songwriting made easy

written by Marcella Adisuyra

Has the idea of “songwriting” ever felt daunting? An idea that intimidates you? Well, I’m here to tell you that songwriting is not as hard as it may seem. 

You may wonder where to start. There are many ways you can start your songwriting process. Here are some examples:

1. Pick some chords

2. Start with a vague topic

3. Write lyrics

4. Come up with a beat

5. Decide on a genre

6. Write a melody

The most important step when writing a song is to actually start. 

Personally, the first step in my songwriting process is coming up with a chord progression I like. You don’t have to start with chords. There’s no right or wrong answer for songwriting. 

If you’re a bit unsure of what chords to start off with, here’s a useful table to use:

Pick four chords out of the column with C or G. Try to stick to the same rows. I’m going to pick four random numbers: 2 3 5 6.

Next, I will find what chords correspond to my numbers. I’m going to stay within the C column. My chords are now Dm (2), Em (3), G (5), Am (6). 

Try playing these chords on your instrument! If you don’t know how, make sure you ask your tutor. 

With these four chords, I am going to put them in a bar each. That means I’m going to hold each chord for four beats. 

From these four chords, you could try singing a melody on top while you’re playing these chords or see what ideas / lyrics come to your head.

Songs usually have two distinct sections - a verse and a chorus. 

A verse is a section of the song that tells a story. It sets the scene and lets people know a vague idea of what your song is about. 

Try to write a melody idea and repeat it for your verse. See if the lyrics you’ve written fit with the melody.

The chorus of a song is the main idea. The verse sets up the stage for you to deliver your central message in the chorus. It is often repetitive and catchy - something that gets stuck in your head. 

Try to write a different melody for the chorus and make sure you’re repeating the melody.

You could use different chords for verse and chorus. If you were wanting to have different chords for each section, go back to the table, sticking with column C, pick four other chords to use.

At this point, you’ve pretty much got yourself a song!

If you need help writing your song, ask your tutor! We also have songwriting books available that has so much information, tips, and techniques to help you write.