Although it’s a common form of expression, writing music is an art that might only sometimes come naturally. Songwriting is a fulfilling part of your artistic journey, a craft that takes skill, heart and passion.
Every artist has a different approach when it comes to writing a song. There is no right or wrong way.
Are you interested in songwriting? Whether you are interested in writing songs for yourself or others, the craft of songwriting can be yours in just a few steps.
As a leading music school in Sydney, we can help you begin your songwriting journey with these few steps.
Find inspiration and write ideas
You’ll want to generate and write down your ideas when beginning to write songs. This will help you establish a concept. Use your imagination and find inspiration. It can be about anything that drives strong emotions, such as a fantasy or an experience you have had.
While finding a quiet space to sit down and think of ideas is a start many like to do, there may be better ways to inspire you. Some find inspiration when they are on the go. You could be inspired at the most unexpected times! Many professionals take voice notes or write them down in a notebook when they’ve struck an idea in the shower, while driving or out and about.
Narrow down the hook and write the chorus
Once you have an idea, you should decide on your lyrical hook. This is usually the catchiest or the main part of the song. It also commonly coincides with the song’s name and will be prominent in the chorus.
This will lead you to write the chorus. Try to stick around the average length of eight lines. Your chorus should include your hook and summarise the idea/concept of your song. Your hook should also be repeated at least twice within the chorus.
Try to create a rhythm scheme. This may mean every second line rhymes with the other.
Select the chords
Now that you have a chorus and a hook, it’s time to pull out your chosen instrument and play with different chords. This is one of the most essential parts of a song other than the vocal tune.
Play around with major, minor, dominant, diminished and augmented chords. Experiment and play it slowly over and over until you have a progression.
Establish your structure and write your lyrics.
After establishing your chorus and selecting the chords, it is time to choose your structure. A classic structure is the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus-end. Once this structure is determined, you can start experimenting and writing your lyrics.
Try creating a build-up to the chorus. The verse and chorus should sound different but should complement one another. A good tip is to talk the lyrics in a sing-song way first while you go over it. This will help you ensure it works with the melody and sounds right.
Do you desire expert songwriting and music production services? The Sister2Sister School of Singing offers more than just singing lessons in Sydney. We provide local and remote artists with Artist Development that includes songwriting and music production.
We have industry professional mentors who will help develop and hone your songwriting abilities, creating a pathway to build original repertoire and explore artistry. Each mentor is qualified and has extensive experience as a songwriter, producer and performer in the music industry.
Our in-house studio is also available to record your masterpiece once it is ready.
To learn more, head to the website or contact our friendly staff on 9680 SING (7464).