Beginner Songwriting Tips To Get You Hooked

Here's the best, free, easy step-by-step songwriting lesson used successfully by thousands of aspiring songwriters just like you in my website, Songwriter Advisor.com, adapted for beginner songwriting:

1. Develop A Song Title:

Choose a song title first! Try to be original with your song title by deciding what your song's theme will be about. Using this songwriting technique will instantly make your songs more memorable and interesting as you dive into beginner songwriting.
For example: Let's say the song is about being in love with someone. Instead of titling it, "I Love Her", you could title it something like, "She Takes Me Far Away".

This is great songwriting advice: Once you have a great title the song becomes clearer and much easier to write.

2. Choose A Song Form:

You have a great title. Now choose one of the following common song forms:
Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus,
Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus, or
Verse-Verse-Bridge-Verse
For a detailed explanation of the different sections and how they're used, skim through Song Form and come right back; we'll be waiting. At this point, listen to a couple of your favorite songs and see if you can pick out which song form they've used. Chances are, they've used one of the above three listed or a variation of those three.

For the rest of this step-by-step songwriting resource, we'll use the Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus song form.

3. Rhyming Scheme For Your Song

All songs have rhymes and to give you an idea of how they are commonly used in songs, here's a quick songwriting tip for rhyming:

1) rhyme lines 1 and 2 in the verse, then rhyme lines 1 and 2 in the chorus (2) rhyme lines 2 and 4 in the verse, then rhyme lines 1 and 2 in the chorus. The point is, use variation between sections in your rhyming scheme to add excitement and contrast. You get the idea!

4. Sing The Title

Start experimenting by picking out a genre or style you want to use for your song, and singing the title words in your own way no matter how silly or strange it feels to actually be writing a song!

At this point you want to come up with the chorus of the song, and it helps to know the best place to put your title is in the first and last lines of the chorus.

Also, know that the chorus, also known as the hook/chorus, contains the central idea and summary of your song--the part you want everyone to remember upon their first listen!

Generally, the hook/chorus contains higher notes than the verses and other song sections.

When you have at least an idea of how your hook/chorus might sound like, move on to songwriting tip #5.

5. Write The Verses:

The first and last line of each verse should be the strongest lines of your verses.

The first line of the verse should introduce what the song is about so the listener will want to hear more.

The last line of each verse right before the chorus should say something to color the chorus's meaning differently every time.
i.e., if the chorus is: She takes me far away, the last line of the first verse could be something like:

......When she holds my hand (last line of 1st verse)
She takes me far away (first line of chorus)

The second verse's last line, in order to color the chorus differently might be something like:

......I don't know where I stand, but (last line of 2nd verse)
She takes me far away (first line of chorus)

You can see the lines "When she holds my hand", and "I don't know where I stand, but" color the chorus differently. Using this often overlooked technique can make your song more interesting and memorable.

If you use this blueprint for songwriting success I wouldn't be surprised to see you on the charts!

The principles outlined here are some of the same ones used by pro songwriters, and as you can see, it is not a complicated process at all. Visit SongwriterAdvisor.com for more tips, tricks, and innovative songwriting techniques.

With this article you have some great songwriting basics to build on. Take a look at the article links at the bottom of the lens for more detailed information on what's covered in this songwriting tips installment.

Happy Songwriting!
Orlando

These are some helpful beginner songwriting tips:

1. You need to come up with a great first line in your song to immediately impact the listener.

2. Your verses should make sense and follow a chronological order unless you're reflecting on the past, and even then, you must make it very clear to the listener what is happening so they don't get lost.

3. The last line or two right before the choruses should be as strong as the first line, and remember, what you say in the last verse lines can color the choruses differently so that you bring an added dimension to the story or feeling of the song.

4. The best place to place your title if you're writing a pop song is in the first and last line of your chorus. The title is almost always, the hook of the song.

5. If you get stuck during the 2nd verse know that sometimes the 2nd verse ends up being the 1st verse. A great songwriting technique here is to think of the 1st verse as "setting the song up" and the 2nd verse as "explaining what's happening in more detail."

6. Finally, know that a song is not a poem. Poems can be read over and over until your eyes bleed and sometimes you still don't have a clue about what you just read! Songs, however, have to be understood so they can connect with the listener upon the 1st or 2nd listen! That's not to say some songs aren't very poetic-there's always an exception to the rule.