Hello everyone,
My newest challenge is to be vulnerable and share my heart with the world through the vehicle of songwriting….wow!! Over the years I have written lots of poetry but have not written and performed my own songs. Over the last few weeks, I have begun searching for articles, books and video on songwriting.
Today, I came across a cool article that captures the essence of “How to Write a Song” – below are the 10 that I found the most useful – enjoy.
Learn music theory. It helps to learn from experts. There are scores in your genre to read, sing, or practice.
Stop thinking about writing a song, and start writing. Songs will not just come to you and say, “Hey, I’m a good song. Write me!” You have to listen to your surroundings. It’s the song you’ll hear inside your head, so you start singing it. Find the missing words you need for the song inside of you.
Think of a subject you want to write about. Whether it is about a break-up, or partying or even a very fun event, stay focused on that subject. It will make it easier!
Listen actively to a lot of music. Good poets read other people’s lyrics/poems/literature etc. Good songwriters listen to songs and music. As you listen, think about what you like about a song. Are the lyrics unique? Do the song’s chords change perfectly to capture the mood? Do you like the transition from one part of the song to another?
Be ready when inspiration comes calling. Unfortunately, inspiration usually does not always strike at convenient times, so if you get a good idea, then rehearse it. If you have the courage, then do it out loud. Carry a pen and paper with you wherever you go, or better yet, carry digital audio recorder. Melodies can be extremely difficult to capture on paper unless you have a strong music background.
Figure out what you’ve got. Once in a while, inspiration will hit you like a full force gale, and suddenly you have a full song out of nowhere. Most of the time, however, just a small piece of a potential song will come to you, leaving you to do the hard, but fun work of fleshing it out. You should have a feel for what part of the song you’ve come up with.
- If it’s super catchy (either a lyrical phrase or a snippet of music), and you can envision it being a repeated theme in the song, you’ve got the refrain—the climax or summary of your musical story—and you need to write verses to explain how you know in detail.
- If what you’ve come up with seems more narrative lyrically or subtler musically — a part of a story rather than the main idea — you’ve probably got a verse, and you’ll need to write the rest of the story (more verses) and, usually, a chorus.
Make your words sing. Lyrics can appeal to emotions, and they should also appeal to the ear. Rhyming is the most obvious way to accomplish this, and you can employ a number of rhyme schemes. Learn about these and other tools of poetry, and try putting them to work for you.
Look for the hook. The hook is that elusive part of a great song that captures your very soul and makes you want to listen to that song over and over. Hooks are frequently found in the chorus and often become the title of the song. Sadly, there is no recipe for hooks, but you’ll know when you have one. Better yet, your friends will tell you, because it is the part of a song they can not seem to get out of their head.
- In Tommy Tutone’s song “Jenny/8675309″, the hook lyrics may be the numbers 8-6-7-5-3-0-9.
Get feedback. Play or sing your song for people and get their opinions. You will probably get a better idea of what they really think after you write a few songs. As they hear more of your songs, they might give you hints like, “It’s good, and I liked that first one you wrote better” or “Wow, I’ve never heard anything like that, and I like it.” and “That’s a really good song!” Be prepared for a critic in the family that will accept nothing less than to hear it post-produced with all the bells and whistles that a band in a studio can offer.
Once you’ve finished your first song, don’t stop. Keep writing and practicing, and you’ll find yourself getting better and better. You may need to write a lot of songs before you hit on one you really like, and even after that, you may need to write a lot more before you get another good one. Work hard and have fun doing it!
Stay True to Yourself. Nothing makes a more beautiful song than one that comes from the heart. Whether it’s sad, happy, angry, or simply playful, lyrics that are sincere often grab the most attention. Plus, you’ll feel so much better after letting it all out… and don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for doing what’s almost always the most difficult… opening yourself up to the world.
If you have found any resources that can help me on my new journey – please share them.
Ciao!
Latrice
http://www.myspace.com/latricemcglothin
Article and excerpts found on line at http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Song