There are several opinions and suggestions on how to write a
song. You will find classes at many
music festivals and even online songwriting groups giving tips and advice on
how to write a song. Songwriting is subjective. There are hundreds of
different genres, from bluegrass and country, pop and rock, jazz and blues and
many in between. The genre you choose
will be a big part of the decision you make on how to write a song.
So, you have made the decision. You have read everything you can on how to
write a song. You believe you have songs
that need to be written deep within you.
Then do it. It’s that simple. Do it.
Sit down in a quiet place and allow everything to drift away. Take a mental vacation for a few minutes. Don’t allow distractions or sounds to
interfere. Write the first subject that
comes to mind. Maybe it’s not the
subject you wanted to write about but, hey, it’s there. Write it down on your piece of paper.
At this point I
believe musicians have an edge. Pick up
your guitar (or other instrument) play some chords, riffs, whatever you feel
like. Start to think about the song
subject you have chosen. Try to
incorporate some of the words that are most relevant. If you are lucky, the music and words will
flow together. They may be spotty at
first as you find your way, but eventually they take shape.
If you don’t play an instrument, listen for cadence in the
song. Be sure it is easy to sing and
play. For instance, a lot of poetry does
not lend itself well to music. Although
the poetry flows, there is often no catch phrase – nothing to keep the
reader/listener hanging on to your every word.
Try writing your song and give it to a musician friend to write the
music. Collaborations of this sort often
work very well. If you don’t have
friends who are musicians, there are companies that write music for songs, so
do some checking online to find one.
Check them out first to be sure they are a reputable company.
It may take a few tries to come up with something you feel
really good about. Don’t worry, before
long your friends and people you meet are going to be asking you how to be a
songwriter!
