6 Songwriting Secrets to Get You Started
Think for a few moments of the last time you were truly moved by music. What was it that caught your attention?
Was it the technical ability of the musician, the impressive fretwork of the guitarist as his fingers ripped up and down the fretboard? Or was it the simplicity of a melody, the phrasing of the lyrics, or the emotions conveyed to you by the musician?
When asked this question most people would immediately give you a song as an example, and for me the ultimate achievement as a musician is to be able to compose and play a beautiful song that has this capacity to move and affect other people.
Technical ability plays a part in being able to do this, but its certainly not the most important factor, and any level of player can write a good song, so don't be put off!
To get started, I've written six tips that will help you to focus and get writing..
- Choose a subject to write about that is close to your heart. The most effective things to write about are those that you feel passionately about. This doesn't automatically mean writing about love and the ladies (or gentlemen), but it does mean finding a topic that you care about, and trying to convey your thoughts and feelings about this to your listeners.Personal experiences are often a good place to start as you are writing about what you know and you are more likely to create a message or convey emotions that ring true. Keeping to simple, personal topics also means that others are more likely connect and relate to what you are saying. So the key ideas to remember are;
- Care about your subject
- Keep it personal
- Write from the heart
- Keep your melody simple. The melody of a song is what is usually called the 'tune', and in most songs this is carried by the voice and contains the lyrics. When starting to write simplicity is again the key.The aim of the songwriter should not be to cover as many notes as possible in the space of a single word, it should be to stir the emotions of the listener and carry the message of the song to the audience in a powerful and affecting way.
Also try to make sure that the melody complements and doesn't work against your message and the emotions you are wanting to convey.
No matter what your favoured style or genre of music is you should always remember that there is effectiveness in simplicity and that is often these songs which are the most successful. 'Wooden Heart' by Elvis, or AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' are good examples.
- Keep your chord changes simple. Again the key when you start songwriting is to aim for simplicity. The initial aim of your songwriting should be to connect with your listeners on an emotional level, not to dazzle them with clever chord changes or your technical brilliance.Many of the most memorable and classic songs of our time are based on the simplest melodies and the easiest chord changes. Think about the Beatles' 'Love Me Do', or Hank Williams' 'Your Cheating Heart'. Not to everyone's taste, but undeniably memorable, simple and hugely popular songs.
Choose chords and techniques which you are proficient at and comfortable with. this will help you to avoid becoming frustrated, and will allow you to concentrate on using the music to convey the message and emotions of the song. So the important things to remember when writing both a melody and chord changes are:
- Simplicity
- Proficiency at and comfort with the techniques and chords used
- Compatibility of the melody to the message
- Choose a place to write. Where we write can be key in providing us with the stimulation and comfort we need to get going, and to get our creative juices flowing.Environment is often central to creativity, but whilst writing in a quiet, relaxed setting such as the countryside might be perfect for one person, the opposite might be true for another and they will prefer to work in the hustle and bustle of a city centre location.
Where we write and compose is therefore a highly personal decision, but to start with it can help if it is somewhere that matches or stimulates the emotions you are writing about, and where you are unlikely to be interrupted or distracted.
- Pick up an instrument to inspire you. Often just picking up an instrument and playing around at getting some notes out of it can result in a little ditty that could become the beginnings of song.Its a bit like the musical equivalent of doodling, a process which can be surprisingly successful in establishing the basics of an effective idea! Once the the idea for a tune has taken root, the important thing is to let that idea develop in your imagination until you can picture what the finished song will 'look' like.
The instrument is really just a prop in this process rather than an essential tool.
- Share your song and seek constructive criticism
Your song may be an intensely personal thing and written for yourself, or something you that was written explicitly for the enjoyment of others, but either way once its finished it will be impossible to truly judge its success unless you ask what other people think about it.
Try not to worry about being criticised and remember that people learn best through trial, error, and honest feedback. Writing songs is usually about causing a reaction of some sort in other people, so in order to judge if you've achieved the reaction you want, you need to out the song 'out there'.
But also remember that it is always your song, and don't change anything about it just because someone else says you should. Weigh up the comments against your own instincts and come to decision that way.
So there we go! Six pieces of hopefully inspiring advice that should help get you started in your songwriting career. Put aside for a moment thoughts of achieving perfection, pick up your guitar and have fun.
Everything You Need To Write Great Songs
The guitar is a wonderful instrument to use as a songwriting companion.
Why?
Because, much like the piano, you can easily play chords and sing at the same time. You can't do that with a drum kit or a flute. Sorry.
After playing guitar for a while you may have found that you want to write your own songs rather than just regurgitating other peoples.
If so, then I applaud you. It's a great hobby and can even lead to you being the star of the party, if that's your heart's desire.
But I'm afraid you need more than just a guitar to write great songs.
In fact, you don't even need a guitar.
What you do need is the ability to hear melodies in your head and put lyrics to those melodies.
Mel Brooks composed The Producers by singing the melodies into a tape recorder and a musician wrote them down in musical notation. No piano, no guitar, no software.
However, since this is a guitar site, we'll assume you have a guitar in hand and are ready to write some songs. Being able to play the guitar is a great advantage but here are two warnings before you plunge into your favourite chord progressions and start howling at the moon.
- Don't start writing by playing chords. Whaaa?! I hear you cry. I know, you just spent ages learning chord progressions, riffs and scales. But be aware that these are simply tools to translate the music you compose in your head. If you start with the tool, it will lead you to sounding just like everyone else who uses that tool. And there are a lot of guitarists in the world who know the same chord progressions as you.
- Don't sit down with your guitar and attempt to write a song. Again, this sounds crazy but it makes complete sense if you think about it. It's like a writer sitting down staring at a blank Word document with nothing to say. Do you have a melody or a lyrics yet? No? Then leave the guitar alone. (Exception to the rule are professional songwriters who often would go to studio to 'work' just like a job - it's very hard to do. That's why they're professionals)
So with that, here are the essential things you need to write great songs.
- An idea. This could be a riff, a melody that you have in your head or a story that you want to write. But you need at least some kind of idea before you start crafting your song. Otherwise the pressure of having to come up with something will leave you blank, or even worse, cause you to write something mediocre.
- Genuine Feeling. Only write about things, emotions and situations you understand or can vividly imagine. For example, you don't have to be a real spaceman to write a song about space travel. What you do need is the imagination to put yourself in the shoes of the spaceman and describe his situation and feelings.
- Simplicity. Stick to one idea. Keep it simple. Listeners don't have the time or the interest in trying to translate your complicated plots and roller coaster feelings.
- The ability to translate your idea into music. This is where your guitar playing comes in. You need to sit down once you've written a riff, melody or even the whole song in your head and translate it into something 'solid' using your guitar, your knowledge of song structure and how chords work with each other.
- The ability to show and not tell. This is key to virtually every creative endeavour. Show don't tell. Let your listeners see and feel what you see but don't tell them directly. Instead of saying "love is not fair, I always seem to lose", you could say "The winner takes it all".
- Don't use too many chords. When you are ready to write your chords and marry them to the melody in your head, try to keep it simple. Most of the Beatles songs are no more than 4 or 5 chords. 99% of Chuck Berry songs have no more than 3 chords.
- A quiet place. You need somewhere where you can feel comfortable making mistakes whilst singing your melody and crafting it into your masterpiece. You'll sound awful at times as you try to cobble together the lyrics, melody and chords so you don't want your flat-mate mocking you. It will only undermine your confidence.