All about Songwriting

A song is basically an extension to one’s creative mind that can be interpreted into several renditions. A good song has the ability to electrify the listeners to sway with the music, change their mood or even forget their problems. However, a good song wouldn’t be heard over the radio if not with the expertise of a talented songwriter and there are people who are really born skilled writers. They have this gift of manipulating the listeners to feel what emotions they want to express through their words. They have this ability to capture the meaning of life in lyrics.

Being a songwriter is no easy task. You have to work hard to catch the heart of the listener. Nevertheless, it can really be fun too. When you’re happy, sad, in-love, heartbroken or mad, you can play with the words and be artistic in creating a song. However, we must remember that, even if we are privileged to freely express ourselves, we need to be responsible with our words. Take into account how they will impact the listeners because your aim is to establish an emotional response in people wherein they would relentlessly want to hear your song repeatedly over and over again.

There are important tools to bring along with you at all times when writing songs. Among them is the dictionary that will help you to clearly express yourself, a thesaurus to help you find different words with similar meanings and a rhyming dictionary.

The elements of a song include:
•    Melody
•    Chords
•    Beat and Rhythm
•    Genre and Style
•    Concept or Story
•    "Hook"
•    Lyrics
•    Song Sections
•    Arrangement
•    Length

It is impossible to accomplish a masterpiece overnight that is why we provide you some songwriting pointers that can help you enhance your skills and produce high-class quality songs:

1.    Have a theme. Think of a theme that can draw attention. You can extract inspiration from what you are and from your sentiments. There are plenty of themes to choose from, and maybe you can start listing down all the themes you have thought of and slowly trimming them down until you have finally decided to concentrate on one theme. A lot of songs reflect true emotions by the artist or a dedication to a particular person. This is usually intriguing and attracts more audience because the listening public may feel the connection of the song and associate it with their lives. Identify what type you are interested to work on.

2.    Come up with a striking title of the song. Construct a title that listeners will easily remember. The more the catchy the title is, the more easily it will be recalled.

3.    Concentrate on the lyrics of the song. In a song, words signify a great deal because no matter how great your song arrangement may be, nobody will appreciate the song if the lyrics do not speak what it’s intended to. Using of words that are very hard to comprehend is not good since if anybody who listens wanted simple yet profound lyrics. Be open to make a lot of revisions too. Sometimes, not until you have heard it would you know that it doesn’t sound good.  

4.    Arrange the melody. The melody is generally what your listeners will remember. Be sure not to make it too boring or repetitive. Try to use some chord combinations to make it more interesting. Make your melody something that will make people stop and hold on until the song has ended. Match the words with the ascending and descending of your melody.

There may be other tips but the most excellent hint is to keep on practicing and writing until such time you feel comfortable with what you are doing.

Career alternatives in songwriting encompass the following:
- Composers: They create stand-alone instrumental pieces or combined with lyrics.
- Jingle Writer: They specialize writing music for radio and television commercials. They project the client’s product through music.
- Lyricists: They work as a team with the composer of the music.  
- Performing Songwriters: They are the performer of their own written music and lyrics. They can go solo or as leader of a group starring their material.
- Music Producers: They keep track of the overall project marketability. They are in-charge of the arrangement adjustments and creative mix.

When the radio starts to frequently play the song, you knew you have poured a lot of dedication, compassion and hard work, due to a persistent request, you can proudly say to yourself “This is my song!”