How to Compose Music: What is a Hook Anyway?

by David Doty

In previous posts I’ve used the term “hook” without defining it. You may be wondering, what is a hook anyway? OK, I’ll tell you.

Have you ever gone fishing?

A hook is a melodic device, or at least that’s how I typically think of it, usually a short musical phrase that catches the ear (Ouch! Well, not really). It helps make the song or piece “catchy” or memorable and helps gives the piece or song its distinctive character.

As a rule, or general guideline of composition if you prefer, a hook should be used at least twice in a piece or song to be effective. Used only once leaves the listener wondering “What was that? And why was it included?”

But perhaps the best way to explain a hook is with an example.

According to Wikipedia, Plain White T’s 2010 hit song Rhythm of Love has sold over a million copies. Perhaps this has something to do with its hook. This soft, folksy song opens with a whimsical hook that is excellent for our purposes of demonstration. The hook, noted on staff paper, looks something like this:

Underlying the song is a triplet sixteenth division of the beat, hence the brackets over the staff with “3” in the middle (the first two sixteenth notes of the triplet are contained in the eighth note rest). This example contains the first three instances of the hook used in the song's introduction, each all of four notes with a subtle change in the third instance.

It’s really best to listen to music and not only read about it if you want to learn more.

You can download Plain White T’s Rhythm of Love here.

Or give it a listen on YouTube here.