From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: The Fundamentals

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The hook

The hook

From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: The Fundamentals

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The hook

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- The goal of a hook is to catch the listener's ear and hook their attention. Usually the hook of a song will occur in the chorus and is often the title of the song. Some famous examples include Michael Jackson's "Beat It" or Queen's "We Are the Champions". Other times, the hook will appear in the verse, like in Willie Nelson's "Crazy". The hook can even appear as an instrumental element of a song like Keith Richards' guitar lick in "Satisfaction" or famously the theremin in The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations". One of the most iconic instrumental hooks of all time is the opening four notes of Beethoven's 5th symphony. ("Symphony No. 5 in C Minor") Hooks have been used for centuries, but today's pop music has elevated it to a major principle. The hook is essentially your tagline. It's what you're selling in the song. And you can be sure that you'll hear the hook of a song more than a couple of times.

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