How To Write A Song Step By Step

Learning how to write a song step by step is by far the easiest way to get past the initial roadblock for new musicians looking to improve their writing skills. I find that many individuals are great songwriters once they know some sort of method to the madness of writing a song.

So you've come to the right place because in a moment I'm going to teach you how to write a song step by step.

Before I begin, I always encourage anyone who wants to be great at songwriting to learn music theory. It is the backbone to all that is music and after learning music theory, you will find that songwriting isn't as hard as you might think.

You have three ways to learn music theory:

A.Pay for music courses:
Which is by far the best way to learn because you can get feedback instantly from an expert, but it can really break your wallet.

B.Search online:
Very easy on the wallet but many people have different opinions on what they consider to be music theory. Also, there are so many websites you could be burning A LOT of your songwriting time for half true information.


C.Buy a Book by an Expert:
This is the method I use for pretty much anything I plan on learning. Why? Well in music courses you pay for the expert to teach you but once that course is over all you have is your notes for the most part. When you search online you save money but not time. Buying a book by an expert is quite cheap and you can thumb through the pages at your own pace. It's like getting a college music course for less than your gas for the week.

I highly recommend reading this book;


or if you're short on cash get a free online music course by clicking here.

Now that we've got that out of the way, allow me to teach you how to write a song step by step:
(BOOKMARK THIS PAGE because you may need to refer back to it often.)

STEP ONE: Create Your Melody
Many songwriters start differently when creating their songs. Some choose to start with chords while others start with their lyrics. I say start with your melody. Why? Well the melody is what gets stuck in people's heads. This is the part of the song that will have listeners REMEMBERING your songs days or even weeks after they've heard it for the first time. Think about those days where you couldn't get a song out of your head to save your life. It's the result of a well written and catchy melody.

Here's a way to find out if you have a great melody. Hum it in a room with your friends or family members. Do it off and on for about an hour. Wait for a little while and start humming it again.

One of two things will happen. They'll ask what song that is or (the result I get a lot) they'll start humming it with you. That is definitely a melody you should stick with.

STEP TWO: Support Your Melody with Chords and Drums
Chords are your supporting cast in a song. They fill in the spaces to make your composition sound rich. Creating chords to fit your song is something you can learn quickly  by learning music theory, or you can stumble your way through by finding a chord list online and playing against your melody until you've found progressions that fit well with your melody. If these terms are unfamiliar to you then please pick up The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Edition. Chords are very important because they provide support for your melody and helps to make your composition complete.

When creating the drums, let the melody and chords give you the rhythm. I find that there is no right or wrong way to apply drums so experiment and remember to not overdo it.Your drums should fit well with the rest of your composition. Less is always better so don't add a timpani if you really don't need one.

STEP THREE: Develop Your Song's Structure
I consider this to be one of the easiest steps when I teach how to write a song step by step. Why? Well most newbies listen to A LOT of music. To determine your song's structure, I just suggest that you listen to one of your favorite tunes and copy theirs. Do I mean copy their melody and lyrics too. NEVER DO THAT. IT'S STEALING!! I mean how they flow their song. INTRO-HOOK-VERSE-HOOK-VERSE-BRIDGE-HOOK-OUTRO is very common for songs but there are some exceptions. I suggest you use the above flow and work on making everything string together well. If you feel like the HOOK doesn't lead to the VERSE correctly make changes until it does. Believe me, if it's a problem for you then it will be a problem for your listeners.

STEP FOUR: Listen to Your Composition Over and Over Again
Why should you do this? Well music speaks believe it or not. If you listen to instrumentals repeatedly you will find that words pop in your head out of nowhere. This is a very good thing. As words pop in your head jot them down on paper. Try to write phrases instead of individual words and sing them against the instrumental track. Those that fit well keep and the ones that don't discard them. DO NOT TRY TO WRITE YOUR LYRICS YET. This exercise is used to help you brainstorm topics.Once you have a topic you feel fits the song well, move on to step 5.

STEP FIVE: Create Your Lyrics and Add Final Touches
My best advice here is to write a story. Don't worry about it following the music just yet. Once you have a great story written, work on applying it to the music. This is by far the toughest of all the steps but it needs to be done right the first time. Your instrumental will help with your rhythm, and your melody will help to make your lyrics catchy. DO NOT RUSH THIS PROCESS. As a beginner it may take you a whole day but as you get better you'll have it done within an hour.

Once you're satisfied with your song, sing it over and over until you have a great title. Most times,the lyrics applied to your main melody will be your title. Listen through once more and if you're satisfied add it to your song collection.

That's how to write a song step by step. Practice going through these steps on a daily basis and you will see your skills improve dramatically. Don't get discouraged if you don't get it right the first time it's normal. Just remember to NEVER GIVE UP.

Now songwriting can get very complicated and when you don't know music theory it's even tougher. I've been writing for about 5 years now but it wasn't until recently that I actually started making GREAT music. Believe me, when you start making great music you will start MAKING GREAT MONEY too.

Now many of you may be thinking "Wow 5 years is a long time to start making great songs," and you would be right. I had no one to lay things out for me like I have for you today. It wasn't until 2 years ago I discovered the importance of music theory, but even knowing that I still wasn't quite at the level I am today.
Until I discovered a program that helped me become an excellent songwriter in LESS THAN A MONTH!! 

I encourage you to take advantage of this FREE SONGWRITING COURSE!! I have no idea how long it will remain free so sign up today! You can access it by clicking here.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SONGWRITING AND FEEL FREE TO REFER BACK TO THIS PAGE OFTEN.

Marckiese Buford
yourfreemusicadvice(at)gmail.com