Many aspiring musicians and songwriters flock to platforms like SongTown, eager to learn the craft of songwriting. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have dabbled in songwriting and seek to refine your techniques, understanding the fundamentals is crucial. Starting your songwriting journey on the right foot prevents the formation of bad habits that can be difficult to unlearn later. So, let’s delve into the essential steps when someone asks, “How Do You Write A Song?”.
Chapters
- Discovering Your Song’s Core Topic
- Brainstorming Compelling Song Titles
- Selecting the Perfect Title
- Creating a Song Blueprint
- Finding Your Groove and Melody
- Crafting Meaningful Lyrics
- Polishing and Finalizing Your Song
1. Finding A Topic That Resonates With You
When embarking on your first songwriting adventure, it’s highly recommended to begin with a topic that ignites your passion or evokes strong emotions. Drawing from personal experiences and feelings can be incredibly powerful. For example, if you’re experiencing the exhilaration of new love, channeling that emotion into a love song can be incredibly natural. Conversely, if you’re navigating the pain of heartbreak, exploring those emotions through songwriting can be cathartic and relatable.
In songwriting workshops, a common and effective exercise involves prompting participants to list three things they deeply want to express to someone. This simple prompt often unlocks a wealth of heartfelt and intriguing song ideas. Choosing a topic that genuinely resonates with you and stirs your emotions will invariably fuel your creative engine far more effectively than a subject that feels distant, fictional, or lacks personal connection.
A person writing song lyrics in a notebook, symbolizing the beginning of the songwriting process
2. Brainstorming Catchy and Relevant Song Titles
Once you’ve identified your song’s core topic, the next crucial step in how do you write a song is to brainstorm a range of interesting song titles. These titles should creatively encapsulate the emotions and feelings you aim to convey. Let’s say you’ve chosen “heartbreak” as your central theme. It’s generally more impactful to focus on generating titles that are authentic and emotionally resonant rather than merely clever or gimmicky. Authenticity helps your song feel believable and significantly increases its potential to connect with listeners on an emotional level.
For a heartbreak theme, you might brainstorm titles such as:
- “Never Again” (Expressing resolve to avoid future heartbreak)
- “Why Did You Hurt Me?” (Directly questioning the source of pain)
- “Nothing Good In Goodbye” (Highlighting the negativity associated with farewells)
The more titles you generate during this brainstorming phase, the better equipped you’ll be to select the most impactful one. Choosing from a diverse pool of titles is always preferable to settling for the first idea that comes to mind.
3. Choosing Your Song’s Guiding Star: The Title
The next pivotal step in how do you write a song is selecting your title. Let’s imagine you decide on “Never Again” as your title. By choosing this as your focal point, you immediately establish it as the central idea of your chorus – the most memorable and impactful section in contemporary songs across most genres.
Selecting your title early in the songwriting process is strategically advantageous because it provides a clear direction for your creative journey. As the saying goes, “It’s easier to get to where you are going if you know your destination.” Your title serves as that destination, allowing you to write towards it with purpose and intention, rather than wandering aimlessly in search of a direction. Listeners appreciate a song that takes them on a cohesive journey, not a meandering, directionless exploration.
4. Blueprinting Your Song’s Structure and Narrative
With your title chosen, you can now employ a technique called “blueprinting” to map out the content and narrative arc of your song. Blueprinting involves outlining what you intend to communicate in each distinct section of your song. It’s essential to remember that verses serve as the setup for the chorus, building anticipation for your main idea. Think of your chorus as the “bottom line,” the core message you want to deliver.
Understanding the Role of Each Song Section
Each part of your song plays a specific role in engaging the listener and conveying your message:
- Verse 1: Establishes the characters involved, the context of the story, and the setting, providing listeners with the necessary background to follow the song’s narrative.
- Chorus: Introduces the central theme or emotion of the song, often embodied in the title. This is the core message you want to resonate with listeners.
- Verse 2: Expands upon the central theme or emotion introduced in the chorus, developing the narrative further and adding layers of meaning.
Crafting a Blueprint Example
Let’s create a blueprint for our “Never Again” song:
- Verse 1: You broke my heart, and now you’re seeking a second chance. (Sets the scene and conflict)
- Chorus: Never again will I trust you. (States the core emotional response and title theme)
- Verse 2: You’ll have to find someone else to hurt. (Advances the narrative and reinforces the chorus theme)
Notice how Verse 1 introduces the characters – the singer and the former lover – and establishes the context: a broken heart and a plea for reconciliation. The setting is less critical in this particular song as it focuses on a direct emotional exchange, but in other songs, setting can be a pivotal element. Imagine a song about falling in love on a specific beach; the setting would become a crucial part of the blueprint.
The chorus then boldly declares the central theme, “Never Again!” This is a powerful statement of self-preservation and emotional boundaries.
Verse 2 takes the narrative a step further. The singer not only rejects reconciliation but also directs the former lover to seek someone else to inflict pain upon. This advances the story beyond simple rejection, showcasing the singer’s strength and resolve.
A common pitfall in songwriting, particularly in second verses, is simply rephrasing the first verse. This can lead to listener disengagement and stagnation in the song’s progression. While it might be tempting to reiterate the pain caused by the other person, that ground has already been covered in the first verse.
Mastering the function of each song section and the technique of blueprinting provides a solid framework for writing lyrics that are clear, coherent, and easy for listeners to follow. Blueprinting ensures you’ll never face writer’s block when figuring out what to say in your second verse; you’ll know your communication goals for each section before you even begin writing. Once your blueprint resonates with you, it’s time to infuse your song with melody and rhythm.
5. Finding the Right Groove and Melody to Match Your Lyrics
If you play a musical instrument, now is the perfect time to experiment and discover a feel or groove that complements your lyrical content. Given that our example song deals with a breakup, exploring minor chords might be fitting to reflect the somber emotion. A ballad tempo or a mid-tempo groove would likely be more appropriate than an upbeat, happy rhythm. Crucially, ensure that the melody you develop doesn’t sound joyful or cheerful, as that would clash with the lyrical theme of heartbreak and rejection.
If you don’t play an instrument, you can still experiment vocally by humming or singing different melodies. Experimentation is key to discovering a melody and groove that harmonizes with the emotional direction of your lyrics.
One effective technique is to start by singing your song title while tapping out various beats. Continue this until you find a rhythm and melody that allows you to sing your title as naturally as you would speak it. This often reveals the most authentic and fitting groove for your song, around which you can then build the rest of your musical composition.
6. Writing Lyrics That Tell Your Story
With a groove and melody that inspires you, the next step in how do you write a song is to begin crafting your lyrics. Starting from the beginning of the song is often the most intuitive approach. Refer back to your blueprint for verse 1:
Verse 1 – You broke my heart and now you want a second chance.
Your goal is to translate this straightforward blueprint idea into engaging and creative opening lines. While the blueprint is intentionally simple, your lyrics should be more evocative and nuanced while still conveying the core message. You might arrive at opening lines like:
Baby, broken hearts don’t give second chances
This line has a sassy, assertive tone and effectively communicates the intended message in a more captivating way than the plain blueprint statement. Building on this, you can continue crafting the verse:
Baby broken hearts don’t give second chances
So don’t you come crawling back to me
You always took what we had for granted
But you lost it when your goodbye set me free
This verse effectively expands on the blueprint idea, adding vivid imagery and emotional depth. Moving on to the chorus, remember that you want to emphasize your title. You might create a chorus like:
Never again
Will you taste this kiss
Never again
Will your name roll off my lips
Do I love you?
Will I trust you?
Never again!
While tempting to use the word “hurt” in the chorus, the blueprint reminds us that this word is reserved for Verse 2, ensuring that each section of the song maintains its distinct focus and avoids overlapping ideas.
Learning to dedicate each section of your song to communicating a single, strong idea is fundamental to writing songs that listeners can easily grasp and emotionally connect with. Songs that feel disjointed or confusing often lack a clear central idea and a well-defined structure. Clear communication in songwriting is intentional and results from carefully planning the message you want to convey in each section before you begin writing. This structured approach ensures clarity and purpose in your songwriting.
7. Completing Your Song and Adding Finishing Touches
Continue the process of writing lyrics and melody for the remaining sections of your song, following your blueprint as a guide. After completing the second verse, consider whether a bridge section could enhance the song further and deepen the central theme. A bridge should introduce a new perspective or emotional layer, taking the song’s message even further. If a bridge doesn’t naturally emerge or add significant value, an instrumental solo followed by a return to the chorus can be a viable alternative to maintain momentum and listener engagement.
Learning how to write a song effectively is a journey that requires patience and practice. With dedication and consistent effort, you’ll steadily develop your songwriting skills and create songs that resonate with authenticity and emotion. May this guide be the starting point for many songs to come!
Write on!
