For all you music lovers out there, you’ve probably always wondered how easy (or difficult) it would be to write your own song or music. For most people, it would depend on their creativity and imagination, but there a few steps that you can take to make the overall process much more straightforward.
Here we will provide you with a list of methodical steps that you can follow to help you in writing the song of your dreams.
Step One: Compile a List
Start by producing a list of everything that is important to you. This could be anything from important people, world issues that concern you or places you have been to.
The items on this list can either be a source of negativity or positivity depending on the overall tone you wish to strike with your song.
Step Two: Think About Emotion
The most popular songs in existing are ones that people can relate to. This might be due to shared experiences or similar interests. One thing that is for certain is that music has the ability to change people’s moods for the better or worse.
Think about the emotions that you want to convey with your song and see how they can fit together with the subject matter you have chosen. A love song for example could be used to convey both sadness and happiness.
Step Three: Know Your Intended Audience
Some songs are universal in their appeal but some only appeal to those of a certain age group or background.
This is your chance to really dial in the tone of your song by concentrating on lyrical content that you know will strike a chord with certain people. Broad concepts are always ideal as they are more likely to be enjoyed by a larger audience.
Step Four: Find Your Inspiration
Nothing will inspire you more than listening to your favourite songs whilst you compose your own. These songs don’t even have to be related as you will often find that a connection in emotion and feelings can be made across subject matter.
For your first song, it is more than acceptable to base it on another that you really like. You will probably find that it will take on a life of its own.
Step Five: Note Down Ideas Wherever You Go
Whilst in the writing stage, you should make sure that you can make a note of any ideas that you come up with whilst going about your everyday life. Mundane situations can be the spark needed to write that catchy hook you need for your chorus so don’t find yourself scrambling for a pen.
Once you have finalised your song’s lyrics, you can then pick up your musical instrument of choice and get playing. If you haven’t yet learnt to play the guitar or piano then consider purchasing a backing track. The best backing tracks are available online and some suppliers will even create you a personalised one under your instructions. They can vary in cost but needn’t be overly expensive.
By now you should be well on your way to composing your first piece of music and one day maybe even being in a position to perform your material live.