Songwriting for beginners

If you want to begin writing songs, either as a hobby or a possible career, here are some tips that will help get you started.

Think of a subject that's close to your heart

Songwriting is poetry set to music. Sometimes the lyrics are written before the music or vice versa; in my experience it’s best to come up with either a musical or lyrical idea and compose the song around both music and lyrics at the same time. But there’s no fast and steady rule.

This article assumes that you’re at least a fair to middlin’ musician and can play an instrument, preferably guitar or keyboard.

Tips for the beginning songwriter

• Think of a subject you’d like to write a song about. The best subjects are ones that are dear to your heart, things you’re familiar with. Perhaps there’s something going on in your life that would bring lyrics streaming out of your head. Write them down or record them. For instance, if you’re in love (the most popular subject) a possible line may be “She’s everything to me.” That’s a potential title for the song and could be a line to construct the song around.
• Try singing several note combinations to the lyric “She’s everything to me.” When you hear a melody you like, play some chord sequences that fit the melody, and play subsequent sequences to expand the song while humming melody ideas that would go with those chords. Then go back to the lyrics you wrote down and go from there.
• Every good song should have a good “hook”, a line that the listener remembers and hums all day long. The hook is often the title of the song, which usually is in the chorus. Don’t bore your listener with drawn-out verses. Get to the chorus early.
• A typical song structure is verse-verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus, but don’t get too hung up on that. Write what feels good to you.
• Come back to your song a day or two after you finish the first draft. Rewrite and polish the song, and do it again the next day. Few good songs are written in one take. The completed song should be the very best you can get it.
• Your best tools besides your creativity are a thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary.
• Consider using song-writing software. The good programs contain chord charting features and theme ideas, as well as a thesaurus and rhyming dictionary.
• Read everything you can about songwriting. Buy books and go online.
• Listen to some of your favorite hit songs and assess what made the songs successful. What nuances and techniques did the songwriter use? How is the song structured? Is there a bridge between a verse and chorus? Of course, you won’t be copying any one writer’s ideas, but the more you know about technique, the better.
• Interact with other songwriters. Attend workshops, join a songwriting association, and even consider a writing partner.