by Joyce V Harrison

Created on: December 27, 2010   Last Updated: December 29, 2010

You could write a song just by humming a made-up melody in the shower and adding any words that come to mind. Will it be great? Probably not. Whether you write songs as an emotional outlet, songs that you want artists to perform, or that you plan to perform, it takes a lot of work and typically, a commitment of years to perfect your craft. There are books and more books about how to write songs, software about songwriting, songwriting Web sites and songwriting workshops everywhere. But here are some basic tips if you’re just starting.

Understand Structure

A song involves concept, melody progression, character, rhythm, lyrics, rhyme, and storyline. For instance, character means that a wedding song should sound appropriate for a wedding, no heavy metal and aggressive words/music as you would write for a “world sucks” song. Storyline means that you need to develop the plot: set up the situation (verse 1), add more details (verse 2), and finally resolve the conflict (bridge), ideally within less than four minutes.

Start with a Rhythm

Think of the rhythm in the words of any nursery rhyme. Every spoken phrase has a natural rhythm that should help identify the song idea as working best in rock, rap, hip hop, dance, or other genres. If a phrase is normally pronounced, “let it be,” don’t force it to change that natural flow in a song.

Go for Emotion

Your song should convey a feeling: make people laugh, cry, reflect, be inspired, want to dance, so on. 

Study Songs You Like

How long is the intro? How long are the sections? Where does the melody change in the verses? What part of the song do you remember most? Try writing a song that follows that pattern of songs you like.

Learn by Writing

Write every day even if you end up with nothing worthwhile. Perfecting the craft of songwriting is mostly about solving problems. If the melody isn’t working, try changing the lyric or vice versa. Try a slower or faster tempo. Try playing the song on a different instrument.

Write for the Singer

Comedians might say to their audience “I’m fat” to get a laugh. But if your song reflects negatively on whoever will sing it, you need to change it. End your lyric lines with words that a singer can choose to ad lib around. “Kick” is an example of a word that’s full of consonants and doesn’t lend itself to variations, versus “you,” a word that a singer can keep short or stretch out vocally.    

Write for the Listener

Listeners get bored easily. Keep the song moving. Repeat the melody line in the verse for eight bars and then do a variation in the next four bars for the pre-chorus. Let the chorus “break out” from or contrast the verses. That is, if the verses are short lines, try extended notes in the chorus.  

Build a List of Ideas

Lines and snatches of melody will come to you when you’re out and about or in bed. Write them down. If you think of a melody line when you’re on the road, you can call yourself and sing it on your voice mail.

No Magic Bullet

These “tips” are only the tip of the iceberg. Even the best writers don’t come up with a hit every time. You will get frustrated. You will get rejections. But you will create something that expresses your unique viewpoint. So write that song and then keep on writing just because music is your passion.  

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