Songwriting Techniques| How Do You Write a Good Song?

Songwriting is one of the most important components of music.

If you’re thinking of composing, then how do you write a good song? It takes a mix of talent, inspiration and songwriting techniques. But get it right, and you could become a high earning, in-demand musician.

In this article, we offer our take on what it means to be a songwriter and tips on how you can become one yourself.

How do you write a good song?

Some doors won’t open to you unless you have original material. Many open mic nights and festivals only want artists with their own tunes. As a general rule, record labels look for acts with unique songs; otherwise, you need to demonstrate something quite unusual in your talent and personality to be signed. Another avenue that opens up when you’re a songwriter, is competitions. They can really make you grow as a writer and musician due to the valuable feedback and music opportunities you’ll receive from them.

Writing with someone else can give you more freedom too. You may have started writing an awesome song, but it just needs some extra perspective to finish it off. Or you may be able to provide the final edits to someone else’s draft. So it could be you look out for potential collaborators. All the biggest names work with other writers and producers – sometimes the same team (like Billie Eilish and brother Finneas), sometimes a variety of different creatives.

Tips from famous songwriters

Let’s begin with a few tips from the stars:

Beyonce says “I love being around great writers because I’m finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don’t articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that’s relevant.”

John Legend’s advice is “Just try to go with what feels right musically and melodically. I’ll sometimes establish the musical format of the song and the melody of the song within the first ten minutes of the original idea coming to me… I think music should dictate the lyrics always.”

Taylor Swift is certainly aware of the fact that her songs are judged by millions, but she doesn’t let it get to her. “I think it’s important that I don’t necessarily think too hard about what everybody else’s perception of me is or else I’d just get completely lost in it. It’s just easier to think of myself that way.” 

How to write a good song

Taking a songwriting course is really beneficial if you’re a budding composer and/or lyricist. But as this won’t be an option for everyone, we have plenty of advice on how to pen your own masterpiece at home.

If you’re looking to make your own song, a good place to start would be with a set of chords. Keep it simple by playing around on an acoustic guitar or a piano and try some basic chords in different orders.

The key of C major is ideal, as it doesn’t use any sharps or flats in the key. As a beginner, use chords that don’t disrupt the flow of the song, for example, C major, A minor, F major and G major (in the key of C). If you’re not sure what ‘keys’ or ‘chords’ are, learn some music theory. It will definitely help you understand music in a much deeper way, and it should help your songwriting skills immensely.

How do you write a catchy song?

Songs are usually made catchy via their choruses and hooks. A good chorus is singable and memorable but not cheesy. It’s often hard to strike that balance.

Lyrically, avoid lots of exact rhymes that the listener can see coming from a mile away. Instead, use some near rhymes to maintain interest.

Musically, it’s important not to over-complicate it. With pop music especially, the melody might just be a few notes repeated with the lyrics changing over the top. Some choruses don’t have lyrics at all – they might just be ‘heys’ or ‘woahs.’ They will almost always contain some kind of a hook…

Songwriting techniques

One of the best techniques for songwriting is drawing from personal experiences.

Think about the places you’ve been to and the people you’ve met throughout your life. You’ll definitely be able to think of something. If you want to write about someone specifically, try and tell a story about them. Who are they, what have they done, why did they do it, when did they do it and how does it relate to you?

Deciding on the structure of your song is also an important aspect to consider towards the start of your songwriting process. Keeping your track as simple as possible at first is an excellent way to accelerate the songwriting process and work out the structure of your song. Make sure it has a clear structure and progression. Experiment with different ways of writing; put time and effort into seeing what works for you.

Once you’re further into the process, go back to the first line – it’s very important to get this right as it introduces the song and establishes its mood. It can grab the listener’s attention, so make the most of it.

How to write song lyrics

When you start writing lyrics, it’s always important to make notes of your ideas whilst they’re fresh in your mind. Keep a journal with you or a notes document on your phone. If you’re stuck wording your ideas, come back to them later.

Use emotive language that will trigger some intense feelings. How are you feeling right now? Are you feeling frustrated, jealous, in love, happy, or excited? When you really focus on one emotion, you can create a clear narrative that takes the listener on a journey. It’s important to note that if you convey emotion in the song, people are often far more likely to relate to it.

Try not to judge your lyrics too harshly – you’ll never get anything done if you keep scrapping your ideas! It’s often easier to get things done when you let the songwriting process flow, stop worrying and just be persistent. But do always check your song makes sense when you read back over it.

If you need help with your rhyming, Rhymezone is the website for you. You can simply type in any word and you’ll find out what rhymes with it – there will always be words that you won’t have thought of. It also brings up near rhymes for when you’re feeling more adventurous.

What is the best app to write a song?

There’s plenty of software out there that will help you improve your songwriting. Here are a couple of our favourites.

#1 Hum

Hum is dedicated to storing your songs, ideas, lyrics, and recordings all in one place. When you open the app, click ‘add song’ to get started. You can colour code your projects just in case you have multiple ideas for one song. And information like the key, capo needed and feel of the song can be inputted in for reference.

#2 Garage band

Garageband is a mobile (and desktop) app that’s perfect for arranging new ideas quickly and easily. It has its own built-in guitar, drums, and keyboard sounds. It also gives you the option to record your voice to edit later. There are so many options for editing your song ideas together that the app will keep your ideas flowing for hours!

Once you have something down, Soundcloud is very useful. It’s a free app that allows you to upload music to a global platform, on which, anyone can listen to your songs. You may be thinking that it has nothing to do with songwriting, however, you can use it to your advantage by sharing your music and asking for feedback. Even if you just have an idea, you don’t have to make the song public. You can send a private link to someone you think can give you valuable feedback. It will provide you with a wider scope of opinions on your writing which will definitely improve your skills as a songwriter.

The money in music has in recent times been in songwriting. Regardless of who is performing the song, or where and when, you should receive money each time it is played. So think outside the box and don’t be afraid to be eccentric. Even if songwriting doesn’t come naturally, you may be able to get to the level of being a co-writer. As a result, you’ll receive credit – and a cut of the money.