Learn to write your own song.

LEARN HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN LYRICS: a step-by-step guide.

What comes first, melody or lyrics? How does an idea become a whole song? How do you know if your song is any good? Well, I’ll answer the first two questions in this article. The third question – How do you know if your song is good? – is answered like this:

• If a song genuinely expresses your feelings, then it’s a good song. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

• If a song expresses your feelings AND touches other people, moves them emotionally, or gets them on the dance floor – that’s a  good song with the potential to become a HIT!

So, how do you write a song that moves other people and makes them want to listen? Well, that’s where song craft comes in!

Song craft

 What is song craft and why do I need it???

Good songwriters use song craft to give their songs emotional impact and make them memorable for listeners. The song building tools and techniques we call “song craft” are not arbitrary; they weren’t invented just to drive songwriters crazy or force us to create formula songs without depth or originality. They exist because, over hundreds of years, songwriters have found that they help listeners to understand, experience, and remember the  message at the heart of our songs.

From the opening lines of your first verse to the end of the final chorus, your song takes listeners on a journey. It could be one that leads deep into their emotions or makes them feel like jumping onto the dance floor. But a song that wanders from one idea to another, or loses momentum, or lacks focus can be frustrating for listeners. When that happens, they just tune out. Don’t let that happen! The simple ideas on this page will help you create a compelling, powerful experience for you and your listeners. Like any skill, though, song craft takes little practice so be sure to try the “Go Ahead and Do It!” exercises that follow each step!

‣ How does a song get started?

Getting started can be one of the hardest tasks in songwriting! And it’s also one of the most important because if you start well, you’ll have a lot less trouble down the line. You’ll know where you’re going and you’ll have plenty of things to say!

There’s always the temptation to jump right in and begin with the first thing that occurs to you. You know you want to write a song – melody, words, and chords – but you may only have a vague idea or a feeling about what you want to express. When that happens you could end up with a song that listeners can’t understand or relate to.

So what DOES come first – lyrics, melody, or chords? My answer is… none of the above! There are a lot of ways to start a song and you could start with one of those, but I’m going to suggest that you start with THE TITLE!

The title is going to be the line that everyone remembers. More important, it’s going to define the message of the song. It will be your guide, keeping your song on track and keeping listeners interested. Think of your title as the peak of a pyramid. The rest of the song is made up of the building blocks that support it.

Short phrases make good titles because they grab attention and they’re easy to remember. The ideal length for a title is one to five words.

Start your song with a title that appeals to you. Make sure it’s a phrase that rings true in your ears. Something that makes you say, “I’ve got to know more about that!” Because if YOU want to know, others will want to know.

GO AHEAD & DO IT! – Start your title list right now. Pick up a book or magazine, or scan for interesting short phrases. Write down at least three phrases. Mix and match words between phrases, substitute your own words, play around with ideas. Try to come up with at least one phrase that makes you want to write a song. Keep looking for more phrases until you have something you like. Draw a big circle around that phrase!

‣ Turn a title into a lyric. Here’s how!

Now, let’s begin to turn your title into a great lyric by simply asking a few questions – the questions suggested by your title. If you use these questions as a guide when writing your lyric, you’ll be able to…

• Finish every song you start
• Keep listeners with you
• Make your song say what you want.

Ask the Questions hidden in your title!

GO AHEAD & DO IT! (2) – Go back and look at the title you circled. What questions does it suggest to you, ones that you want to answer in your lyric? Make a list of questions that you’d like to answer. Then add any questions you think listeners will have. Will they understand your title? Do you have to explain what it means?

Tell them why you’re saying this? Start writing a few of your answers now. Don’t bother to rhyme or even think about writing a lyric. Just say what you want to say. That’s the best place to start because that will be the heart of your song. 

Source- SujeethVS.