Here are the top songwriting tips that can get you started towards your first great song!
1. Learn the Rules
Will your song be all verses, or will you start with a chorus? Does your song have a bridge? Do you know what a bridge is? Songs can be structured in many different ways, but you have to know the rules before you can break them.
2. Do Your Homework
Musical trends come and go, and if you're not in touch with what's popular now, how do you really know that your song will stand up in the market? Check the weekly iTunes and Billboard charts to keep track of the top ten songs in your musical genre.
3. Say It Again
Use repetition in your choruses to drive your song into the brain of the listener. Once is never enough. Pop songwriter Henry Gaffney says, "Generally, when you write a pop or R&B tune, something that is accessible to the public, there is usually a fair amount of repetition of theme taking place, such as the title."
4. Hook or Crook
The "hook" is any part of the song that grabs (or hooks) the listener, such as an instrumental riff, a catchy line or a memorable melody. "A hook is a solid musical phrase married to the most memorable musical phrase," says pro songwriter Henry Gaffney, "When well done, a hook captures the listener, and they go away humming the song." Make sure your song has at least one.
5. Get a Partner
If you know that you're stronger with words than music, find a collaborator who will help you bring your music to life. And make sure you agree beforehand on who owns what of the song. According to entertainment attorney Joy Butler, it's better to cover your assets now, She says, "When you have two or more writers, the copyright [ownership] of the song is divided evenly between those writers, unless you have a written agreement saying otherwise. Check out Butler's The Musician's Guide to the Legal Jungle for help with those issues.
6. Go to a Pro
How do you know if your song can cut it? Find a reputable person in the industry who will give you their honest professional opinion. "You may play your music for family and friends to see what they think, but the market is the best arbiter of your skills," continues Gaffney, "You put your song out into the market, and either people come back to you saying, 'Gee, this is the best thing you've ever done', or 'We want to record this', or "Forget it. You should take up plumbing'." Try song workshop teachers, music publishers, as well as your performance royalty organization's (ASCAP, BMI and ASCAP) membership department.
7. Inspire Yourself
Ideas are all around you waiting to be used. Watch movies, read books and newspapers to prime the inspiration pump. Rapper Eve says, "I only write about things I know. I get inspiration from life, my neighborhood, the people I'm around, and the things that I think about." Listening to music in your genre can give you ideas, but don't sleep on listening to music outside of your norm: Indian ragas, and even classical music can take your mind in places you didn't know existed.
Carla Lynne Hall is a musician and music marketing consultant based in New York City. Her mission is to make music and share her knowledge with other musicians. As a musician, she has released three CDs on her own label, and has toured the world as a singer/songwriter, and professional vocalist. In addition, she also has spent a number of years behind the scenes in the music industry, in publishing, management, publicity, and radio promotion.
Carla has given indie music lectures at many venues, including ASCAP, Songwriter's Hall of Fame, The Indie Music Forum, and Philadelphia Music Conference. As well as being the former music business columnist for Vibe Magazine, Carla has written articles for http://www.musicdish.com/ and other publications around the world, and is the author of The DIY Guide to the Music Biz and Twitter for Musicians. Carla blogs about the life of the indie musician at http://rockstarlifelessons.com/
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