In order to begin writing your song, you should consider your strengths and weaknesses very carefully. For example, a drummer might begin with rhythm, while a singer might begin with a poem or some words. A guitarist might start with a hooky guitar riff, but there are hidden depths to songwriting, and they’re accessible to non-musicians as well. I’m talking about your attitude and your emotions.
How to Start Writing a Song For beginners: 7 Starting Methods Explored.
This article discusses a variety of songwriting approaches:
- Having a positive attitude
- Emotions
- The words
- The rhythm of the music
- The melody
- The hooks
- The chords
1. Why Should You Start Songwriting With Attitude?
Because of all the ingredients we put into our songs, attitude is the number one most significant killer ingredient which you absolutely must have. It is impossible to write a song if you don’t have an attitude if you don’t care, if you don’t mind, or if you’re not bothered.
We have something to say when we care about something, are invested in it, and have strong opinions about it. Duh!
If we’re angry we might write a rap or a rock song if we’d like to dance we’d go into a dance genre, and if we’re sad we’d write a heartbreak song.
Understanding attitude is the key to writing a song. Simply write the word that describes your attitude in the center of a piece of paper, and ask yourself how you came to this point. A song can be started in this way in a rewarding and productive way.
2. Do I need to start writing a song with emotions in mind?
Songs are always about emotions and are often referred to as the ‘sound of emotion.’ Attitude and emotion go together in songs.
If you nail your emotion with words that describe what you feel, then the song will appear out of nowhere, just as it does with having an identifiable ‘attitude’.
Simply writing the word ‘heartbroken’ in the center of a piece of paper will prompt other questions and other ways to describe heartbreak.
How did it happen? What was the weather like? Who is responsible? What will you do next? What will you never do again?
Then ask specific questions about what you have lost. A best friend maybe, but you can also think about the nights out with friends? Watching a movie in front of the TV? Long walks? Long looks? Protective clothing? How do you feel about loss – what is your attitude towards it? (Recovering from loss takes several stages).
It is equally important to understand attitude and emotion when it comes to understanding how a song develops.
3. Is it possible to start writing a song with just prose, text, or a phrase?
Writing a plain old-fashioned news story is a great way to explore your creativity, especially if you’re just starting out. The prose is one of the best ways to start writing a song.
As you describe the facts, places, people, etc., also pay attention to emotions and attitudes. After all, that’s what song is, so you have to get used to looking for them.
Don’t worry if they don’t become obvious right away, just stick with the facts and you may very well be surprised at how the music you choose to accompany your story will express your attitudes and emotions.
While prose has its own rhythm, the song emphasizes rhythm over and above it. As a result, a song needs fewer words, so you’ll need to chop up your phrases.
Either way is a great way to start a song. Poetry is the halfway point between prose and song.
4. When writing a song, why should you start with just a rhythm?
The rhythm of a song is equally important. It dictates the audience’s mood, attitude, emotion, and genre. Quite often a rhythm will be able to convey a message better than clever words and music will.
Consider how dance music affects our bodies. Consider how one drum’s speed or gravity can say something otherwise unsayable.
As rhythm conveys the unsayable to an audience: it also conveys it to the writer. Because writers are human beings, they react the same way as listeners, so rhythm is often a writer’s last chance to dance towards understanding and getting to grips with what he or she is trying to convey.
Anybody can make a rhythm. You just need to hit something to make a rhythm. That’s why it’s a great way to start a song.
5. What is the best way to start writing a song?
The melody is like the hook in a song. It’s great if you have a good hook, but then you have to find the right words to fit the melody. And to be honest, that’s the wrong way around.
There are two reasons why it’s difficult to find words to a good melody: the melody should be dictated by the words, and the words should be dictated by attitude and emotion.
In addition, words have their own natural melody which can cause a bit of uncertainty in the mind of the listener.
Sometimes, however, especially when you are using short, unconnected phrases, observations, or stream of consciousness, a melody will act as an anchor or glue to hold everything together. This can be very effective when looking for that uncertainty.
If you want to explore that, start with the melody. If a melody is your strong point, start with the melody.
Also Read: 7 Most Common Songwriting Problems and How To Fix Them
6. Is a hook a good way to start a song?
Any of the other methods in this article is faster, more reliable, easier to develop, and makes a better song if you don’t have a hook.
In other words, hooks are what sticks in our minds, and they can be words, phrases, melodies, rhythms, or even an unusual sonic texture like synthesizer sounds.
A hook’s limited gravity and attention-holding properties make it difficult for them to start a song. You won’t be able to use it for the entire song unless it’s a kicking guitar or synth riff, and even if you do, you will quickly lose its stickiness because you’ve overused it. The whole song is too sweet, bland, or shallow when it dominates it.
If you have a hook, use it, and by all means, try to add it to your songs as much as possible. Hooks are great song enhancers and are invaluable for making an impact. However, they are not the song themselves. A song’s success depends on its attitude, its emotions, and its message. It may be helped by the hook.
A hook is a brilliant way to start a song, but only if you have one. And remember, you need a song’ to go along with it.
7. Is it better to start writing a song with the chords first?
You can explore chord progressions if chords are what you have.
If you start your song with chord progressions, you will most likely run into a few problems:
- Eventually, you will realize that there is a finite number of combinations and you will start repeating or re-discovering what you already know.
- Chord progressions are only the harmonic part of a song. They must be present and function, but they are not the song itself.
- There are at least six more interesting concepts to wrap a song around than chords and harmonies. Unless you are writing for a choir, chords, and harmonies are far down the list of communicating tools.
- Not only that, but chords are a musician’s ‘thing.’ Harmonic form and structure are also quite complicated, and it takes a lot of effort to learn them.
- You will almost certainly write your first songs, semi-fixated on how the chords progress. This is perfectly normal, so continue writing and finish your songs.
- Your songwriting will improve greatly once you move on from beginning a song with chord progressions to exploring the other elements listed above.
Conclusion.
When you first begin songwriting, you should just start with what you have. The order of these is intended to represent the depth, gravitas, and integrity you’ll be able to convey to your listener with each approach. You’ll end up using all 7 methods, juggling all seven pros, cons, and methods.
As you become a better songwriter, you’ll eventually use different approaches to achieve different outcomes.
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- 20 Most Common Songwriting Problems Music Artists Have and The Solution
