I hope you read my last post on How To Write A Song (music first). It's really the foundation to begin writing your song.
This post should be a quick one. I just want to share a little bit about song structure. If I were to have an introduction to this post, it would be this:
No Formulas... Just Guides.
Think for a moment about some of your favorite songs; especially the more popular ones that you might hear on the radio. Most likely, the structure of the song goes something like this:
Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus 2x
Think about it. Am I right? Most likely. And there's really nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of really good songs out there that are written exactly in that order. But again, I want to remind you that even though there are rules and normalities in music, most of them can be bent in your favor depending on the circumstances. Song structure is no exception. Trust me. You don't want to get stuck in an overly formulaic mindset.
Don't get me wrong... Structure is a good thing; especially in the beginning. And maybe your style will always be a more traditional one that fits in the above template. I just don't want you to get stuck in that template. I'm only saying this because it happened to me. I thought every song was supposed to be like that. And when I finally broke free from that mindset I felt like I had been in a songwriting prison up until that point! Now some of the best songs I've written don't even have a traditional "chorus." Heck, some of my songs don't repeat themselves at all!
If you're just starting out, it's fine to use a more traditional song template. But please challenge yourself. Think of that template as a temporary guide- not a formula.
4.03.2009
4.02.2009
How To Write A Song (music first)
Did you read my introduction post entitled Songwriting For Beginners? If not, go check it out before reading this one. It'll give you some info about my background and where I'm coming from.
So, let's talk a little bit about the process of how to write songs. There's this one question that I get asked a lot... And I know that other songwriters hear it often as well. It may be the question that's in your mind at this very moment.
"Do you write the music first or the lyrics first?"
It makes perfect sense, of course. If you want to write a song it helps to know where to start. But I'm afraid the answer isn't as simple as the question. Different people have different ways of doing things. If you've done a lot of writing in areas besides music (poems, blogs, etc.) it's likely that you'll start with a lyrical idea. But if your musical instrument was your primary focus to begin with, you'll probably come up with a chord progression or another musical idea before thinking of what words to sing.
For me, the music usually comes first. But not always. That's one thing I love about music. There never has to be an always. Sometimes a melody will pop into my head and I'll try to pick out chords that fit with it. Other times a lyric or idea will come to mind and I'll write it down and figure out how to add music to it later. But I believe the most common songwriting style is to write the music first. So we'll focus on that for now.
Let's talk about chord progressions.
"A series of chords that blend well with the melody they accompany."
-source
When figuring out which chords to use in your chord progression it helps to know a little bit about music theory. But just by experience you will get a feel for what flows well and what doesn't. Allow me to give you an example. Here are some chords that go well together in the key of C:
C, F, G, A minor ("Am")
You can put those four chords in practically any order and it'll be a decent sounding chord progression. (If you don't know how to form the chords, Google it.) You could also throw an E minor ("Em") or even a D minor ("Dm") in there somewhere to mix it up a little. Always remember... There are general rules that people tend to follow in music. There are countless artists who have written good songs using the above chords. But I think that when an artist learns to tastefully bend those rules they'll start to create genuinely great songs. If for some reason a B flat ("B♭") fits well in your song, go for it! Art is about expressing yourself. Play what feels right.
Another cool thing about knowing which chords fit together well is you can transpose every chord to whatever key you're writing your song in. Here is the full scale (not counting sharps and flats):
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
So if your song was in the key of D, you can move all of the chords from our original progression up one full note on the scale. So your chords would be as follows:
D, G, A, Bm
Does that make sense? I hope so. I want to remind you again that I am assuming you have some basic knowledge of how to play your instrument. If you do, this should all be clear.
Next post I'll be talking about song structure. Check it out!
So, let's talk a little bit about the process of how to write songs. There's this one question that I get asked a lot... And I know that other songwriters hear it often as well. It may be the question that's in your mind at this very moment.
"Do you write the music first or the lyrics first?"
It makes perfect sense, of course. If you want to write a song it helps to know where to start. But I'm afraid the answer isn't as simple as the question. Different people have different ways of doing things. If you've done a lot of writing in areas besides music (poems, blogs, etc.) it's likely that you'll start with a lyrical idea. But if your musical instrument was your primary focus to begin with, you'll probably come up with a chord progression or another musical idea before thinking of what words to sing.
For me, the music usually comes first. But not always. That's one thing I love about music. There never has to be an always. Sometimes a melody will pop into my head and I'll try to pick out chords that fit with it. Other times a lyric or idea will come to mind and I'll write it down and figure out how to add music to it later. But I believe the most common songwriting style is to write the music first. So we'll focus on that for now.
Let's talk about chord progressions.
"A series of chords that blend well with the melody they accompany."
-source
When figuring out which chords to use in your chord progression it helps to know a little bit about music theory. But just by experience you will get a feel for what flows well and what doesn't. Allow me to give you an example. Here are some chords that go well together in the key of C:
C, F, G, A minor ("Am")
You can put those four chords in practically any order and it'll be a decent sounding chord progression. (If you don't know how to form the chords, Google it.) You could also throw an E minor ("Em") or even a D minor ("Dm") in there somewhere to mix it up a little. Always remember... There are general rules that people tend to follow in music. There are countless artists who have written good songs using the above chords. But I think that when an artist learns to tastefully bend those rules they'll start to create genuinely great songs. If for some reason a B flat ("B♭") fits well in your song, go for it! Art is about expressing yourself. Play what feels right.
Another cool thing about knowing which chords fit together well is you can transpose every chord to whatever key you're writing your song in. Here is the full scale (not counting sharps and flats):
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
So if your song was in the key of D, you can move all of the chords from our original progression up one full note on the scale. So your chords would be as follows:
D, G, A, Bm
Does that make sense? I hope so. I want to remind you again that I am assuming you have some basic knowledge of how to play your instrument. If you do, this should all be clear.
Next post I'll be talking about song structure. Check it out!
3.30.2009
Songwriting for Beginners
Hello and welcome to my blog on songwriting! The purpose of this blog is to share what I know about writing songs in a way that will help YOU as you explore the art of songwriting. Let me start by getting a couple things out of the way...
I am not famous.
My songs are not on the radio.
I do not make a living off music.
However, I have been writing songs for many years and have been blessed with a lot of opportunities to share my songs with people. Through the years (and especially recently) I've had several people ask me about the process I go through when writing a song. I know the process can be quite different for different people, and it's not always the same formula even for me, but I hope this blog will at least give you a jump-start into the world of songwriting.
(KEEP IN MIND: If you don't like rock music, you may or may not find my musical-oriented posts helpful, but you should still find some helpful hints on lyric-writing later on...)
I would also like to encourage you to keep looking for different ideas and techniques. There is a LOT of information on this beast called the "internet." :) Learn to be well-rounded by seeking advice from several different sources.
Now, a little bit about me. This should help you get an idea of my musical background which will obviously have an affect on my songwriting style.
I started taking guitar lessons the week of my tenth birthday. I started out with a cheap little acoustic guitar. I continued lessons for a little less than a year, practicing every single day. By the time I hit my eleventh birthday I had already written my first song. It was a silly little song that hardly made any sense, but it was a song. I was still young enough that I hadn't developed any solid musical influences yet. Sure, I knew I liked certain bands/artists, but that was it.
Then came middle school.
I was in sixth grade and it was time to grow up! ;P Everyone around me suddenly started having their own opinions about things like music and movies... It was about time I developed some of my own! I started listening to bands like Switchfoot and Lifehouse. Meanwhile, I had formed my first band with three friends of mine. Although I didn't take on singing duties at the time, I was the primary songwriter. Were they musical masterpieces? No way! But every song I wrote added more and more to my experience and maturity. And the songs hardly left the garage anyway. :)
Fast-forward to high school.
I feel like the middle of my high school career is when I started writing genuinely good songs. I started another band and we started playing shows around the area. It was a huge learning experience because suddenly I was sharing my creations with people I didn't know. They didn't care about the time and energy and HEART I poured into the songs. All they cared about is if it sounded good. Some of the tunes were well-receieved; others weren't.
Since then, I have been involved in several serious music projects, most of which were rooted in songs that I either wrote or co-wrote. I have grown tremendously as a musician (mainly guitar, but splashes of other instruments) and as a songwriter. I've written at LEAST a couple hundred songs in the past ten-plus years, most of which haven't stood the test of time.
Along with my artistic growth came the growth of my musical library. I listen to a very wide variety of music. Some of the artists you know and love, but most of them you've probably never heard of. Here's a small list to give you an idea of who my influences are...
As Cities Burn (my FAVORITE), The Almost, Circa Survive, Coldplay, Edison Glass, Emarosa, House of Heroes, Jon Foreman, The Listening, Phil Wickham, Progress In Color, etc.
Some of those artists are musical influences, others are lyrical influences, and some are both.
But that's enough about me! :) Please keep checking back. I will continually update this blog until I feel like there's enough content to make some sort of an impact. Like I said, there are a lot of great websites and resources out there already... I'm just hear to add to the conversation. :)
Thanks for reading.
I am not famous.
My songs are not on the radio.
I do not make a living off music.
However, I have been writing songs for many years and have been blessed with a lot of opportunities to share my songs with people. Through the years (and especially recently) I've had several people ask me about the process I go through when writing a song. I know the process can be quite different for different people, and it's not always the same formula even for me, but I hope this blog will at least give you a jump-start into the world of songwriting.
(KEEP IN MIND: If you don't like rock music, you may or may not find my musical-oriented posts helpful, but you should still find some helpful hints on lyric-writing later on...)
I would also like to encourage you to keep looking for different ideas and techniques. There is a LOT of information on this beast called the "internet." :) Learn to be well-rounded by seeking advice from several different sources.
Now, a little bit about me. This should help you get an idea of my musical background which will obviously have an affect on my songwriting style.
I started taking guitar lessons the week of my tenth birthday. I started out with a cheap little acoustic guitar. I continued lessons for a little less than a year, practicing every single day. By the time I hit my eleventh birthday I had already written my first song. It was a silly little song that hardly made any sense, but it was a song. I was still young enough that I hadn't developed any solid musical influences yet. Sure, I knew I liked certain bands/artists, but that was it.
Then came middle school.
I was in sixth grade and it was time to grow up! ;P Everyone around me suddenly started having their own opinions about things like music and movies... It was about time I developed some of my own! I started listening to bands like Switchfoot and Lifehouse. Meanwhile, I had formed my first band with three friends of mine. Although I didn't take on singing duties at the time, I was the primary songwriter. Were they musical masterpieces? No way! But every song I wrote added more and more to my experience and maturity. And the songs hardly left the garage anyway. :)
Fast-forward to high school.
I feel like the middle of my high school career is when I started writing genuinely good songs. I started another band and we started playing shows around the area. It was a huge learning experience because suddenly I was sharing my creations with people I didn't know. They didn't care about the time and energy and HEART I poured into the songs. All they cared about is if it sounded good. Some of the tunes were well-receieved; others weren't.
Since then, I have been involved in several serious music projects, most of which were rooted in songs that I either wrote or co-wrote. I have grown tremendously as a musician (mainly guitar, but splashes of other instruments) and as a songwriter. I've written at LEAST a couple hundred songs in the past ten-plus years, most of which haven't stood the test of time.
Along with my artistic growth came the growth of my musical library. I listen to a very wide variety of music. Some of the artists you know and love, but most of them you've probably never heard of. Here's a small list to give you an idea of who my influences are...
As Cities Burn (my FAVORITE), The Almost, Circa Survive, Coldplay, Edison Glass, Emarosa, House of Heroes, Jon Foreman, The Listening, Phil Wickham, Progress In Color, etc.
Some of those artists are musical influences, others are lyrical influences, and some are both.
But that's enough about me! :) Please keep checking back. I will continually update this blog until I feel like there's enough content to make some sort of an impact. Like I said, there are a lot of great websites and resources out there already... I'm just hear to add to the conversation. :)
Thanks for reading.
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