10 Best Songwriting Tips
10 Best Songwriting Tips – If this is your first time as a songwriter – well done you!!! Whatever your age, you’ve taken the most amazing, fulfilling step.
Songwriting is not necessarily easy for some but well worth the effort and I really hope that my 10 best songwriting tips will help you on your way.
Some people start with the lyrics, others a tune. Whichever way suits you, try to put some forward planning into the process. Yes, we all want inspiration. Some are truly inspired. But for most, a little thought about design and structure will give you a strong starting point.
I’m going to share some of the many strategies I use on a less-inspired day. Having written songs for many years, decades, as a music specialist, I have had truly inspirational phases but I can also just sit down and write on the flattest, wettest Monday, if needed. Here are my 10 best songwriting tips:
- Have a cup of tea. Yes! You read it right. Relax! I take a few minutes before I launch, over a relaxing drink. As soon as composing becomes a chore, my creative juices dry up.
- Listen to your brain, not your heart. Then… make your choice between lyrics or tune. I know it seems obvious but, if you have an idea or tune floating in your head, put your brain in the mix before you get going by jotting down a basic plan. A title, a theme, style and the audience you are aiming for. It’ll pay dividends, later.
- Find out about song structure. If you have some musical training, you will have an idea of structure but coming in ‘cold’ requires some research. Listen to songs that are similar in style to your own. Do they start with a verse, then a development bridge before a rousing chorus? Or do they tell a story over several verses with a repeating chorus in between? Some of the most successful songs of all time have had the most simple structures e.g. verse – chorus – verse – chorus – verse.
- Drafting lyrics. If doing this important step first, the use of rhyming words at the end of phrases works well. You can use ‘assonance’ if you get stuck. These are words which almost rhyme. The most important thing with the lyrics is that they flow and make some sense to you. Try to write about something special, personal.
- Work out your chords. When I approach this stage, having chosen a key that suits my vocal range (or that of an intended singer), I play the guitar and/or piano to develop the song from the lyrics that I’ve set down. I’ll play around with chords and hum and try different phrases either for the verse, chorus or bridge. It’s worth recording your process here as you can sometimes hit something, shout, ‘Yes!’ then lose it within a second. Use your phone to record your idea, if needs be. It’s a great tool. Clearly, if you have musical training, start to draft your ideas on paper as well. (If you cannot play an instrument yourself, record your idea and get in touch with flyinghighmusic.com. We can provide excellent supportive help at all levels of ability.)
- Use a variety of structural devices. Composers use the contrast of short and longer phrases for effect. Repetition is also a strong tool for a catchy number, especially in the chorus. Try not to be too ambitious at first.
- Don’t get stuck in a rut. I have sometimes found that I like a particular phrase or tune but can’t make it work in the mix. I can be stubborn about this and try to force something for ages before accepting it just isn’t right. My advice, if this happens to you, is to move on. Come back to it later. The brain is an incredible thing. I often find the ideas come straight away after a break, even after leaving it a day or so.
- Use your instincts as you combine lyrics with a tune. You don’t have to have musical training to know if it just doesn’t feel right. Often, the tune tells you where it wants to go in response to the words. Choruses often go to a higher range. Songs can also modulate, move to a different key, for a boost later in the song. This, for me , is when the heart takes over and your instincts are set free. Listen back to your recordings or continue to play around until you are comfortable with the piece.
- Internalise and mull. Sometimes I think this is the most important phase. We all know a song we like that just stays with you once you’ve heard it on the radio – to the point where you’re almost singing it in your sleep. Well, let your song take you over for several days. Come back to it. Play around and tweak. Then let it be your companion for a few more days. The adjustments you make in this process will refine and take your song to the next level.
- If you feel you want to join a songwriting community for support, specialised help and more songwriting tips, contact flyinghighmusic.com Songwriting Services for warm and friendly songwriting support and advice.
Sheila Marsh is co-director of flyinghighmusic.com with her husband, Phil Marsh. She has been a composer, music specialist, primary teacher and senior manager in several state and independent schools, culminating in her highly successful, award-winning headship of Lady Barn House School, Cheadle, UK. She now devotes her time to sharing her passion for music through consultation, writing songs for schools and special events, supporting budding composers in the development of their musical ideas through arranging services and composing thematic music. As a keen musician, playing piano/keys, violin, cello, guitar and samba drums, she is also involved in a number of projects which encompass a variety of styles, from samba music, classical and Irish traditional music to ‘the blues’, in both commercial and community based projects. Visit flyinghighmusic.com for more information.