10 songwriting techniques to try
Writing a song can be a difficult challenge, even for experienced songwriters. It can be hard to know where to start, what techniques to use, and how to make a song that people want to listen to again and again. But if you try out different songwriting techniques, you can get ideas and create something unique and memorable. In this article, we’ll talk about some tried-and-true songwriting techniques that can help spark your creativity and help you make a good song.
Keep things simple
This is one of the hard-to-follow techniques. It’s understandable to want to write mind-blowing songs, yet most pop and rock hits are simple. The chord progressions and lyrics are simple and easy to understand.
We need revolutionary lyrical material to get our name known, but our favourite songs throughout history have lasted because they’re easy to recall. What matters is what you want to say to your audience. When writing a song, make your message and melodies easy to understand and remember. It makes many pop songs memorable.
Record yourself
It’s common for songwriters to reject a new song before even recording a draft, only to see that other people love it once it’s on tape. Recording yourself occasionally while working is one of the great songwriting techniques. Record every change or update. This will show you how you sound and what suits your style.
Even if you don’t enjoy it, you’ll have more ideas to use later when producing music. It’s great to find an old idea on your voice recorder and realize that it could be useful. Recording yourself is a great technique to receive feedback from friends and family, as a songwriter needs to know how the audience will react to his style.
Diversify your songwriting approaches.
What worked for your last song may not for this one time. This is why you occasionally struggle with a song despite employing the same technique. It’s fine to struggle with a song. Your song is novel, and you can’t treat novelty like old projects. New methods are needed.
A new approach means changing your process till something works. Try Biography writing services lyrics first if you usually write the music first. If you always play the guitar, try the keyboard. Try writing the title after the music. Use anything to show your brain you’re not doing it the same way, and it will generate new ideas.
Write drafts
Beginners do not have to put out every song they write. Songwriting requires rough drafts. It’s an important technique for songwriting. We add chord progressions, a kick, and a snare and call it a song. No, not always. Your songwriting needs practice like bodybuilding does before a competition.
Change your track around. If you sound great, keep working on it. When you’re on the right track, you’ll know when to post. When you say you’re working on a rough draft, your brain can be more open to new ideas. A first draft could be turned into a good song.
Put down your instruments and write.
Staying at the piano to write lyrics may seem natural, but it’s not innovative. It might work well, but you might end up writing songs in the same old way.
Your musical skills are restricted, but not your imagination, instead of playing an instrument, walking, and humming. Once you have a melody and a structure, go home and make up a chord progression that goes with it. It’s about aligning your instruments and tools with your vision.
Use Samples.
Sampling is a major technique for music producers. You use ready-to-use materials (melody loops, drum patterns, etc.) in your song. It makes writing easier and helps you by using someone else’s work. It’s like someone is giving you a hand with your song by adding a part that will make the whole thing better.
Many critics have called this technique inauthentic. There’s nothing wrong with artists using samples to create art. The same 12 keys are used over and over again in different ways.
Consider your own experience
The best songs are those we can relate to. We like beautiful melodies and complicated drum beats, but when a song is about something we know or have been through, it hits us differently. This is why we suggest that you base your song on something you’ve been through.
Try to figure out what experience you want to share with your readers and what mood you want to write in. This will set the tone and make decisions easier by linking every piece of your music to the same tale. It will simplify your life and provide your listeners with a meaningful song.
Do a sound walk
There are lots of interesting sounds in your neighbourhood. Why not find, record, and use them? Just grab your field recorder or the phone to start and go.
Think of places around you where you could get an interesting snippet to sample: loud conversations at your local Italian coffee shop, college students walking home late at night during freshman week, birds in the morning, church bells ringing, rain, and so on. Also, you can record different language conversations and get them translated by Vanilla Heart Book and Authors into your language and get ideas from it.
Once you record them, you are the only one who has those sounds. So go on a sound walk to get inspired and find ideas for songs you want to write.
Stream of consciousness
Stream of consciousness is a writing style that is very popular. Poets and writers have used this method to come up with new ideas and get in touch with their subconscious. The method works pretty well for writing music, but there are a few things to remember if you try it.
Sit down, take a deep breath, and pick up the instrument you want to play. Forget everything you know about music theory, rules, and structure, and dial in a great tone and effects you like.
Now, all you have to do is look out the window and perform whatever comes to mind. Let your mind and fingers lead you, and have a little self-jam that isn’t planned. After a while, you might start to like certain patterns, chords, or notes. Make a note of them and start working on a riff or lick that you might want to use as the basis for a song.
Talk less and hear more
Take a silent oath. You’ll improve your songwriting with one of these techniques. A day may be too much. Silence is healthy. An hour of silence can reboot your brain. Whether you realize it or not, talking is a big and complicated job for your brain. Putting things aside helps you write. During all that silence, deep memories and feelings will rise. Those songwriting ideas. Try silence instead of chatting. Use your brain to find inspiration.
Conclusion
There are many different songwriting techniques that you can try in order to craft a successful song. The most important thing is to have fun and let your creativity flow because that’s how you’ll come up with a song that people will remember and care about. So don’t be afraid to try out new techniques and see what works best for you and your music.