Songwriting combines two genres in one. Not only are you writing lyrics, but you’re also setting them to music. This process can be a bit like changing a recipe as you cook, modifying the ingredients and measurements to match the taste you’re going for. Musician Leo McFadden has some fantastic tips for helping songwriters write (and play) their way to a hit:
1) Take Inspiration from Music you Love
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel! “Blackbird” by The Beatles came from the time Paul and George learned Bach’s “Boureé” to impress girls at parties. Paul was mucking around with some of Bach’s chords—mashing them up a bit—and started writing “Blackbird” from there. If you listen to “Blackbird” it sounds nothing like “Boureé,” and yet “Boureé” served as a departure point for “Blackbird” to come into being. There’s nothing new under the sun!
2) Stick to the Basics
The chordal accompaniment for almost every pop song can be explained with four simple chords as seen in this video. (Please note there is some language that could be offensive at the beginning of this recording). These four chords form the harmony over which your melody will be heard. The harmony is the collection of chords that your piece uses and the melody is the line that is sung. The harmony is played by the backing instruments (such as guitar and piano) and the melody (or tune) is generally sung.
More Example Videos:
Four chords for guitar (From Nate Savage)
Four chords for piano (From Bill Hilton)
3) Find Your Melody
Sometimes people have a strong melody in their heads before they begin the lyrics. If you start with the music, you will be conscious that you are singing the tune when you are writing the words.
But if you don’t have a tune in mind and have written your lyrics, a simple strategy is to loop the four chords mentioned above whilst speaking your words to the rhythm in which they should be sung. Over time, a melody will come to you. Use your phone or any recording device to quickly hum your melody when it comes to you. If you wait, it might have already left you! There are many stories of people waking up in the middle of the night and running desperately to record or write down a tune.
