Songwriting Techniques

 “Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body” - Oliver Wendell Holmes. Musicians, poets and writers have used music since time immemorial as a means to express thoughts and feelings. Music has played an important role all through history in some form or the other. It has been used to express love, melancholy, heartache, joy and even to narrate traditions. Although once melodious music has taken many forms today, its purpose remains the same, i.e. to serve as the language of the soul. There are many people who are blessed with the art of expressing themselves in the form of songs, while there are others who have a lot to express, but do not know how to frame melodious verse. The following songwriting tips will give you a fair idea as to how to go about the same. Read on to learn more.

• In order to write a good song you will have to make sure that the melody of your chorus higher than that of the verse. There should always be a difference between the chorus and verses, avoiding this aspect will make your song very monotonous. Therefore, do not start your verses too high, rather, start them in a range that is comfortable for the singer and provides room for higher chorus.
• Make use of different chord progressions for different sections of your song. It is advisable to use major chords for the verses and the minor chords for the chorus. You can also make use of different number of chords per measure in various parts of your song.
• It is important to form different rhythms for different parts of your song to maintain the melodious flow in the song. You can experiment with different note lengths. For instance, if you are using half notes in your verses you might have to use quicker notes in the chorus or bridge. This contrast will certainly make your song more interesting and appealing.
• You need to start writing the song with a basic idea in mind. Without a basic idea, it becomes quite difficult to write a song. You need to be creative and need to experiment with different ideas that spark up. You need to have an open mind and come up with ideas in bulk, only then will something meaningful come up. Incorporate your ideas along with your emotions and you will see a masterpiece in the creation.
• Words are everything in a song. The lyrics you frame make a lot of difference and can make your song either a hit or a flop. Using some specific catchy words will definitely make a whole lot of difference. There are certain words if used while writing a song yield a lot of success. Therefore, it is advisable for you as a songwriter to be creative and choose words that can do wonders for you.
• Once you have creatively been able to come up with few bits and pieces of your song, the next big challenge is to assemble them together in rhythmic continuation. You will have to experiment with various melodies and think of various rhythm variations. Try playing the same chords and singing the same melody in different rhythms until you have your perfect match.
• Make sure your lyrics are new and unique in their own creative way. You should create lyrics that make the listener keep guessing as to what will come up next. The lyrics of new songs have become markedly predictable these days and you should avoid framing a song on similar lines. Make full use of your imagination and set your song apart from the rest.