A song is poetry set to music and can have a wide variety of genres. A song can be about anything from a person, place, thing, or event, and may be either factual or fictional. A song can be in any language or dialect and can be sung or played on a musical instrument. It can be a cappella or accompanied by a group of musicians. It can also appear in plays, musical theatre, and stage shows of any form and within operas, films, and TV shows.
Usually, the first step in writing a song is finding some sort of inspiration to write about. This could be from reading a book or article, hearing a news story, seeing a film, visiting a location or city, etc. Many successful Songwriters say they carry a notebook around and make notes when something inspires them.
Once you have your inspiration, the next step is to start constructing lyrics that tell your story. This can be a very difficult task as you’ll find that words rarely just flow into your mind naturally and without much thought. It’s important to set up your song’s lyrics as if you were putting together a blueprint for it, so that each section communicates what it is you want to say.
Other steps in writing a song include coming up with chord progressions and melodies, finding rhymes, figuring out the different sections (e.g. verse, chorus, bridge), and figuring out the tempo and rhythm. You can also ask for feedback from family and friends as they may be able to offer an outside perspective that you may have missed.