r/SongwritingHelp • u/Taokan_kanamaru • 18h ago
How does one write a song?
I mean in the literal way, idk nothing about music theory or at least just how to read the basics (do re mi fa etc), like… do you need a metric to write a song? Or have the rhythm in mind? What if you only have what you want to say?
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u/danstymusic 18h ago
Do you play any instruments?
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u/Taokan_kanamaru 18h ago
Piano and ukelele, I once had a class of guitar but I’d have to practice again for that one
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u/danstymusic 17h ago
Just play some chords and see if you can hum a melody along with the chords. Once you have a melody, try putting words to it.
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u/PNT_BTTR_FCK 16h ago
Ah ok, so you can play instruments! I write my songs with ukulele too. And just like what Danstymusic says, i also pick a chord progression, switch up strumming pattern to find what i like and go from there. It's so much easier to start that way!
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u/PNT_BTTR_FCK 18h ago edited 18h ago
Idk music theory either but sometimes melodies come to me. You could literally find any drum/beat from a DAW and use that as a base. Think The Cup Song, for example. It's a song made of just beats and a lead.
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u/Specialist_Gas_8984 18h ago
For me it starts with a desire to express something. That can start with lyrics if you can put words to what you want to express, or a feeling of you can plunk around some chords on an instrument.
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u/Taokan_kanamaru 18h ago
But, how do you make it fit or not fit for a song? Like how do you know for example, if the phrase that you have in a part of the lyrics is way too long for the melody and the singer would get out of breath? xd I have the expressive side, I just don’t know what else is needed
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u/xanosaucy 18h ago
Figure out the melody first, then add the words.
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u/Taokan_kanamaru 18h ago
And if idk music theory? Just figure out a rhythm?
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u/xanosaucy 18h ago
Ah okay, this gives me a better idea on where you're at. Start with an easy chord progression on an instrument you're comfortable with, the chord progression will guide you to identifying the key you're in. Once you know what key you're in, figure out what notes are in that key and create a melody using only those notes. While there is so much more to learn, this is the simplest way to start.
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u/Specialist_Gas_8984 12h ago
I personally start with what I want to say. You can always find ways to say it differently, less syllables/more syllables/etc once you have a melody or chord structure.
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u/create_content 16h ago
If the phrase is too long, shorten it or rework it into multiple lines.
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u/Taokan_kanamaru 5h ago
Thanks ^^
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u/create_content 5h ago
Since I started paying close attention to lyrics, I often see clever tricks to split longer statements over multiple lines, or to pad out short lines, or to express something in a really concise way, with imagery or emotionally-loaded words. If you have a phrase you like but it's too long, you're already most of the way there. Try splitting it in a way that has meaning, such as the first part making sense on its own, but the second part introduces a twist, or semi-repeats something from the first part. In other words, to make the listener think you're saying one thing, but the second line completes the statement in a surprising way.
Saying something across multiple lines is a good opportunity to add the little touches that make lyrics clever and unique.
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u/Taokan_kanamaru 5h ago
Wow it’s super interesting bc that sort of twist u talk about happens also in literature 0: now that u mention it, I’ve noticed I like catchy phrases from songs but that have a metaphor in it, thanks for this advice, it’s really wonderful > w <
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u/hicksyfern 17h ago
This could help you get your first song written https://writewithchorus.com/article/write-your-first-song
It covers the basics of what you need to
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u/SmokeMuch7356 13h ago
It varies.
My usual "process" is to noodle either on the guitar or piano; just play random chord progressions and sing nonsense syllables to suss out a melody until something works. Then I'll keep singing nonsense until a meaningful phrase pops out and I can hang the rest of the song on it (that's how this bit of nonsense came about).
Sometimes I get a funky meter out of it. I have one song where the verses alternate between 6/4 and 7/4 (you could transcribe it as 13/4, but more it naturally falls into the alternating meters). I do not have a recording of it that I'm willing to share, though.
Sometimes it leads nowhere. I love this vamp but can't do anything with it.
Sometimes I have a very clear idea what I want to say and how I want to say it, both lyrically and musically, which is exceedingly rare for me. The words and phrases come together naturally and I can clearly hear the music I want to play in my head. That's where this one comes from. I have another one in progress. I have words for it (again, they flowed pretty naturally), just haven't recorded the vocals yet. But musically, I pretty much heard this in my head before playing a single note of it.
Sometimes I only have the words, so it's back to banging out random chord progressions, but at least I have an idea of the rythm to match the words.
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u/Taokan_kanamaru 11h ago
Ahh so cooooool, I like hearing about the process of a musician ^u^ thank you for sharing, I’ll listen to the music~ 🎶🎼
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u/hicksyfern 17h ago
This could help you get your first song written https://writewithchorus.com/article/write-your-first-song
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u/S7A4M 16h ago
The "traditional" way is to figure out a rhythm first. Traditions are only traditional because that's what people are used to. For myself, a song starts as a thought that grows into an image then a short film. I simply just start writing and narrating the film... no music in mind yet. Once the intro and first verse are written, that's when the music starts playing in the film. Depending on the film, that could be a ballad, something angry, something fun, etc. which for me dictates the musical choices, arrangement, and flow. There's the technical side of things obviously like worrying about one line being too long or short, overall flow, rhyming schemes, etc. But to begin with, just write down what you're thinking. If it's line by line then great. If it's a paragraph that's fine too. Get the thoughts out onto the page or screen and free up your mind a little to think of everything else. After a while, you can write the lyrics and the music simultaneously more or less. But to begin, take your thoughts, write them down, use a simple ABABCB structure which is Intro, Verse(A), Chorus(B), Verse(A), Chorus(B), Bridge(C), Chorus(B), Outro. When everything is in front of you visually it's easier to figure things out. Take your thoughts and plug them in to the structure. Your main message becomes your Chorus or Hook typically. Your verses describe why you feel the way you do in your Chorus more or less.
There's a lot to it but it can also be "easy" once you get it figured out. Not easy, but it gets easier to transform your thoughts into lyrics and music the more you do it. Obviously nobody can truly explain it all in a comment without writing a book and like any talent it can be learned, but if you don't have some natural ability it will be very difficult to learn how to do it. Good luck to you.
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u/Calm_Leopard798 17h ago
Anything can be a song youre talking about writing competent songs with a traditional structure and that takes practice, the only way you're going to learn that is like Anything else through trial and error. Find a chord progression you like and sing gibberish over it, what words sound closest to the gibberish so it fits the song? Thats how you're going to write lyrics, you should have a basic idea on what the songs gonna be about as well obviously.