
“All The Small Things” creates lots of interest due to both vocalists, Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge. If you can find another vocalist, use them! Creating more attractions for your listeners is the key to a great song.
5. Utilize overlapping singing melodies
Most of the time, Blink 182 would go into separate rooms and write their own melodies for a song, then come back and use them both together! What a great idea! Write a couple different melodies for your choruses and put them together to create a very intelligent-sounding tune.
6. Put strong melodies everywhere.
Don’t compromise the integrity of your awesome song by putting a great melody in the chorus and then nothing in the verses. Look back at “All The Small Things” and notice how comparatively catchy the verses are to the choruses. Aim for hooks and strong melodies everywhere in your song.
7. Write lyrics about what you know.
Blink 182 writes lyrics about their girlfriends and just having a good time because that’s their life. If you write about what you know, you’ll never run out of material.
Writing great songs isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible by far. Remember to keep a focused mind and don’t give up. Put these 7 tips into action and see where your songs take you.
