Whether you are a teenager or are well into your golden years, it is never too late to explore your creative side, especially if you are interested in music. Songwriting is an excellent way to express your thoughts and feelings and to communicate them to your friends and family, even if you have no aspirations of musical fame or fortune. If you are interested in selling or performing your songs, however, you should be aware that it is a hard road and that very few songwriters achieve great fame or fortune, and especially not instantly. Nonetheless, if you have realistic expectations, you will find that writing music is a worthwhile experience whether it is a hobby or a profession.
People write songs
in many different ways. Some writers compose the music first, while others
first write the words. For some, the words and the melody come to them at the
same time, while others write the melodies first and write the words last. No
matter what order you are comfortable with, you will eventually have to decide
what the song is about. There are a variety of different types of songs ranging
from songs that tell fictional stories to songs that communicate deep personal
feelings.
If you decide to
write a story song, a good first exercise is to write about a news story or
about something you’ve read in the newspaper. That way you can use your first
song to hone your word choosing skills without the pressure of coming up with
your own story. However, if you already have an idea for a story to tell, you
can write it out in poem form and try to make appropriate rhymes and structures
that help communicate what happens in the song.
Because music is so
expressive, many songwriters use their compositions to express how they feel,
whether it be about a person or a situation or even geographic location.
Writing these types of songs can be highly personal, so every person does it
differently. When you have a strong feeling about something, write it down in a
notebook and come back to it later. You might think of a good line that
expresses an emotion really well, and if you remember it you might be able to
build an entire song around it. Having quiet time to think is always helpful
when you are trying to write a song.
Writing the actual
music for a song can be done in many different ways depending on your musical
prowess and your focus. If you write mostly to communicate words, then a few
well-chosen chords might be all of the accompaniment you need. However, if you
are an instrumental virtuoso, your approach to writing music will be quite
different. Many people think of a musical idea and play it over and over again
until they think of a melody. Often times, songwriters will construct whole
pieces, melody and all, without even knowing what the song is going to be
about. Once the melody is complete, the writer will sit down and think about
lyrics that fit the feeling behind the music and will go from there.
Once you have put
together your words and music, you might feel the need to perform your new
song. It is always a good idea to play for friends and family first before
trying to play to a crowd. When you feel comfortable enough playing your song,
you should consider visiting an open mic night at a local coffeehouse or restaurant.
At open mic nights, songwriters can play one or more of their songs to an
appreciative and attentive audience. Performers can discuss their craft with
other writers, making it a fun way to learn more about the writing process.
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