How to Write a Song: A Beginner’s Guide

Writing songs is one of the most creative yet challenging tasks in the world. A good song turns hearts, lifts moods, and creates a refreshing vibe. The mark of a good song is that it stays within your heart forever. You want to listen to that song on a loop and such a song is created by someone who has mastered the art of how to write a song. 

Songwriting is different for different people. You may hear about a certain technique of how to make a song from a particular songwriter which might be completely different from another one – it all depends on the artist and his creativity. So as a creator, you need to experiment now and then to see what works best for you and what doesn’t.

How To Write A Song Lyrics As A Beginner?

Some people just cannot write song lyrics and want a pathway to learn how to write a song from scratch. They have the talent but they don’t know the a, b, c of songwriting. They want to express themselves via a song but don’t have guidance on how a soothing melody is crafted. This article is for them.  

If you are a newbie or have written some songs in the past that somehow didn’t work, then we have put together some simple steps that you can follow to kick-start your songwriting journey. We agree that there are no set rules but things don’t apply as it is if you are a beginner. Entry-level rules are different from pro level.  

These steps can lay a strong foundation to help build the artist within you. So, if you practice these steps then with time you will gain confidence in songwriting, and one day you might write a song that just goes viral and everything changes overnight.  

You never know when something extraordinary happens and you become the sensation. So, stay tuned and go through the complete article to understand how to make a song. 

What Is Songwriting?  

The songwriting process deals with creating lyrics and melodies to craft a song. It involves storytelling, expressing emotions, and creating musical compositions. For creating expressive and impactful music, songwriters draw inspiration from social issues, personal experiences, and fictional narratives. This is an art form that might be deeply personal and introspective and forms the backbone of the music industry. 

Also Read: How To Upload Song On Spotify?

How to Write a Song? - Step-by-Step Guide

So, without any further ado, let’s just deep dive into the process of writing a song. Here are the majors that you need to follow if you are a beginner and want to write your first impactful song: 

1: Igniting Ideas

As an aspiring writer, if you want to know how to write a song, you must find inspiration from your own experiences, emotions, and observations. Listen to your favorite songs and pay attention to what resonates with you. While doing this, always keep a journal with you so that whenever any thought or phrase comes to your mind you can write it down. 

2: Define Your Core Theme

Your theme decides what your song to be about. It could be anything – a love story, an experience, a social observation, or anything that resonates with you. Your song lyrics must portray the central theme or message. So as a newbie, if you want to figure out how to write a song, then defining your song theme should be your key priority.

3: Crafting Compelling Lyrics

Do one thing, think of all those songs that you love the most. What's the common factor among all? It is the fact that they all have fantastic lyrics. Write lyrics based on your theme or idea by some brainstorming. Meaningful, relatable, and easy-to-understand lyrics can elevate from a good song to a great song. Writing lyrics with good content can resonate deeply with listeners regardless of anything.

4: Develop a Captivating Melody

The next step of the songwriting process is to develop melodies by using a musical instrument of your choice or your vocals (if you are a singer). Try multiple harmonies and chord progressions for supporting your lyrics and enhancing the vibe of your song and do this until you find combinations that resonate with you. 

5: Structure Your Composition

Next is to structure your song. Most of the songs follow a typical song structure such as verse-chorus-verse or verse-bridge-chorus. Pick your song structure that suits the lyrics by experimenting with different arrangements. Choose the arrangement that you find the best and flows well with your song lyrics. 

6: Integrate Chords and Harmonies 

As soon as your song is structured, next you can do is add harmonies and chord progression to flesh out the musical arrangement. Song-making is a tough job, so you must try different chord progressions and harmonies to add texture and depth to your song. 

7: Refine and Revise

Now a rough draft of your song is ready, so take some time out to refine and revise the same. To make the song top-notch, you need to make some necessary changes in terms of the lyrics, melody, and arrangement. This helps in maximizing the overall quality of the song.

8: Practice and Perform

Now your song is ready but it is unpracticed. So, you need to practice performing your song till the point you feel confident enough to share it with others. It’s the audience that makes the showman so whether you play an instrument or sing, you need to share your music with the world. 

9: Keep Learning, Keep Growing 

Always remember that songwriting is a skill that improves with time and practice. Hence, don’t feel disheartened if your first few songs didn’t get the recognition you expected. Keep moving forward so that you constantly learn and grow as a songwriter. Soon the time will come when your songs start getting recognition and applause. 

What Makes A Good Songwriting?

Good songwriting is not a joke as it is acquired with a lot of hard work, practice, and patience. Here are the key features of good songwriting:

1. Authenticity:

Authenticity is the key to connecting with listeners. Be as authentic as possible which means bringing as much genuineness and sincerity in your craft. Songs that feel contrived or insincere feel less compelling than those that feel genuine and sincere. 

2. Strong Lyrics:

A good song is remembered by its lyrics and if lyrics aren’t good or average then your song would have never been categorized as a good song in the first place. So write strong and meaningful lyrics to create an impact. Also, make sure that the lyrics are in rhythm with the composition. 

3. Catchy Melodies:

Creating memorable melodies is one of the main characteristics of good songwriting. Always remember that the melody is what sticks inside the head of the listener. So, spend time learning the best practices for creating melodies that are soulful and memorable. 

4. Structural Cohesion:

A well-structured song follows a recognizable format, for example, verse-bridge-chorus or verse-chorus-verse. A good song structure engages the listener throughout the song and creates a sense of cohesion. 

5. Emotional Resonance:

The songwriting should be emotionally driven so that it touches the heart. For some people it is the simplicity of the lyrics, for some, it is the connection they feel with the lyrics as they resonate their lives with the song. 

6. Originality:

Originality is the key to a compelling song. You need to be as original as possible as in this era of the internet and technology, spotting plagiarized content is very easy. Writing your impactful songs requires skills and experience. You can get inspired by someone but you must not copy-paste an existing creation. 

7. Memorability:

A good song has a recall value. If you struggle to remember song lyrics then it means it lacks the spark. Get feedback from people and check whether or not they remember your song. Whether it’s the lyrics, melody, or overall vibe, memorable songs stay with us for a long time, so write songs accordingly.

8. Versatility:

A good song is enjoyed by people regardless of their place, ethnicity, or culture. That's the characteristic of a hit song. For example, a melodious song in Spanish can be enjoyed by people living in India. This is because of its broad appeal making it universally acceptable. 

9. Arrangement and Production:

The two things that separate a good song from an average one are production and arrangement. Things like instrumentation, mixing, and song dynamics can greatly influence how the song is perceived. 

10. Listening to Feedback:

Feedback is very important to check and assess the credibility of any song. See if there is any buzz about your song on social media, whether people talking about it, and what is the response, all these things help you get genuine feedback. Remember it takes time for any song to become popular so be patient and observe. 

Also Read: How to Upload Music to TikTok? 

Conclusion

In the end, I would just like to say that music is such an ocean in which the more you dive, the deeper it becomes. That's why it takes years for a musician to learn this art. Therefore, if you wonder how to make a song, you will also have to put effort into reaching that level. But it is certain that with continuous practice and rigorous penance, you can become an excellent songwriter, if not today or tomorrow, whose talent will be recognized by the whole world. We hope you will be successful in your journey, all the very best. 

If you liked this article then post your valuable feedback in the comments section and don’t forget to share it with your musical friends and loved ones.

FAQ's 

1. How to write songs for beginners?

As a beginner, if you wonder how to write a song, start by expressing your emotions and experiences more freely. Follow structures that are simple such as verse-chorus-verse for writing songs. Try experimenting with multiple melodies and chord progressions. Always keep a journal and whenever some musical thought or idea comes to your mind, write it down. Make improvements in your write-up and don’t be afraid to edit or rewrite it. Lastly, practice your craft regularly and listen to your favorite artists for more inspiration. 

2. How to write a song with no experience?

If you have no or less experience in songwriting then you can start by listening to your favorite songs carefully to understand their structure and how they are written. If you know any musical instrument then it's great! You can experiment with different melodies and chords on any instrument or musical software and pick your favorite chord progression. For lyrics, focus on personal stories and emotions. Do more and more practice and lastly, take genuine feedback from your listeners. 

3. How do I start my own song?

Songwriting is a creative domain, so to begin with you must find inspiration from your personal experience, emotions, or society. Next is to decide on a theme and create a melody. Then draft lyrics according to that theme and melody. Try multiple song structures and refine your ideas through practice and revision. 

4. How do you write the beginning of a song?

A song is just like storytelling. So, the beginning should reflect the introduction of your feelings and expressions so that your listeners can understand the basic plot of your story. In the stanzas, you can take your story to the next chapters followed by the conclusion.

5. Is it hard to write a song?

Yes, writing a song could be tough for some people especially if they don’t follow the basic steps of how to write a song as a beginner. Secondly, you have to have some sort of artistic mind or talent within you which with proper guidance and training can take the shape of a professional songwriter over time.