Every piece of music you hear is a mixture of several musical elements that make up the product. Whether or not you are a lyricist, you might be inspired by a great one that made you want to include a part of your life’s story on the track. However, writing one of these is more than simply writing lyrics and giving them a melody.
You need to pay attention to numerous elements to produce something that has the quality to be recognized by people out there. To do it accordingly, start considering it and understand the basic aspects of this procedure.
To write one of these, you will need to think about things like structure, rhythm, melodies, and harmonies, as well as the technical aspects of music like notation and audio recording. Today, we’ll take a look at the basic steps you need to take to do it properly, as well as some tips that can help you along the way. But first, let’s talk about…
The Basics
What are some of the key elements you need to write one of these? These may include things like musical instruments, recording equipment, software tools, and more.
To get started writing, you need some basic instruments like a guitar or keyboard, as well as some audio recording software or apps with which to record your progress. You may also want to consider exploring different music styles and genres for inspiration so that you can find the right sound.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced songwriter, there are many tools and resources available to help you along the way. For example, online courses, tutorials, and forums can offer valuable tips and advice, and there are also many songwriting apps and software programs that can help with the creative process.
How Long Does It Take You to Do It?
The answer to this question depends on some factors, including the length of the song, the complexity of the music, and your writing style.
A typical pop song can be written in just a matter of hours or even minutes, while a more complex and fully-realized tune may take days or weeks to finish. In general, it is significant to give yourself enough time and space to work without feeling rushed or pressured.
One key thing to remember when writing a song is that inspiration can strike at any time, so it is important to be prepared with a recording device or app so that you can capture your ideas as they come.
Naturally, it can happen that you cannot on your product is quality enough if you don’t feel the ambient for creation meets your needs and preferences. If you’re feeling some sort of block and you need inspiration, it can be the trigger for this process to become lengthier.
Of course, there’s no magic formula that can tell you exactly how much time you need to create one of these. Some of the greatest pieces of all time were composed and inscribed in a couple of minutes. You would be surprised to understand how many hits were created this fast. Thankfully, it is easy enough to find some interesting facts regarding popular tracks out there.
Besides finding the right setting before you start the artistic procedure, remember that it is vital to be patient and give yourself time to let your creativity flow. So, don’t hesitate to commit yourself to the process.
4 Steps To Do It Right
There are certain stages involved in the songwriting process, and following them helps any songwriter achieve their end goal: creating a memorable and beautiful tune that people will love to hear and sing along to. This article discusses the four basic steps to writing it.
1. Seek a Creative Stimulation
Songwriting is nothing without inspiration, but it doesn’t always come easily. The way to find a stimulus is to listen to your favorite music or reflect upon your memories. These steps will help flood your mind with different ideas, and you should jot them down on paper or your smartphone as soon as they come. If you get inspiration while driving, and you think you remember all your thoughts until you reach home, you are completely wrong.
A good idea can go away just as soon as it arrives, which is why you should note it down. Moreover, there may be other ideas that don’t seem appealing at first but write them down anyway. When you revisit your notes later, you might find that the idea you rejected becomes the cornerstone of your entire concept.
Another way to gain inspiration is to see how today’s best artists create their songs, and Adele’s songwriting skills are a good source of inspiration. As an aspiring songwriter, you need to keep your diary on you at all times and also keep your phone’s voice recorder ready to record in case a melody starts taking shape in your head.
2. Build Around Your Idea
Once inspiration strikes and you have an idea, start building around it. Sometimes, the idea may come in the form of lyrics; other times, it would be a melody, a cool chord development, or an amazing rhythm. Before you start working on the idea, ask yourself various questions that facilitate your creative process, such as:
- The mood – whether it should be slow, laidback, fast, groovy, dark, etc.
- The features – the lyrics, rhythm, key, tempo, structure, etc.
- The idea – what you are talking about in your song, whether you are reflecting on your life experiences, or it has a general theme, etc.
These questions, and several others, will help you choose the musical elements that will make it the next hit. Once you go through this step, you will have a much more defined structure.
3. Develop a Structure
Now that you have a clear idea regarding your song and the elements you should use, it is time to build further upon it.
For most songwriters, developing a structure is the hardest part, and every artist has their way of creating their greatest hits. You might be surprised at how many of these were created without a defined structure.
It refers to its construction, i.e., its building blocks. These blocks include elements like verse, chorus, etc. The first one is where you start narrating your story, and the second one is where the general idea of the song is reflected and expanded upon. Moreover, there’s an element, the bridge refers to the section where it takes a different course but shifts to the verse or chorus.
There are also several variations to the structure, and these can be seen in several hit songs. These include “Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds and “Happiness is a Warm Gun” by The Beatles.
On the other hand, you can refer to Ed Sheeran’s songwriting process, which follows a definite structure. You can follow such examples to understand how different musical elements come together to form the whole concept you have intended to make.
4. Arrange and Finish the Song
The last step involves filling out the arrangement. You have written the lyrics and set them within a well-defined structure. Then, you can arrange it by including several musical elements in it – these include the key, tempo, musical instruments, rhythm, chord progressions, voicing, and much more.
The arrangement part also determines how long the intro or interlude of the song will be and whether it will end with the last line or you need an ending as well. If you know how to produce music and use a digital audio workstation (DAW), things would be much easier for you.
In Conclusion
Lastly, when all the elements are in their place, all that remains for you is to record it. Make sure to go through it repeatedly and make any tweaks you think it needs. Only going through it several times can help you understand whether there are some problems in the process.
By following the aforementioned steps, you will be able to write all kinds of genres and concepts, and you never know when one of them will become a major hit. Check out Soundsongwriting.com for more guidance regarding this process.
