As the sun warms the air and days grow longer, the call of summery songs is irresistible. We've got you covered this summer by bringing you a collection of tips you can add to your compositions to add that summery flare. Remember, these are just tips and not must-haves! We hope you find this useful.
Tip #1: Nominative syncopation
Nothing evokes feelings of summer more than a syncopated beat! Latin music is well known for its use of syncopation or nominative syncopation. Syncopation is defined “as disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm": a "placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they wouldn't normally occur".
This technique works best for the dancier style tracks, but it can be applied to almost anything.
Tip #2: Textures & timbre
Considering the timbre of the instruments used in the composition is important to the feelings you want to convey. If dancier music isn't your thing, and you have a more classical or indie form of composition, try adding pizzicato textures into your mix. Pizzicato is the act of plucking strings, traditionally on either Cello or Violin.
However, this style can easily be achieved with a plug-in using MIDI. The timbre of the plucking strings is reminiscent of flowers blooming and classical strings in general draw parallels to nature from the popularization of Vivaldi's 1723 — Four Seasons note the three-movement piece "Summer" You don't have to use strong ones; perhaps other textures such as hand pans can be used!
Tip #3: Major keys
This one is a given, for sure, and perhaps a little obvious but hey, give it a go! We all know that certain keys paired with cadence can set and establish the foundations for your summery songs compositions. Think of it as a scene setting or the opening shot if you were a movie director.
Tip #4: Tempo
Hit songwriter Stephan Moccio, who wrote the Miley Cyrus summer hit “Wrecking Ball,” tells the CBC: “Our hearts beat at certain specific rhythms.'' According to Moccio, 64 BPM is the sweet spot. Fast enough to keep audience retention but slow enough that people who don't want to dance can enjoy a summer cocktail in peace! Our Metronome app can also help keep that rhythm in check. Trust us, your rhythms will become a lot more synchronized and in tempo.
Tip #5: Additional nonmusical textures
This one's a little out there, but I hear this is used a lot, particularly in summer tracks. Take Marvin Gaye’s - ‘Got to give it up’. In the background, you can hear what sounds like the voices of people enjoying themselves at a pool party.
You don't have to use exactly that, other textures you could use are light wave sounds or perhaps morning bird songs. This scene-setting device takes the listener into the world of the emotions you're trying to convey in your summery song. It just adds that extra layer of detail.
Additionally,
If you are having trouble crafting your desired composition, feel free to take help from AI for further inspiration. There are numerous AI music production software, such as AIVA, that can significantly help and guide you in crafting the perfect summery songs.
Finally, remember that this is your composition, your story, and ultimately you should have the final say on what emotional context your piece presides over.
So use these tips — or don't — either way, get up and create something this summer that you're proud of!
