There is no concept more critical in becoming a musician than the art of songwriting. It can be difficult because it requires inspiration as well as the ability to make improvements. Since being able to write songs for yourself is a crucial skillset to have, here are some things to keep in mind while doing so.
1. Balance the melody with the lyrics.
Two key aspects of any song are both the melody and the lyrics. The melody is how you are playing the song with whatever instruments in mind (even just your voice) while the lyrics are the words that tell a story and capture your audience’s imagination.
It can be easy to ignore one aspect so that the song is either a written masterpiece but badly played or a great track with mediocre lyrics. Don’t neglect one for the other.
Ed Sheeran is careful to match his lyrics to his melody.
2. Make the words simple and catchy.
Like in writing a story or a poem, the words of a song should be as simple and catchy as possible. Trying to sound sophisticated through long phrases with multi-syllable words can seem eloquent, but it can mess up the harmony between your lyrics and melody.
The audience will also understand your song better if you communicate what you’re trying to say through a simple way. It will also help the song sound catchier because it’s easier to remember.
The girl group Little Mix writes lyrics that are both catchy and powerful.
3. Make the title a hook for the audience.
If you’ve been in a writing class, then you’ve been told that writing an essay requires a hook to draw the readers in. The same rule applies to creating the title for your song. In this case, you want to title to be short and sweet.
Words that invoke action imagery (edge, fight, etc.) as well as short phrases (fighting on the edge) can be effective titles. Look up other song titles, preferably the ones that have placed on top of song charts, and see what kind of titles they have.
Taylor Swift’s song titles always grab attention.
The nature of songwriting is more complex than simply jotting down what comes to mind. It requires an understanding of how the melody should balance out the lyrics. It requires an understanding of good and catchy wordplay. It can be tough to master but worth it for a successful song.
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Kevin Kwon is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley, currently 23 years old. He works in San Francisco and hopes to continue in the graduate studies regarding the field of psychology.
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