Songwriting for Beginners – How to Write Songs Like a Pro

Anyone who has listened to music and has marveled at the magic of words set to tune has undoubtedly tried their hand at songwriting at some time or the other. Many have found themselves writing songs with flourish in no time at all while others have floundered and wondered why they do not have what it takes to be a songwriter.

To tell the truth, songwriting is a mysterious thing at times. Even songwriters themselves cannot always tell what inspired them to write a particular song and at other times are themselves awestruck at how songs sometimes just seem to take off on their own, ending up often as masterpiece.

A good song is one that describes thoughts and feelings in a way that touches other people. A fine composition is always one that is honest and without pretence. However, even with inspiration and some truthful feeling, songwriting does need some techniques if you want to really get it right.

Songwriting – Getting Started

One of the trickiest things about writing songs is getting started. It also happens to be the most important step because a good start more often than not makes for a great song in the end. After am impressive beginning, many songs just seem to carry on with a momentum that is their own, with very little effort.

A lot of songwriters feel that the key to a good start is the title of the song. It should be something that appeals to you and should be catchy enough for other people to want to know more about it. Some people also recommend writing down catchy words and phrases for use as song titles later.

After you have picked the title of the song, try to ask yourself what the title says to you. If your title is for instance, “Drops of Sunshine”, ask yourself what those drops of sunshine are and what they do to you. The thing to do is to build a story around the title, a story that is appeals to you and will appeal to other people.

Songwriting And The Basics

While writing the song now, it is important to use a recognizable song structure while writing the song down. Most songs use a verse, chorus and bridge in their structures. Not only is this traditional structure most acceptable to listeners but also reinforces and exacerbates the emotions of the song.

A lot of songwriters recommend that beginners use existing melodies to practice writing their songs. This may be a valuable hint that will allow budding songwriters to build their craft without having to worry about the melody at the same time.

Only after you have had some practice with songwriting should you even try to set a song to melody. Once you have got the basic song written and set to melody, you can even begin to play and record the song. Before you know it, you will be a songwriter with flair! Work up your talent and be a songwriter!