Songwriting: 7 Tips How to Begin Writing Songs
Every new songwriter can feel uninspired and lost at the beginning of this journey. The sole idea of having a blank page you need to fill with fine lyrics is overwhelming. As Peter Braxton, songwriter and an expert at a thesis writing service says: ‘The hard thing is to start the song. When you have an excellent beginning, the rest will just come rushing to you’. Here are 7 tips to help you begin writing songs.
Writing a song isn’t half as hard as it seems. There is basically no limitation or wrong answer as to how you should begin or which idea you have to pursue. The only forbidden thing is copying other people’s songs. In fact, if you ask any songwriter how they came up with the beginning of their song, they will all struggle to explain their start.
For every songwriter, starting the song is an inexplicable process. The idea may occur as a result of something that happened, a feeling that consumed you, or a dream you dreamt the night before. Your song can express private pain or some kind of emotional turmoil of your own. Whichever it is, the starting point is often the most challenging one.
It is sometimes a result of lack of inspiration or motivation, but that doesn’t mean that you are hopeless. There are many tricks you can learn to improve the process of starting your song and with those, you will become a better songwriter in no time. Here are the seven most effective ideas for songwriting:
1. Don’t Overthink It
Have you noticed how, when you begin writing songs you write the lyrics, you often sing nonsense words and phrases that simply fit the rhythm? After a while, you’ll need to write actual words to replace the original babble, but that comes after.
You don’t have to overthink it and get it right from the start. Don’t be afraid to babble – you can fix the wording later on. The main idea is to get a direction and an idea that will fit the music. The rest will follow.
Just turn on the recorder and let your sounds flow, no stops and no edits. You will probably use this one when doing the final edit, or toss it if you don’t like it.
2. Collect and Combine Titles
Do you keep a list of all potential titles you have thought of for your song? If you aren’t, start today. Every great songwriter carries a notepad or writes down ideas in his smartphone. Once you are ready to write the actual song, the collection of title ideas will help you start the process.
Great titles don’t just affect the audience and your followers.
A couple great titles will give you the big head start you need. These might help you with the attitude, the mood, character, and the groove. When looking at different title ideas, new beginnings will just pop up in your head.
How did you come up with that title? Did it all begin with a phrase you heard in a conversation, or a memory you made along the way? Use this to begin writing songs – great titles can make all the difference for you. Need inspiration for a title, try the Random Song Title Generator
3. Get a Tone
Get a tone on your guitar or synth rig to inspire you. The right tone will help you get a vibe and bring a focus for your lyrics. If you are tired of using the same tone over and over again, this is the time to improvise and stray from the path you usually take.
It doesn’t have to sound awesome to help you begin writing songs. Instead, try something less conventional. Put the effect plugins in a completely different order, change the effect pedals, try a bizarre tone and recording method, etc. Once you get a hint for the tone to use, you can modify it accordingly.
All it takes is a single inspiring tone to inform the track’s vibe.
4. Begin With a Hook
A catchy vocal melody is the perfect start to build a song around. Based on the genre you are writing a song for, you can determine a style and form a hook.
Even people who aren’t experienced vocalists enjoy singing. This is an excellent way to connect with the music and can truly help you catch the right hook for the song.
As everything else, hooks also don’t come automatically. You can’t just turn them on, but they will pop into your head when you don’t expect them. When they do – take a note. You can use this note to write the song later.
5. Make a Map
Whenever we need to go somewhere, we take a map to guide us. The same applies to songwriting.
If you cannot find your way, make a map to guide you. This map or song structure will help you determine the approach toward writing the song before you start with the actual writing.
Do you want a long-for piece or a verse-chorus-verse song? Determining the path will help you narrow down your ideas and make the start much less intimidating.
Once you have an initial plan, you can start on the right direction. Don’t be afraid to be flexible or take shortcuts – you can always return to the beginning in songwriting.
6. Start with Harmony and Groove
Develop the harmony to solve the songwriting issues. The chord progressions are the basis of your song and starting with these will assist you a lot in the process.
When you have selected the harmony and the groove, you basically have a canvas to test the other elements of the song on. It is much simpler to come up with a good memory when you already have the chords ready, than it is to think of a melody without anything to try it on.
7. Invent a Lyric
A single line can change everything in songwriting. Many amazing songs came from a single line, which means that you don’t need to have much to get started.
Don’t be afraid to think of lyrics first and then organize them into a song later. Your catchy lyric might take a spot in the middle or the end of the song, but still help you with the beginning.
The best part is, you often come up with a catchy lyric without sitting down and trying to do so. Lyrics come to the mind when least expected, so don’t forget to write these down.
Conclusion: Begin Writing Songs
Inspiration comes from many places and if you cannot start your song today, you will have it easier the next day. However, if you are in a rush or cannot beat the procrastination, experiment with these tricks to find the source of your creativity. Once you do, you can use that trick to start all your songs.
Great keep going and share your knowledge with people who need it.
Writing a quality content is a complicated task for everyone whether it was written for college study or for songs. In fact, writing for a music is also a very big task because everyone has not a creative mind or explored ideas to write for music.