Have you ever wondered about the secrets of songwriting and how to write a song? Or maybe how to make a song a hit? Well, what you need to evaluate are your song KSIs
'As a songwriter if you can touch people and make them feel a little less alone in the world then you've done your job' (Tom Cochrane)
The quote above is one of my favourite songwriting quotes because it contains the essence of successful songwriting and song-making. This guide is primarily about the creative process and songcrafting concepts that hopefully will help in writing better lyrics.
Depending on the answer to the first question you need to ask yourself, you may well need to engage in one or more of the three song-making crafts. Therefore, the first question you need to ask yourself is WHY do you want to write songs?
You may want to write songs because it allows you to express your thoughts and emotions just for your own enjoyment. Or maybe you are a singer and want to perform your own songs or you want to write and produce your songs for release. Depending on your answer you will need expertise in Songcraft, Studiocraft and/or PR-craft.
These 3 crafts all require specific skillsets when it comes to making a song and all contribute to whether a song will be successful. So let's now look at how to write a song.
Songwriting starts with the creative process. Getting that initial spark of an idea, writing down phrases, words or a story. This is not a prescriptive one size fits all process. When I decided to learn more about the art of songwriting the usual google search brought up a plethora of websites offering songwriting tips on the best approach to writing better lyrics. However, the first piece of advice I want to offer from my own experience is
Do what works for you!
By all means, do as much research as you feel necessary but don't feel bound by any technique. Use whatever seems to work for you. Everyone's creative process is different.
So how do you start to write a song? Unless you are writing songs scheduled to be completed by a certain date, my experience has been not to put pressure on yourself in the beginning. The more you write songs the easier the process becomes but, in the beginning, don't beat yourself up by trying to write the perfect song at the first attempt. So, for an effective creative process
Have a method to capture your ideas
Ideas or phrases can come to you at any time and I have learnt that they can be very transient i.e. the idea is easily forgotten unless you capture it in physical form. So, I found the best way of capturing ideas is on your mobile phone, which, if you are like me, is always at hand.
Use a memo type app like Evernote where you can organize your ideas, writedown text or record speech in a structured way. Then unless you have a eureka moment and have a complete song
Just capture what comes to you initially
You can be anywhere, anytime when a word or phrase may come into your consciousness. What you are building up is a wealth of triggers and raw material for a song or songs that your subconscious can use once you give it direction.
Once you start capturing ideas you may find that some of them seem to fit together or a particular phrase captures your attention. Once you have an idea or direction that appeals to you as the basis for a song, now is the time to focus. Start writing around that theme or write a story around the theme. Don't worry about structure or perfecting the song at this stage.
You will now be building the foundations for your song.
After the initial creative inspiration which extracts the raw material for your song, the rough diamond, you start the process of crafting the song which turns that rough diamond into a jewel.
If you are lucky enough to be a naturally intuitive writer, that is, you naturally know when a song feels right and is complete, then, you are one of the gifted few and I wish you well. However, if you need to take an analytical approach to your song's readiness, then, songcrafting with its tools and techniques will allow you to make considered decisions about the song's content.
So, even if your creative process generated several verses and a chorus for a song. This is not the end of the process unless you believe it is. What I mean is, if you are happy that your song will generate the reactions from your audience that you hope for, then, by all means, move on to the next song or on to studiocraft or PR-craft. The question is, other than having a gut feeling, how do you know the song will illicit the right response?
This is where songcrafting tools and techniques can assist in answering this question.
Look at the Indicators
One of your first considerations should be what audience are you trying to engage with? Is it a narrow niche audience or are you looking for the song to have a broader appeal? This answer will be what you can measure your KSIs (key Song Indicators) against. The perception, acceptance and reaction to your work are like the ingredients to a recipe. The mix of ingredients will decide whether it is to the taste of your audience.
The more informed you are about the conscious or subconscious choices you are making with regard to any song you write, the more control you have and the earlier and less costly it is to make changes.
If you plan to record your song, then, you must be cognizant of the songcrafting choices that you previously made. For example, if the required audience response is for the listener to be tearful, then, the final production should align with this e.g. having the lyrics underpinned with party music probably won't achieve the desired impact.
However, that is not to say that the original musical style can't be changed. This is where collaboration can take the song in a different direction from a composition point of view, while still maintaining the song's values. There is nothing wrong with this as long as lyrics and music are aligned in purpose. This is why the KSIs still need to be analysed at this stage.
If you don't have the production skills necessary to complete this stage of song-making, then, don't worry. There are many online providers offering mix and mastering services.
It's ready to go and you've created and crafted a wonderful musical work. Now is the time to get your music out there using the channels you have at your disposal like social media and live performances. There are also specialist PR and music marketing firms that can get your music on playlists and in front of influencers if this is within your budget.
The key is getting your music in front of your intended audience. This focussed approach will be more effective as it is aligned with your song's values. If you are looking for commercial success, then, PR-craft is an absolute necessity. Visibility and awareness of your work are paramount.
Key Song Indicators
So, assuming you are not intending to offend your listeners (which could be the purpose of your song), then analysing whether you have struck the right balance or clarity with the song will help with its appeal. Will your audience 'get it'.
Being able to analyse your songs makes it easier to understand why a song works or doesn't work. Therefore, it makes it easier to repeat successes and avoid failures. This helps you in striving to write better lyrics.
Optional to your own analysis of your song is the option to co-write with another songwriter. This helps to get early feedback and input to the song as it is being crafted. You can also send your song to be critiqued by songwriting experts or groups. However, you must be open to the feedback you receive and be willing to act on it.
Creating a song is something that only a few percent of the population can or will do. So when you create that song, it is something to be proud of. Enjoying your songwriting should always be the main concern. Perfection should not be the immediate aim, it is something to strive towards over time.
You can start to write songs with just your own intuition but there is so much more to understand. There are many songwriting courses out there and If you are interested in finding a good songwriting course you can find out more on my review page.
Good Luck