Introduction

• No matter what you may have heard, there’s no magic formula to writing a song. The process is different for everyone, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. A good song doesn’t have to sound a certain way or fit into a certain mold. All it needs to be is honest and from the heart in order to connect with an audience.

• Sometimes it seems like the music just flows out of you effortlessly. But if you find yourself totally stuck (or you don’t even know where to begin when writing a song), this page could help you find the inspiration you’ve been needing to get out of that rut and onto the charts. Browse the sections below for tips that may help jumpstart your creative process when you’ve hit the wall.

Step 1: Getting Started

The process of songwriting does not have to be in any particular order. Some people write lyrics before the music, others compose the music first, and still others write them at the same time.

For the purposes of this page, we will talk about writing the music first. While this is the method of choice for many songwriters, you should figure out what process makes the most sense to you. writing music is a very personal thing, and mixing it up a bit every once in a while can help you combat , too.

NOTE: There’s never any right or wrong when it comes to music. All too often, musicians get mentally stuck on “rules” they have to follow, but there are no rules when it comes to art! The information on this page is simply one method to writing songs.

Two tips before you begin:

When writing a chord progression, it helps to at least know basic chord theory.

It will help you understand the functions of various chords in a given key, but when it comes down to it, you don’t technically have to know any music theory at all to write a song.
While knowing some theory can certainly be a useful tool, this page will show how you can write a song just fine without it.

It absolutely helps to know how to play a chordal instrument such as guitar or piano.
If you don’t, you’ll need to find someone who does to help you write the song.
There’s no single method of composing a chord progression or melody. Try some of these to see what works best for you.

Pick a chord and start playing it. Start singing a melody over top (or play it on the piano if that’s what you’re using), and see if it naturally leads you to the next chord.
If it leads you to a chord you don’t like, start over until you find the right one.
Once in a while you might even play a chord that sounds different from what you intended and leads your melody in an unexpected direction.

Start experimenting by playing a chord progression, riff, or other harmonic idea by itself, first. When you stumble upon something you like, write a melody that complements it.

Start with a melody that’s already in your head. Sing it or transpose it onto your instrument. Then figure out the appropriate chords that would be played along with it.
Think of a song you love. Try coming up with something in a similar style to that song, or try taking that song and coming up with a variation of it. Use the same chords but write a different melody. Switch the chords up a little as you go to start making it sound different. Substitute another chord here and there, or try playing the original progression backwards to see if you come up with a cool new melody.

The challenge with this method is to use another song as inspiration without copying it. Once you start playing a familiar song, it can be very difficult to get the original tune out of your head!

Be careful when drawing inspiration from another song. Although you only have 12 notes to choose from in Western music, plagiarism is a serious issue. (Keep in mind that you cannot copyright a chord progression, but you can protect a melody.)

If you’re not sure how to make the melody sound right, just remember to stick generally to notes that appear in the chord you’re singing over or at least notes within the key of the song.
Chromatic notes (notes that are not in the key of the song) are best kept in short durations instead of long, sustained notes. This is because they are dissonant and are best used as passing tones. If you find yourself having trouble getting started, try switching up an element of your song.

Harmonic rhythm. This basically refers to how long you play each chord. Try playing some of the chords for half a bar instead of a full bar, or two bars instead of one.

Tempo. Try changing how fast or slow your song is. If you’re getting stuck on a slow song, speed it up a bit. If your breakneck pace just isn’t working, turn your song into a ballad or mid-tempo piece.

Groove. You may be getting held up by the feel of what you’re writing. Try making it sound bouncy like a blues shuffle instead of a straight-ahead rocker. Switch the time signature to 6/8 instead of 4/4.

Words. Sometimes it is hard to write a melody without singing actual words. As you write, sing words or syllables that pop into your head that sound more like lyrics than just humming a tune. Don’t worry about what they are now, as you’ll be composing the final lyrics later. Paul McCartney originally wrote the lyrics to “Yesterday” as “Scrambled Eggs.”

Step 2: Song Sections

You’ve probably noticed that many songs you hear on the radio have different sections in them. They usually have a verse, a chorus, and sometimes a bridge. We will talk more specifically about song structure later when we discuss lyrics and arrangement, but as you’re writing you should be aware of some of the basic song elements that you’ll be working with.

Verses

The verses are usually the first section you hear in a song (often after an introduction of some sort). They tend to be the real guts of the song content and are often used for lyrical exposition. Dynamically, verses are usually a little quieter than the chorus.

Chorus

The chorus or refrain is often the signature of a song. It is repeated several times and tends to be high in energy. Usually the goal of a chorus is to be catchy and get stuck in your head. It’s also sometimes called the “hook.”

Some examples of songs with distinctive choruses include “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan and “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis.

The chorus can be as simple as writing a new melody over the same chord progression as the verse, like in “Run-Around” by Blues Traveler.

Many songs don’t have a traditional chorus but a simple refrain repeated at the end of each verse. Think of “Every Breath You Take” by The Police. When Sting starts singing “Oh can’t you see,” it feels like more of a B section than a chorus. The real hook of the song is when he repeats the phrase “I’ll be watching you” at the end of each verse, or A section.
Another example of this is “Something” by The Beatles, where the refrain begins when George Harrison sings “I don’t wanna leave her now.” This style of songwriting is often referred to as “AABA.”

Bridge

The bridge is a transitional phase in most songs. It can be in the form of a transition between the verse and chorus (sometimes referred to as a “pre-chorus”), a new chord progression that breaks up the repetitive verse-chorus-verse structure, a guitar solo, etc.
It’s important to note that not every song has to have every one of these song elements. You can use as many or as few as you please.

Step 3: Lyrical Theme

Lyrics could make or break your song. Lyrics often become the identity of a song. You don’t have to write lyrics at all—there are plenty of tunes that simply have a melody with no words. However, many people try to identify with lyrics when they listen to a song, so if you’re going to have them, you should make sure they’re great!

The number one, most important thing to remember when writing lyrics is that they should be real; they should come from the heart, and they should sound authentic. People can spot a phony a mile away. If you are genuine when you’re writing your lyrics, it will come through in the end.

First things first: you’ll want some sort of lyrical theme to work with.
Music can be great therapy; write about something that’s happening to you in your life. What is frustrating, angering, confusing, or saddening you?
Keep a diary and write in it every day, or carry a notebook with you wherever you go. Your daily life can have the biggest influence on your music, and inspiration may strike at any time.

Write about something that’s making you happy. What good things do you have in your life? What makes you feel empowered, and what inspires you?
Write about your hopes and dreams. What do you hope to get out of life? What are some of your ambitions and anxieties about the future?
Write about a person. Love songs are the most popular songs there are, because many people find inspiration from being in love, having a crush, unrequited love, wanting to find love, etc.
You could also write about a situation that someone you know is in. Try writing from a friend’s perspective.

Make up a story. Many fictional stories ring true for audiences and can be just as authentic as nonfiction. Take that idea you had for a short story and turn it into a song.
Choose an issue that’s important to you. Whether you’re anti-war or pro-life, political issues fire people up and make for great song lyrics.
Write about a movie or TV show you recently watched. Your lyrics could be based on the plight of one of the characters. Imagine you were hired to write a theme song for a particular movie. What would it be about?
Write something funny. You can always go the Weird Al route and compose a humorous parody song.

Step 4: Writing the Lyrics

OK, so you have your theme, now comes the hard part: writing the lyrics! There’s no one way to do this, but here are a few tips.

You already have your melody, now it’s time to fit your words into it.
Keeping the same number of syllables and phrases in each verse will give your song consistency.

Try to avoid accenting words on the wrong syllable or any other sort of awkward sentence structures. This can be a challenge because you’re usually limited by the melody you’ve already written.

Use a thesaurus to think of other variations of words you’re using. It can help you come up with a word that is more fitting rhythmically that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.
Record the chords of your song being played over and over. Just start singing over them and use trial-and-error to come up with some lyrics.
While writing your lyrics, you may come up with an even better melody that fits the words better than your original idea.
Rhyming is everything. Well, maybe not everything… Some songs don’t rhyme at all. But most do. Practice your rhyming skills!
It’s just like writing a poem. Come up with a rhyme scheme (AABB, ABAB, ABCB, etc.) and keep it consistent throughout the verses and/or choruses.
Half-rhymes are OK sometimes, too. For example, rhyming “me” with “need” can sound just fine if it makes sense in the song.
Use a rhyming dictionary like RhymeZone.com when you get stuck. Not only can it help you find that rhyme on the tip of your tongue, it might inspire you with some new words just like the thesaurus.
Don’t just write like you talk. While a conversational tone in lyrics is fine, you don’t want to just sing regular old sentences over music unless you want your listener to fall asleep.
Punch it up a bit with colorful words you wouldn’t normally use that make it more interesting to listen to.
Speak symbolically using metaphors to avoid the same old hackneyed lyrics you’ve heard a million times on the radio.
Sometimes the “texture” of words matters more than the meaning. Some phrases just sound good. Think “I Am The Walrus” or “Paranoid Android.”

The chorus should be the most memorable part of the song.
Choruses work best when they are easy to sing along with, so using fewer words (especially in comparison to the verses) helps. Think of R.E.M.’s “It’s The End of the World As We Know It.”
Most choruses are the same every time they are repeated with very little variation between them. This way, the listener knows what’s coming and starts feeling involved in the song right away.

The chorus should sum up the theme of the song as much as possible. In “Layla,” Clapton’s chorus sums up the theme of the song very well.
Take the listener on a journey.
The lyrics in your song can evolve and tell a story of some sort, even if it isn’t a “storytelling” song. Try ending it with a revelation; ask questions in the first verse that are answered later in the bridge; illustrate a change in the main character of the tune.
Get clever. Irony, plays on words, and any sort of unique twist you can put on the lyrics will make them stand out.
Leave some mystery. It’s usually a good idea to leave a little bit to interpretation for the listener. Give them enough to get the gist of what you’re talking about, but leaving it a bit open-ended allows the listener to fill in the blanks with their own story, making it even more personal.

Step 5: Arrangement

With the lyrics and music behind you, it’s all about the details of your song from here on out. You’ve already taken care of the heart and soul, but now it’s time to do some fine-tuning to get it sounding perfect.

Song Structure

This is when the song sections you’ve already written finally come together. Decide what order they will be in and how many times they will repeat. An example could be:
INTRO – VERSE 1 – CHORUS – VERSE 2 – CHORUS – BRIDGE – SOLO – CHORUS – CHORUS

Not only do you decide the order, but you’ll need to work out transitions between sections.
If the song will be played by a band, will the verse lead into the chorus with a drum fill? Does the band all stop for one beat before playing the bridge?
Adding dynamics can help make the song more interesting to listen to.
Maybe the first verse will be just the vocalist and a guitar, or the bridge will be higher energy with the drummer bashing the crash cymbal the whole time.
Using dynamics in the arrangement can help create moments of tension and release that keep the listener involved and wondering what will come next.
Try switching up the arrangement if the song just doesn’t seem to be “working.” Or, you can always go back to the drawing board and rewrite various parts.

Instrumentation

Typical instrumentation for a pop song can include any combination of the following:
Acoustic guitar
Electric guitar
Electric bass
Acoustic upright bass
Piano/organ/keyboard
Horn section
Drums/auxiliary percussion
Drum loops/other loops and samples
Strings

Of course, the sky is the limit when it comes to what instruments you want for your song.

How about a mandolin, dulcimer, or a ukulele? A pedal steel guitar? A flute or clarinet?
It all comes down to how you want the final product to sound.
Do you want it stripped-down, bare-bones acoustic sounding?
Do you want a more modern, electronic feel?
Would you prefer it sounded like a rootsy bluegrass or country record?
Do you want rock trio sound like Green Day or a more orchestrated sound like ELO?

NOTE: After composing the basic chords and lyrics of your song, everything afterwards is totally optional. You don’t need to have a band in order for your song to be complete—plenty of people simply write songs and strum them on a guitar in their bedroom!

Parts

It’s not enough to just have music and lyrics; for the song to really come together, you’ll need to write some instrumental (and vocal) parts such as:

A cool guitar or bass riff like the one Tom Dumont plays in the verses of “Spiderwebs” or in the beginning of Muse’s “Hysteria.”
A drum part like the one Dave Grohl plays in “In Bloom.”
The piano part that Freddie Mercury plays in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
An intro like the song “Futures” by Jimmy Eat World (also a good example of a repeated rhythmic pattern).

Background vocals, including harmonies and background figures like in The Beatles’ “Help.”
Many times, band members and musicians will come up with their own parts to complement the song they’re playing on. But if you would like to flesh it out yourself, you may want to at least come up with some ideas for parts and melodies that may become a signature hook of the song.

Conclusion

When a song is truly complete, you’ll probably have a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. Your first song may not end up sounding like a work of genius when it is finished, but there is nothing wrong with that. Writing songs is just like playing an instrument—you get better with practice. You should write at least a little bit every single day. You won’t always be inspired, and you won’t always come up with a catchy tune. Some days you’ll be downright frustrated. But even your favorite songwriters don’t write instant classics every day. Everyone has to throw away a pile of mediocre songs before they get to a great one. Keep listening to new music for inspiration, keep writing, and good luck!

Article Source: http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Write_a_Song

For more education on careers in the music industry, check out: www.Music-Career-Guide.com

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I once heard someone say that pursuing a career in the music business is no different than learning to cook. You can follow a specific recipe to the very last ingredient and still end up with unsatisfactory results.

Although there are no rules or guidelines that can ensure a prosperous and long lasting career in the music business, there are number of proven tips passed down from seasoned professionals that will at least point you in the right direction. This month’s topics include: “Analyze your career motivations and goals,” “Develop a realistic outlook by ignoring the media hype,” and “Make realistic career decisions by educating yourself first.”

Whether you’re a musician trying to make connections and get gigs or a band trying to get signed, these motivational tips apply to you!

ANALYZE YOUR CAREER MOTIVATIONS AND GOALS

Understand what truly motivates you. Do you want to be rich? Do you want to be famous? Do you want to be both rich and famous (the two do not necessarily go hand in hand)? Are you pursuing a career to attract the opposite sex? Or to party? Or are you pursuing music for spiritual reasons, for the art and for the love of creating, to make a valid contribution to the world of music?

Your answers to these questions are ultimately going to affect the career decisions you make. For this reason, you need to be totally honest about your goals. That said, it’s also extremely important to interpret the goals of the people with whom you may become professionally involved. What motivates them? Do you really want to do business with these people? Do you truly respect and like them, and do they in return truly respect and like you? Tour manager /agent/ promoter Chris Arnstien calls this approach to self-awareness the “decision making tree.” Your decisions (or branches) are based on the core (or root) of who you truly are as a person. Have you given this some thought? If you haven’t, now is a good time.

DEVELOP A REALISTIC OUTLOOK: IGNORE THE MEDIA HYPE

Don’t be blinded by media hype or glamor. It’s no secret that the expensive houses, the cars, the yachts, the beautiful girls, and the large screaming audiences that you see in the videos for most new bands are actually rented.

When you’re signed to a record company, these expenses (sometimes up to as much as $500,000 or more) are all charged against your future earnings. The majority of artists are never able to pay these back and are eventually dropped by their label. Singer John Rzenik of the band the Goo Goo Dolls says, “Record companies sell the dream. They never talk about the struggle.”

It’s important that you completely understand the realities of the music business. Are you willing to give it your all, sleep on floors if needed, work odd jobs just to survive, perform for free, and take rejection after rejection for a crack at the big time? Even then, your break may never come. Most successful artists have lived and breathed music with no thoughts of ever turning back. Is this for you?

MAKE REALISTIC CAREER DECISIONS: GET EDUCATED

Understand how the music industry works behind the scenes. Learn the business inside and out so that you can make realistic and educated business decisions, rather than decisions based on dreams.

Read music trade magazines such as Billboard and Hits. Read music books like The Musician’s Handbook by yours truly, The Craft And Business of Song Writing by John Braheny, Music Money and Success by Todd and Jeff Brabec, and Going Pro by Kenny Kerner as well as books on the life stories of popular artists; Motley Crue’s The Dirt chronicles the band’s rise and fall makes for very interesting reading.

Check out the VH1 video series Behind the Music for a dose of reality television. Take a music industry course offered at a nearby college; both New York University (NYU) and The University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) offer excellent classes. Speak to others in the business who have more experience than you and have been in the trenches themselves. Make sure you’re willing to make the major sacrifices and take the risks necessary in pursuit of your goals. The life of a musician is not an easy one. As Billy Mitchell says in his book The Gigging Musician, “The music business is a living thing, a beautiful yet vicious animal that sometimes eats its young. It is important that you know what it [the business] is… and who you are.”

by Bobby Borg

Article Source: http://playgrind.com/blog/?p=41

For more education on careers in the music industry, check out: www.Music-Career-Guide.com

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