Song structure note-taking method
I am not sure if anyone in this forum uses Zettelkasten for music, but I am sharing the song structure analysis framework I use in Zettelkasten. References are important in music production as well. I believe that having a standardized framework makes data management easier when analyzing songs using Zettelkasten.
Note titles follow this format:
Title: UID bpmxxx-key-song title-artist-year-album title
Example: 202608011611 bpm64-G-Home-Michael Buble-2005-It's Time
- You can search by bpm in the tens range. For instance, entering
bpm7will display a list of songs in the 70s bpm range. - The hyphens allow you to search by key. For instance, entering
-G-will display a list of songs in the G key range. - Keys are written based on major keys. Also, #/b keys are written as flat. There are a total of 12. This is to reduce the number of branches and make data searching easier.
The reason for the arrangement order is as follows:
1. bpm: In music production, bpm is often more important than key when searching for references. To facilitate data processing when only the UID is removed, bpm is placed first.
2. song title: Since there are now more instances of covering or remaking original songs, the song title is placed before the artist.
3. Year and Album Title: This is indicated because even songs by the same artist may differ depending on the album.
Next, I write the structure of the song in the notes. You could also call this a song form or a plot. Since Zettelkasten notes use plain text, I have made it easy to write in plain text. I would like to write the full content here, but since it is too long and would become messy, I will share a link to the PDF I created.
https://github.com/iylock/iylock-style/blob/main/iylock-style-v20260410.pdf
(Versions are managed here: https://github.com/iylock/iylock-style )
To briefly explain, I have aligned the names such as Verse, Chorus, and Bridge with the notation used on multitracks.com, and divided them into 'Parts' to allow viewing of the song's structural patterns and flow. Then, the song structure written in the notes becomes as follows.
Queencard - (G)I-DLE
A : I – V1 – V2 – Pr – C – Po -
A’: It – V3 – Pr – C – Po – Rf – O - E
Welcome to the Show - DAY6
A : Vp – I – V1 – V2 – Pr1 – C1 – C2 -
A’: Ta – V3 – Pr2 – C1 – C2 -
B : B – It – C2 – C1 – C1(Ac) - E
Time of Our Life - DAY6
A : I – V1 – V2 – Pr – It – C1 – C2 – Po -
A’: V3 – V4 – Pr – It – C1 – C2 -
B : B – C3 – C2 – Po - E
Ditto – NewJeans
A: I – C1 – V1 – V2 – Pr1 – Pr2 – C1 – C2
A’: V3 – Pr2 – C1 – C2 – O – E
After writing the song structure like this, I write a detailed analysis of the song below it, including chord progressions, rhythm patterns, and types and combinations of samples.
Then, as these individual notes accumulate, I create a structure note that compiles the song structure patterns and organize a list of songs with similar patterns. (Actually, to be precise, in most cases, I create a structure note first, create a link from it, and then create an individual song analysis note.)
When producing a song, it is much easier to work if similar patterns like these are gathered together. For example, if you are unsure what effect to apply to the verse returning after the first chorus, you can go into the structure notes, find a song with a similar pattern, and use it as a reference. It seems that many musicians write songs relying on their extensive experience and intuition. Of course, even when using Zettelkasten, you still have to memorize all those references, but using Zettelkasten reduces the need to recall things from a blank slate.
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Comments
Interesting.
I think I use a similar mechanism in some aspects of my activities (IT Work, physical exercise, health, nutrition, running sessions, etc.), even though I don't deal with music (I have a few song notes, but they are written from the perspective of a listener and enthusiast, not a producer).
I believe a "song note" like yours could fit into what I call an "entity note" in my system.
A (small or big, still don't know) difference is that I use YAML metadata (I use Obsidian) rather than relying on title conventions.
I'm comfortable with metadata, but from your example I realize that having them in this naming convention is useful too.
The even more interesting part, in my case, and I'm pretty sure in yours too, is seeing over time "what grows" once these seeds are planted in one's note-taking system.
One of the most useful things, in my case, is that from an entity note I can very often abstract a principle, a concept, or an idea that remains connected to these notes, making them fit perfectly into the core concept of the Zettelkasten. From this perspective, they behave almost like source notes, as I call them.
For example: quite often when I write the "running workout note" about my daily run, ideas, reflections, doubts, and questions about how I ran today emerge. Connections with other similar runs pop up, which turn into patterns that become abstractions: and all of this generates several zettels. So, for me this is still Zettelkasten.
Song notes /Entity notes easily form a low-level layer upon which concept-containing layers can be built, in addition to maintaining their original use and nature as database records.
If you find it too tedious to manage all these conventions, my suggestion would be to use a system of macros and/or templates, which help you write standardized note structures consistently
I think the mental work of creating the metadata lines is part of the work of understanding the song material. Work through the items, glance at another similar card, and and you don't need much more help. I'm assuming there is already some way to put a musical score fragments into the cards.