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How to Write a Song
For many people learning how to write a song seems a bit of mystery, but it is a skill that anyone can learn with practice.
People write songs using various methods. Some people write lyrics and then put music to the lyrics. Others write music and then put lyrics to the music.
The method I am about to share is how I personally write songs.
How I Became a Songwriter…
I became a songwriter by accident. I was playing music on my harp in the subway when words and melodies starting popping into my head.
Since I wasn’t confident as a singer, I simply listened to the song in my head while I played.
When I was finished a woman approached me and asked if I sang.
I told her I didn’t because I was too shy, and she told me she could hear the spaces in the music where my voice was supposed to be.
The woman said what I was doing as beautiful but it wasn’t complete without my voice.
From then on, I decided that I would work through my shyness and start writing and singing songs.
My first song was definitely not the best song in the world, but I was pretty proud of it. You can check it out below…
I decided to keep writing and my songs got a little better each time. Here is what they’ve evolved into today…
The reason I am sharing this story is because a lot of people never start writing songs because they are afraid they won’t be good at it.
The real secret to being a good songwriter is to write songs often without worry about them sucking.
This is why I decided to share this simple method to get started writing songs. Don’t focus on writing the most profound lyrics at first. Just try it and see what happens!
How to Write a Song: A simple method for Beginners
Step One: Pick a simple Chord Progression
It helps to have an instrument. Just make sure it is an instrument that can play chords such as a keyboard or guitar.
You don’t have to know how to play an instrument to play chords. If you are very new to music I suggest using a guitar because you can easily play chords by looking at a chord chart.
Then simply pick a chord progression and play in on your instrument.
I often use autochords , a random chord generator, to come up with simple chord progressions.
If you don’t have any experience with music, I recommend starting with the simple progression, C, F, G. This is the progression used in something like 90 percent of pop songs.
If you don’t play an instrument you can easily go on you tube and find a simple chord progression there such as this one.
Just remember you cannot use anyone elses music for your song without permission.
Step 2: Come up with a Melody
Now that you have picked a chord progression, it is time to come up with a melody. d.
If you do not have any music experience, that is okay!
For simplicity sake, say your first chord is c. This means that any natural notes (not sharp or flat) between c and go will work. To find these notes, either get a real keyboard or use a virtual keyboard . There are many online.
Simply play around with the notes between c and g on the keyboard until you come up with something. It does not have to be the most amazing melody in the world.
The truth is, even the best songwriters have written some really bad songs, and that’s okay, because it’s part of the process.
Repeath this process for each chord. (For an F chord, pick any natural notes (no black keys) between F and C. For the G chord, pick any notes between G and D (no black keys)
You don’t necesarily need an instrument…
I recommend starting with a keyboard because it is the easiest way to come up with a melody with no experience, but you may be able to come up with a melody by ear. When I first started writing music I used my instrument to come up with melodies, but now come up with them by ear.
Step 3: Put lyrics to Melody
- Listen to the melody and decide what the mood of the song is.
2. Decide what you want the song to write about
3. Come up with simple lyrics. Don’t worry about how good they are and don’t worry about making them rhyme.
Step 4: Create a Chorus
You can use the same process as before (Step 2) to come up with a melody for the chorus.
Step 5: Put Lyrics to the Chorus
Again, don’t worry about creating the best lyrics ever. You can alway tweak the lyrics later.
Step 6: Put it all Together
Once you have all the melody and lyrics, put them all together.
Other Methods Used to Write Songs
1. Writing the lyrics first
Some song writer prefer to write the lyrics first. To do this, start with the lyrics and then insert them into your melody later
Some people are good at lyrics and not melodies, and vice versa. If this is the case, then you can find someone who is good at melodies and collaborate.
2. Allowing the Song to Come to you
This methods often requires some familiarity with music. WIth this method, simply listen over an over again to a chord progression and see if anything comes to mind.
This is what inadvertently happened to me the first time I wrote a song.
I hope this method was helpful! Feel free to e-mail me at aglassofcheri@gmail.com for any questions or clarification.
Need a deeper dive into songwriting…
Click below to enroll in my complete songwriting course for beginners. It will take you step by step through the method I use to write songs.
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