Four Ways To Better Your Songwriting

Songwriting is simultaneously strange and rewarding. It can be the most rewarding yet frustrating activity to put yourself through and as artists we all deal with this. When you really think about it, the core of a song at surface level is so simple. All you need is a melody and chord structure, and bam you got a song. Yet why is our latest demo not what we wanted and why are we sick of it already listening back to it the next day? Here’s four important and crucial things that might help you figure that out.

Rhythm, Tempo and Key

When coming up with an idea, some of the first technical things that go into a great idea are the rhythm, tempo and key. For example, when listening back to the idea you just came up with, ask yourself does it flow well? Really listen to how you feel and move to the idea. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in “oh my gosh, this sounds so cool!” which is a valid response but really try and separate yourself from the excitement. Almost every time I’ve written something, I’ll think it’s amazing but it doesn’t mean it ends up being the best or final idea. 

Melodies and ideas can feel like they drag, or feel too slow in the context of the song. Really locking in melodies and ideas that fit the tempo and rhythm of the song is super crucial. For example, the melody you came up with, would it sound better with an eight note rhythm, or maybe try sixteenth notes in between. If the song is slower, maybe the melody has longer sustained notes that are spread out over the measure.

When I was trying to write more energetic songs, they would come out very slow like a lo-fi beat that wasn’t enticing to my ears. I would experiment with faster pace vocal melody notes, or changing the bass notes to change quicker and on off times to give the track more push and pull. 

As well, the right key can play a big role in how your song sounds. Sometimes some keys just don't feel right for the vibe you’re going for, and that’s okay. While writing up the blog, I actually found a link to a site sent by a friend that explains each scale and its respective sound and vibe. You can check that out here. Not everyone might agree with its classification but it just shows that there are so many variables that go into the sound of a song. And while there is no set answer to tell you which scale you should and should not use, don’t be shy to switch to a different scale and try your ideas in something else. 

Pairing Chords and Notes

A big thing that people don't realize, and something I learned during trial and error, is that you can really put the wrong melody over a chord progression. Sometimes things just don’t work and won’t sound nearly as catchy as it could be if you used the right notes. Sometimes the best thing to try is using the tonic, or the second note in the scale over the respective chord you're using. 

Certain chords and melodies will have a bigger impact than others. For instance, the order of the chord progression can be the difference between sad, and powerful. Sometimes it’s best to come up with melodies first, and then experiment with the chords. A great melody can be difficult to come up with, chord progressions can be reused and even “ripped” from other songs. With melody first, you can always switch out different chords and whatever is supporting that instrumentally.

Ultimately, the best thing to do is use your ear and learn what sounds best. Critical listening with your favorite artists and breaking down what is happening in their songs will help you achieve better songwriting decisions.

Structure

It’s really easy to get carried away in songwriting. Songwriting is infinite, in the context that we can come up with tons and tons of ideas but at what point do we say it’s too much? Again another thing that is subjective and can vary from genre to genre. Ideally in a great pop or rock song you need three melodies. A verse, chorus and bridge melody. If you have more than that, you might have done too much. You want to be able to focus your songs to a finite number of things that someone is going to listen to. When something isn’t focused, the song might sound all over the place or you’re simply writing jazz, or progressive music. 

Sometimes too, a single melody can sound unfocused. Tying this section together with rhythm and key, you really want to have 3 notes and no more than 5 or 6 maybe, within a melody. This rule is going to be more strict with vocal melodies, instrumentation can vary but still applies. 

Generally, you want to first learn and create within these rules successfully before we start trying to make exceptions to the rules. If you think you made a sick melody without learning and creating within these rules first it probably isn’t the exception. Always in music, learn the fundamentals first before moving forward.

Don’t Catch Demo-itis

The biggest thing and what should be songwriting rule number one is don’t get attached to your ideas. I can’t tell you how many people heard their first idea 40 times in a row and now NOTHING else sounds right to them. While this is a valid feeling, it is referred to as demoitis. I’ve completely experienced this so many times when I started out, and didn’t like it when people tried to tell me my ideas weren’t good. 

The best thing I ever learned was to be comfortable with re-writing my ideas, and understanding that songwriting is not a linear process. For instance, our first melody idea may not be our best idea. It might need multiple revisions, or an entire re-write. No one except you can tell you an idea is the best, it’s up to our ears to really say “this could be better.” If you don’t know, try out multiple ideas. If it’s not improving on the original melody or idea, then maybe that is the best idea! Often our best ideas aren’t on demand either and we need to remember that sometimes these ideas just happen and that best ideas can come to us on a different day.

Another thing to note is the way we shape our mindset around writing a song is important. I really don’t suggest ever calling an idea final, as in, don’t be that person that won’t budge on at least trying ideas. If we are too close to an idea, we are not going to be able to objectively tell if it’s good or bad. It just sounds “normal” to our ears. In mixing, producing and songwriting you will always need to A/B changes. If you aren’t familiar with that term, it simply means just comparing one thing to another. Try this out on your next song, give yourself options to compare and develop your hearing.

Sometimes the next 10 ideas are going to be trash and each revision improves the song little by little. I promise at first, this isn’t an easy process and you won’t want to do it. Practice makes perfect as we’ve all heard and getting comfortable with this process will make you a better songwriter. 

Conclusion

SO let me ask why did I sit down and write this blog, aren’t all these things subjective? Yes and no. The best thing you can do is be genuine with your writing, this will always allow you to get ahead with your music. BUT. Having a badass song can take you a step further. Let’s be real from a marketing standpoint. I think on average it was around 20,000 songs released on Spotify each day. To cut through the noise we as artists have to do better than a mediocre song to get noticed in larger quantities. The better you can write a song the easier it will be to express your emotions and communicate that with a listener. I hope this helps as you approach your next song. Feel free to send me a message if you want a second ear!