How To Write Good Song

Use song formulas already available. OK, I know what you'll say. I don't want to copy someone else's stuff. Easy, you won't :)

When we're talking about formulas, we mean song structures that have been created tens of years ago and are used as templates for ALL artists around the world. There are so many of them that you may get a little too exciting when you start discovering one after another (HINT: look in books on songwriting). For now let's just focus on one:

Verse -> chorus -> verse -> chorus -> bridge -> chorus.

Wow, wasn't that hard :) But it makes the whole process so much easier. Knowing this technique let's you focus on what's the most important here: creating one good sounding verse, one chorus and bridge and you're done! Copy them, put in the right order and, THIS IS IMPORTANT, add some minor touches to each one (different chord transitions, additional melodies, vocal harmonies). This will make parts of your song sound distinct and more sophisticated.

Yes, you heard me. You can't start writing song without a story that you want to tell.

Remember about it as it will save you a lot of time getting distracted or staring at the desk looking for ideas for the second and third verse. I remember making this mistake in the past myself. I would sit down and start writing lyrics without a clue as to what these lyrics are going to be about. I kept asking myself: "Oh, God How to write good song?" but nothing happened.

It all clicked for me when a good friend of mine told me to devote some time just to lay on the bed and think about all the possible subtopics/branches that my central idea would be connected to BEFORE the actual process of writing the lyrics.

And when you think about it it seems totally reasonable. Approach songwriting as though you would approach a school essay :) Think about your outline first. This is where mind mapping comes in handy. Think about your message to the world, ask friends or family about their ideas/experiences, google them, check forums and ask people about their stories. You will end up with a fair amount of things you can write about. Never again expect a blank piece of paper to tell you what the song is about :P

Here's a great resource on how to write good song that will point you in the right direction.