Many people believe that songwriting is too complex to learn, so many musicians spend their time arranging other artists’ works or performing cover songs instead of developing original works. Although the desire to write songs remains, it seems too difficult to attempt.
If you understand all the elements of songwriting, you can write great songs just as easily as everyone else. Songwriting does not have to be complex; it just needs to be broken down so you can take it to step by step.
It’s important not to get stressed out about minor aspects like lyrics and chord progressions when you start to write. If you take steps one at a time, you can further ignite your creativity and provide the inspiration you need to get started. Sometimes just getting started is the most challenging part!
How do you become a songwriting pro? The following article will break down the processes that songwriters use and some of the best ways, tips, and tricks to help you create a stellar composition.
What is the best way for beginners to start writing songs?
You can get started with songwriting by learning an instrument, whether you take lessons in person or online. Music is a universal language, so learning it more deeply is essential.
Musicians and songwriters often learn an instrument and take lessons. Songwriting involves knowing chords, keys, and notes, so playing an instrument is crucial.
Songwriting requires an idea. It could be a lyric or melody, or perhaps you just like the sound of certain chord progressions. That first spark of an idea can pave the way to a great song.
Try listening intently to some of your favorite songs. If you have a specific genre of music you like, try listening to some of those songs.
You need to understand that writing songs takes time. This is one of the most crucial beginner steps. You may have to wait a day, a week, a month, or even a year before you are satisfied and ready to share your original song with your audience. Some artists might be able to create their first song in minutes, but their next new song might take days. And that’s fine!
However, keep in mind that nothing is ever “perfect,” and that churning out some more rough drafts can aid you in creating better ones in the future.
If you have a good mindset, determination, and perseverance, you can certainly learn how to become a songwriter.
5 Aspects of Songwriting
The availability of music today, from YouTube to streaming services, creates a need to be trendy “right now.” However, aspiring songwriters can use a variety of tools to determine what makes a good song.
Songwriting involves creativity, but you should also have a basic understanding of music theory. Having an understanding of chords, notes, and tempos is a good starting point.
`1. Ideation
It all starts with the initial vision you have for your music. This part of the process can be messy, where you write down as many musical ideas and thoughts as they come to mind before you take them and try to find the order of your song. As long as you have more ideas, you will have a better chance of putting it together.
2. Be open-minded
If you listen to some of your favorite songs, do a deep dive and figure out what makes them stand out from others.
Look beyond the music; study the artist and learn about their songwriting process. Is it a catchy melody, or are the instruments and chord progressions distinctive?
3. Arrangements
When you have all those ideas down, you can organize them and figure out how the song will progress. Be sure to take into account nuances like the chorus, the verses, the bridge, and so on. To begin putting it all together, you need to decide what instruments you are going to use and where.
Perhaps you want to incorporate a guitar solo after the second verse? One of the best songwriting tips is to find your own way by taking different approaches to the song structure.
4. Get to know yourself
Getting the most out of your songwriting requires understanding yourself. Maybe you want to write it all down in one go, or perhaps you want to revisit it multiple times over the course of a week.
Can you develop your lyric writing around the song title as a musical artist? If you want to write your song first and then determine the title, ask yourself a few important questions about the type of musician you want to be, and make sure your original music reflects that.
You should try out different ways to put your song together and find the method that works best for you. There is no one way to write a song, so find out what works for you and tailor your songwriting techniques accordingly.
5. The production process
Next, you need to record and lay down each track for your song. If this is your first time recording, you may want to hire a sound engineer or music producer experienced in mixing and mastering. Getting your musical piece to its final stages will give you that sense of accomplishment, even if it isn’t yet a good song.
It is possible to go back and change things at any point in the song. Do not assume that once you get to mixing and mastering you cannot add, remove, or alter anything in the song. If your first song isn’t “right,” you should go back and tweak as much as you feel you need to until the song suits you.
How to Write a Song: 4 Steps
Anyone who wants to write a song must have a deep love of music, but how can you even begin to write if you don’t know what steps to take?
When you take into account all the steps at once, you might feel overwhelmed. But follow these four key songwriting tips, and you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll be able to write a song:
1. The chord progression should be laid down
The melody and verses should begin by using chords that sound good together. Use your knowledge of music theory when composing your song. If you feel stuck, try using a standard chord progression like C, F, or G in the C Major Scale. On the other hand, if you just want to play chords and listen to experiment with what sounds good to you, then go for it!
2. Melody-finding
When you sing or hum out your melody, you can be more confident about creating lyrics for your song. If you work with syllables and open vowels like “AH – EH – EE – OH – OO,” the words will come. You will be able to hear what vowels sound well together and lend the way to the message you hope to convey.
Put the chords together in succession and play the songs on a guitar or a piano. Guitars and pianos are excellent instruments for learning and for plucking out chords.
Make sure you write lyrics that illustrate a beginning, middle, and end in your song. It doesn’t always have to make sense, and you can substitute other words until you find the right ones. Even good songwriters change their lyrics often, so you don’t have to be perfect.
When Paul McCartney was writing “Yesterday,” he sang, “Scrambled eggs, oh my dealing, you’ve got lovely legs.” The words rhymed and fit well into the song before he was able to use the ones that made sense, “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away.”
It’s okay if you have lyrics before you find chords when you’re writing. There’s nothing that says the songwriting process has to follow a specific order.
3. Write the chorus, verses, and bridge
The sections of your song should look like this:
There is a verse and a chorus. The verse does not have to rhyme like a chorus, but it can if you want it to – for some artists, rhyming is preferred.
Music is all about expression, and personal experiences are great ways to tell stories through music. Describe an emotion, a small detail, or a scene.
This is where the “hook” comes in, with an earworm that gets stuck in people’s minds, so they find themselves singing it frequently.
Use some of these well-known choruses from some of the best songwriters to inspire your chorus:
Eric Clapton, “Layla”
Weezer’s “Buddy Holly”
Taylor Swift – “Shake It Off”
The Beatles, “All You Need is Love”
Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect”
Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah”
4. Structure of a song
In most songs, the structure is A-B-A-B-C-B, which indicates Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, and Chorus, but the design can vary.
You can change the order to some degree, but keeping the structure is important. As a music artist, people will recognize you by your style, personality, and artistry.
Songwriting Rules
Songwriting skills can be developed once you’ve begun writing. Although it’s okay to be creative, there are some rules for songwriting that can help you create song lyrics and follow your song structure.
You should also keep consistent when writing songs. If you want your songs to have at least two to three verses, then stick to that format. If you want your whole song to sound more interesting, you can also experiment with making some deviations or taking a different approach to the verses.
Also Read: 7 Most Common Songwriting Problems and How To Fix Them
Too many ideas can hinder your songwriting journey. While they may be great ideas, your song still needs to have some sense of order.
Another rule in songwriting is to make your chorus the most important part of your work. The chorus should be a stand-out part of the song. You might want to experiment with a build-up to your chorus so that the listener thinks there is something else coming before the chorus is delivered.
The last rule to follow when writing songs is to stay on tempo. Changing the tempo can create a different emotion or energy in a piece and, when used purposefully, can help make a particular song more engaging and exciting.
Regardless of whether you change tempo mid-way or not, your song’s tempo(s) should always remain consistent to maintain its appeal to listeners and not detract from its important elements (lyrics, melody).
What can I do to improve my songwriting skills?
- It takes practice, dedication, and an understanding of what your listeners like to become better at songwriting. As you write songs, you learn new techniques and methods, and you might take a long time to develop a hit song. Writers who create songs often tell you that the process is different each time.
- In addition, you shouldn’t believe that a song is “finished”, even when it is in the final stages. As previously mentioned, you can always go back and make changes if something doesn’t work.
Also, don’t be afraid to write something that isn’t great. Great songs don’t happen on your first try, and you can learn a lot from bad songs.
Take a step back and consider how you can simplify your song if you find yourself trying to become more complex.
Creating a memorable song with a strong melody and one that connects with your audience takes time. Trust yourself and go slowly.
It will amaze you how creative you can be and how writing a song can be broken down into manageable steps. Good luck, and happy writing!
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