How to write a song
The text that underlies your song is a determining factor. Indeed, you can compose the melody of your dreams, but if it is not accompanied by sensible and striking lyrics, it will not be of great interest. That’s why some great singers, without any real talent for writing, ask songwriters to give a soul to their songs. And now that’s your challenge too. Here are some tips on how to write a song.
1) What goes first?
The text or the melody? One can build a melody from a text (from a poem for example) or the opposite, that is to say write a music, a theme, a melody and find the lyrics that fit. Most of the time, the lyrics and the music are written at the same time and the melody sticks to the words and vice versa.
2) When you write a song: be open to inspiration from everywhere
Inspiration is a phenomenon that cannot be controlled. It is obvious that the more you are aware of the subject you are dealing with, the more your inspiration will be. However, don’t try to build your verses and chorus right away. This is all the more true when you write a song. Consider “brain storming”, writing all the words and ideas that come to your mind on a sheet of paper.
3) When you write a song: get personal
Choose the question you want to answer in your chorus. Think of images and action verbs to illustrate your answers. What emotions are you describing? What effects do they have on you? Are they hot or cold? Positive or negative? If you think it’s too poetic, add some lyrics in the chorus to keep your listeners following your ideas.
4) A rhyme is always good with time
The rhyme is an important element in a song: it will allow those who listen to it to remember it better. It is also one of the poetic aspects of a song text. When you write a song, it is not mandatory. The important thing is to hear the same sound, the “musicality” of the words.
Once you have written your song and composed the melody, record yourself and listen carefully. Then you’ll have your first demo. The next step is, obviously, sharing it to the world.