Center · Emotional / Narrative Core
The central feeling, question, or story the song exists to express — the ‘one thing’ everything else should serve.
Song Mandala
The Song Mandala treats a track as a circular architecture rather than a linear checklist. At the center is the emotional and narrative core; surrounding rings organize lyric content, melodic contour, harmonic motion, rhythm and groove, and finally arrangement and production choices.
Layers
Ring 1 · Lyrics & Imagery
Words, images, and metaphors that articulate the core in language the listener can feel and remember.
Ring 2 · Melody & Motif
The melodic shapes and motifs that carry the emotional core, including contour, range, and signature intervals.
Ring 3 · Harmony & Movement
Chord progressions and harmonic rhythm that support or subvert the emotional journey of the core.
Ring 4 · Rhythm, Groove & Arrangement
Tempo, groove, instrumentation, density, and production decisions that frame the song’s core in time and space.
Suggested practices
- Start each new song by writing a one-sentence ‘center’ before touching chords.
- Audit an existing song of yours: do all the outer rings actually serve the same core?
Related mandalas
- Universal Knowledge Mandala (UKM)