STEPS TO SONG WRITING
September 13th 2010 15:05
Step One: Idea
The first thing you need is an idea. It should be something meaningful that others can relate to. One of the most common topics is love because thats something that a lot of people can relate to and it causes a lot of the emotions. However, there are many other topics for a song. Find one that gives you many emotions and keeps you thinking.
Step Two: The Great Debate
There is much debate over what this next step should be. Some people think it should be the lyrics, others the music. I like to start with the music but thats just my opinion. If that doesn't work for you then you can switch Steps Three and Five (no that is not a mistake, it is step five).
Step Three: The Music (Part One)
So lets start with the music. The first step to writing music is to determine what kind of song you want is to be. If you want a hard rock song try using lot's of barre chords and fast licks. If you want a soft rock song use lots of basic chords. Also know if you are writing a sad song or a more upbeat song. This is important when deciding your tempo and chords.
Step Four: The Music (Part Two)
So for our purposes lets stick with a slow happy song using only basic chords. You should try to separate the music into two or three parts, the verse, the chorus, and a bridge (optional). So fool around with the chords on your guitar and try to come up with something you like to play and that sounds good. Do this until you have three distinct parts.
Step Five: The Lyrics
I cant really help you with this part very much because you need your own ideas and your own experiences to give a song what it needs to be a good song, but I can give you some tips. First, make sure your song is the right length. Somewhere around two minutes is a good length. Next, don't go through all the trouble of writing a song and end it poorly. Go out with a bang!
Step Six: Filling it In
So now you have lyrics and you have some music, this is the last part. A lot of people stop here and take the singer/songwriter approach and thats great. But if you are writing for a band then you have to write the rest of the instruments. Traditionally, the bass player plays the root note of the guitar chords and the drummer just keeps time on the high-hats while using the bass and snare to add to the rhythm of the song. If you have any other instrument is your band just toy around with it until you find something you like and keep it.
The first thing you need is an idea. It should be something meaningful that others can relate to. One of the most common topics is love because thats something that a lot of people can relate to and it causes a lot of the emotions. However, there are many other topics for a song. Find one that gives you many emotions and keeps you thinking.
Step Two: The Great Debate
There is much debate over what this next step should be. Some people think it should be the lyrics, others the music. I like to start with the music but thats just my opinion. If that doesn't work for you then you can switch Steps Three and Five (no that is not a mistake, it is step five).
Step Three: The Music (Part One)
So lets start with the music. The first step to writing music is to determine what kind of song you want is to be. If you want a hard rock song try using lot's of barre chords and fast licks. If you want a soft rock song use lots of basic chords. Also know if you are writing a sad song or a more upbeat song. This is important when deciding your tempo and chords.
Step Four: The Music (Part Two)
So for our purposes lets stick with a slow happy song using only basic chords. You should try to separate the music into two or three parts, the verse, the chorus, and a bridge (optional). So fool around with the chords on your guitar and try to come up with something you like to play and that sounds good. Do this until you have three distinct parts.
Step Five: The Lyrics
I cant really help you with this part very much because you need your own ideas and your own experiences to give a song what it needs to be a good song, but I can give you some tips. First, make sure your song is the right length. Somewhere around two minutes is a good length. Next, don't go through all the trouble of writing a song and end it poorly. Go out with a bang!
Step Six: Filling it In
So now you have lyrics and you have some music, this is the last part. A lot of people stop here and take the singer/songwriter approach and thats great. But if you are writing for a band then you have to write the rest of the instruments. Traditionally, the bass player plays the root note of the guitar chords and the drummer just keeps time on the high-hats while using the bass and snare to add to the rhythm of the song. If you have any other instrument is your band just toy around with it until you find something you like and keep it.
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