How does a lead singer of a successful band change a light bulb?
He just holds on as the world revolves around him… hey, I am just getting you prepared especially if this is your thing … or singing a song of sewing machines. This topic, how to start writing a song will make one into a Singer songwriter or sew it seams…
Hey, if you’re a creepy potential songwriter, then this topic is not for you, I certainly do not want you to get paid per verse…
Alright … before the jokes get out of hand let’s move on to how to start writing a song.
1. Start with your strengths
Perhaps the strength is to create the melody then go with that. If the strength is to write lyrics, then go with that. To some musicians, the melody or creating the melody with their instrument comes quickly while for a musician whose strength is in writing comes just as quick. Go with what comes quickly to you first. Just like how to start writing a song comes to me so naturally and quickly because in general writing songs and poetry was/is where my humble beginning as a writer began, i.e., in the year 1998. Don’t underestimate what comes easily and naturally to you, because not everyone can write lyrics like a pro and quickly and not everyone can create a melody or a melody with their instruments like a pro and quickly either. The artist block, the writer’s blog is very much a real thing.
2. Follow that spur of the moment idea instantly
Queen’s song Under Pressure was a song written in the spur of the moment and is still the most iconic intro in rock music. There were other songs written by Freddie Mercury of Queen that also had immense success by recording on the spur of the moment. Go with it instantly, some of the most iconic songs or works from artists that had major success came from actions on the spur of the moment. It is easy to forget the instant downloads that we get at times if they’re not acted on at the moment. Following that spur of the moment idea instantly ticks most of these points off on how to start writing a song.
3. Carry a booklet to write down what comes to mind or use the notes app on a mobile phone to note down instant ideas
Back in 1998, I used to have a pen and paper or a notepad wherever I went. Phones were the size of bricks with no notes app in them during that time. Taking advantage of the moments when creativity flows in abundantly and spontaneously helps a lot in how to start writing a song. Note it all down so that even if everything can’t be actioned or done at that moment at least the essence or of it is encapsulated into the notes. For most people, the best ideas come in the shower, these are pretty challenging to preserve until one comes out of the shower. Don’t let anything pass, keep a record of it, it helps during times when one gets an artist block.
4. Make it simple don’t overthink it
Not everything has to be hard in life even how to start writing a song. Not everything needs a lot of work to be put into it especially if one is naturally talented, a genius in their talent and uses the downloads to their advantage. Most of the work is almost there; it probably needs a little polishing that’s all. Overthinking that the idea came in and the spur of the moment work worked out so easily that it seems ridiculous to have been so easy is simply overthinking it. Not everything has to be hard, sometimes it’s that simple. Take a look at https://tdenchpatel.com/poetic-devices-list/ and https://tdenchpatel.com/types-of-poetry-in-literature/ sometimes all it needs is great wording to help the melody to make the sound rich.
5. It’s not necessarily about the lyrics or the melody at first, it’s the idea
There are a lot of musicians out there and maybe there are just as many great songwriters too but if there’s an idea that came through at first then that’s how to start writing a song. The idea might become the winner it’s just working around it in terms of building the lyrics and melody to strengthen that idea that would need working on. That most probably could make it a winning title. The idea can help in encapsulating a title which might even be present in the song lyrics a lot or not.
6. Verse structures and chorus
There are many kinds of verse structures and ways to structure a song, some are more popular than others. The most basic verse structure goes verse 1, chorus 1, verse 2, chorus 2, verse 3, and chorus 3. Some musicians tend to go verse 1, chorus 1, verse 2, chorus 2, verse 3, chorus 3, and chorus 4. Currently, the most “pop-ular” culture with songs is verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, and chorus. The bridge breaks the song almost like a diversion with anticipation to the chorus only having different words or harmony until it reaches the chorus. However, there are more adventurous ways to write verse structures chorus which goes in-depth on https://thesongfoundry.com/verse-chorus-structure-101/
7. Write a catchy lyrical hook
Usually, the lyrical hook in how to start writing a song is in the chorus or the chorus itself. Remember the days when one has a song that they just can’t get out of their head or the catchy lines that stay with a person for days after getting hooked on listening to a song for the first time and then replaying it a lot? There’s just not knowing when that hook will catch a person in a song, as they drive to work or hear it play in the background while having lunch or going to buy something in a store. That song with a catchy hook could be playing everywhere one day in so many countries, heck that song, those songs! Take some extra time here, listen to other songs that did well over time, and create an awesome lyrical hook that is roughly 8 lines.
8. Writing a song is telling a story or part of the story
Many of the greatest songs ever written have been written through life experience or confessions or even through a band’s personal discovery and they have then become even bigger by creating that trend or buzzword. Taylor Swift seems to write songs with confessions in them or at least making the audience enjoy listening and guessing at the same time, but note that melody, sound and lyrics strike an emotional chord with listeners bridging the writer’s feelings over to the listeners almost sharing that feeling with them maybe even at the intensity of what the true experience was.
9. Intro and Outro
An intro and outro on how to start writing a song aren’t discussed a lot because not all songs have intros but an outro, all songs have. One thing to remember when writing a song is it is almost like a story, the beginning where it starts, what happened and how it ended if this isn’t being told via the lyrics the melody will speak it through emotion and when the track is played through video one can often see the story playing out.
Now that we are here at the intro and outro it’s time for this article to die down, at least, it’s not a song or the songwriter that is de-composing…
Before I leave, here are some really good resources on the links below that can aid in how to start writing a song.
Song coach – Write a song in 10 steps
Masterclass: Songwriting techniques
How to write a song for beginners
You can also have a look at the How to start writing a song short video.
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In the next article, I will be going into writing an effective, compelling and professional email.
Yours sincerely
T. Dench Patel
