Are you interested in songwriting, but have no clue where to start? On the way to work today, I had my iTunes library on shuffle and "Cleaning Windows," by Van Morrison came on the radio, one of my new favorites. It's a great tune but it got me thinking, how the heck did Van write a hit song about a guy who washes windows all day?
The truth is that I'm really not sure how Van made it happen, but it goes to show that no matter the subject, you can write a hit song about anything. With the right inspiration and blend of sound, your song can bring enjoyment to people all over the world for years and years. To help you get started, I've put together some guidelines to help you get started on your next single.
Find Some Inspiration
- Topics, Lyrics and Ideas can come at any time and often, they pop out of your head as quickly as they popped in. A crucial step in songwriting is to keep a running list of ideas on your phone or in your notebook. Remember-no subject or idea is a bad one. Don't overthink this step-the key to getting started is to throw your inhibitions out the (clean) window. Getting started on a new song is not the time to be a perfectionist. When brainstorming, you want to have lots of different ideas/subjects to choose from so that when you are putting your song together, there are lots of options and paths to choose from.
Let It Flow
- There are two main ways that songwriters approach writing a new song. Some start by writing the lyrics first, then they find or write the music afterwards to fit with their lyrics. The second way is to write the music (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro), and put lyrics to the sound after the fact. There is no right or wrong way, it's very much based on personal preference and what works for you. Experiment on your own with both; try and determine which feels more natural to you and go with it.
- There are thousands of hit songs that never got anywhere because the artist was too self-conscious to forget about everybody else and just let their sound flow. Don't let this happen to you; no matter how silly or stupid your lyric or chorus seems, keep going. Keep writing and keep moving the song forward. As you force yourself to continue in the process, your ideas, lyrics and sound will continue to get tighter and more relatable.
Record Your Ideas
- There is nothing worse than having an awesome riff or jam and then forgetting it 5 minutes later. The easiest way to make sure your top song doesn't end up in the ether is to break out your phone and make a recording that you can reference later.
- To backup your voice memos and edit the tracks during this stage, be sure to check out soundmate's free app that allows you to store, edit and share the tracks you are working on
Get Feedback
- This piece is important, but it's even more important to not let feedback discourage you or pressure you to change anything that you don't want to change. Everyone has different tastes and levels of expertise when it comes to music and songwriting. When your song gets to a point to where you're comfortable with it, share it with at least 4 or 5 people. You'll get different feedback from everyone...chances are that your neighbor will have a different reaction and connection to the song than your best friend or buddy from work. Listen to what they say they like or don't like about the song, but remember that it is your song. Just because Uncle Larry didn't love the intro, it doesn't mean that you have to go back to square 1 and scrap the intro you were excited about.
Finishing Touches
- Once you've finalized the music and the words, take a few days off and don't do anything. With a fresh perspective and set of ears a few days later, dig back into your tune and put on the finishing touches. Maybe you want to re-record the first chorus, or go with the Telecaster instead of the Stratocaster. This is the time to make those final tweaks and complete your song.
Want to know a little more about what goes into a sound and how sound becomes music? Check out our intro2sound guide to learn the (very) basics.
