Writing a song is a creative process with many facets – writing lyrics, finding a matching melody, arranging the song, and even getting in touch with your emotions, or expressing yourself through the song. There are as many approaches to songwriting as there are songwriters. Here are some techniques used by ten very different people.
1. How to Write a Song – Songwriting Tips Technique Tutorial Lesson
Songwriting tips that incorporate mindmaps.
rockongoodpeople
2. Learn How to Write a Beginner Song : Songwriting: Structure
Using structure as an aid to songwriting.
rockongoodpeople
3. How To Write A Song by Jennifer Newberry
“I’m showing you how I write songs and to maybe inspire you to write your own:)”
jennifernew21
4. How I write a song – Marie Digby
“I really wanted to put up a video for an original song because I’ve done a few covers for the last videos. Then I thought to myself, I’ve never put up a video as to how I write songs. There’s no magic to it really but I thought some of you may find it kind of interesting to see how it goes. This was one inspired by my incredible grandmother who has been ill but has been fighting to stay alive…This song is actually not a downer! It’s supposed to be inspirational and recognize how strong the human spirit can be…”
MarieDigby
5. How to Write a Song Songwriting Tips and Chords of a Major Key – Theory of the Major Scale and Key
“7 chords that fit in a key and really only the first 6 are used in popular music. Learn these well and you will be invincible!!!!”
youcanlearnguitar
6. How To Write a Song #2 – How The Beatles wrote Cant Buy Me Love
“FREE songwriting lesson from http://www.HowToWriteaSong.net featuring a study of the 1964 Beatles classic Can’t Buy Me Love. Learn how Paul McCartney would have chosen the chords, study the mechanics behind the song, and learn how YOU can apply the same techniques in your own music.”
UltimateSongwriting
7. Songwriting Tips from Jason Blume
“A small sample of what Hit Songwriter, Jason Blume will teach at the 2007, TAXI Road Rally.”
taximusic
8. How to Write Better Songs with John Braheny
“Legendary songwriting coach and author of The Craft and Business of Songwriting, John Brahney, hanging with TAXI CEO, Michael Laskow, in his office.”
taximusic
9. Learn to write songs in 5 minutes – Chad Doucette
“This is Chad Doucette giving a great lesson on how to write songs. This is some great advice to listen up.”
Trickofdisaster
10. Contrasting the Verse and the Chorus – Songwriting Lesson
“Berkleemusic instructor Jimmy Kachulis explains how to create a chord progression for a verse and one for a chorus that uses some of the tools for harmonic contrast.”
Study Music Online With Berklee
Conclusion
Are you a songwriter? What is your process? Which of these videos do you relate to? Which helped? Let us know in the comments.
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the beatles analysis was very interesting
After writing solely on guitar for many years, I got a computer loaded with Reason and Pro Tools, and it has changed my writing. I’m no longer afraid of using keys to start a song, and I love exploring different textures via all of the different sounds that are now at my fingertips. I usually start with a vocal melody, but that is arbitrary, it could just as easily be a bass line or a guitar lick. I think using a workstation has freed me from the constraints of writing only on guitar…There are certain patterns I go to, and they are almost always blues.
Not having the guitar in my hands has allowed me to stretch a bit, and try not to use a minor third all the time.
Great videos. I’m always pretty adept at coming up with chord progressions and such but it’s the lyrics that get me. Slows me down incredibly.
To me is important to lay down as many aspects of the song as you can when you are “hot”, the drums, the chords, the tempo any special instruments (brass, percussion, etc) because you know in your head how the song sounds like but most people won’t know what you are talking about until you lay it down.
Then hand over the song to the other musicians in your band (the ones that can actually play what you heard), get feedback, arrangements… make the song unique, make it yours, but make it memorable too.
Do i have to know how to play guitar in order to come up with the rhythm?
try writing a letter and use the words / ideas for your song ……..doug voice , singer songwriter