How to Write a Song (Mini-Series)

Music is a wonderful art form, and personally my favorite. It is, in my opinion, the most pervasive art form in popular culture; you hear it in movies, video games, the radio, your mp3 players, the Internet and any other place you could probably think about. Writing songs and making music is an amazing way to express your feelings and learn more about yourself and the world around you. You get to place your subconscious thoughts onto a page that connects with you and thousands of other people on this planet. Also, if you take songwriting seriously you can be among the legends like Diane Warren and Linda Perry who are known for writing some of the hits you hear on the radio today. Whether you’re taking up songwriting as a hobby or as a career, everyone has to start somewhere, and here you are. Throughout this mini-series, I will guide you through all the major steps of songwriting, from getting ideas to producing your song and recording it.

The first part of songwriting we will focus on is getting inspired and getting ideas for songs. Writing songs is a rewarding experience but at times very difficult. Sometimes, it is very hard to crack into writing when you have no idea what to write about. As a songwriter, you will now have to be very observant about issues and your environment around you, and emotions and thoughts inside of you.

Begin by having a notepad with you at all times, or having a phone that records voice memos, because ideas will sometimes come completely out of the blue and in the most inconvenient times for you, and you will want to get it down on paper or as a sound recording for later use. Sometimes you’ll have an idea for a melody or a bass-line, and you’ll want to record that. Other times, you’ll have sweet lyrics to write down. Whatever the case may be, just make sure to get the ideas down, unless you want to take the risk of forgetting them.

The next step is to look around you. I’m not necessarily talking about turning your head left or right, I mean current events. A lot of things are going on in this world so rapidly, whether they are positive events or negative events. Either end of the spectrum, these events should give you some powerful feelings, and opinions; write about them. Many hit songwriters wrote about their political stances and personal feelings and have produced legendary songs that resonate with so many people.

The final step is to look inside yourself. Sting once said: “Songwriting is a kind of therapy for both the writer and the listener if you choose to use it that way. When you see that stuff help other people that’s great and wonderful confirmation that you’re doing the right thing.” You may have feelings inside you that you put on to paper and they just shock you. When you get the music started later on, you will feel emotions that will manifest themselves into lyrics..

I hope these steps will help you get ideas, that will fuel your songwriting and fulfill your love for writing. Songwriting may get difficult, but don’t lose heart, take the time, learn from your mistakes and get better and better. Stay tuned for “How to Write a Song Part 2 : Making Your Ideas a Reality.”


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *