The Best Way to Write a Song
A song is a repetitive musical composition intended to be played by the singer. This can be done in different and usually fixed pitched with no indications of pitch. Songs generally include different forms, including the variation and repetition of parts. They can also be in harmony and non-diverse and purely free form. Generally, a song should have an overall melody with the lyrics serving as support and background.
In addition to being used as accompaniment in traditional forms of music, a song may also be used as a leading part or finale. A song that has the ability to draw the listener into it and hold their attention through the entire song is said to have the ability of establishing a melody. In more modern forms of popular music, the use of the melody to establish a climax or finish is also common. One song that uses this technique in a rather elaborate manner is Handel’s “Water Music”.
In terms of melody and rhythm, the song should have a metrical structure which mirrors that of the spoken word. Metrical lines are usually indicated by lines which cross over each other and are therefore counted as part of the meter. Parts of a song which cannot be classified as rhythmic or melodic are said to lack a meter. Examples include country songs, rock, pop songs and most dance music.
Songwriting and listening are very closely related. Both require a process of discovery and self discovery. The best way to start writing a song is to listen to as many different kinds of songs as possible and attempt to identify the central theme or thought that runs throughout them. Once you have identified the central idea or theme, you can work on the melody. This will give you ideas for the rest of the lyrics.
Verse Lyrically, verses are used to provide character to the song. While a chorus will provide a strong emotion in its lyrics, a verse will provide more of a general idea or a description of the situation rather than a description of one specific event. For example, in American Idol the lyrics often begin with, “And I’ve had a lot of…” and then go on to talk about how a girl went to a bar and drank too much. While the chorus is about her trying to overcome her addiction, the verse suggests that the problem lies elsewhere.
As you can see, the best way to write a song depends upon the type of song you are writing. A short story would require an entirely different set of songwriting tools and techniques than a rock song. However, most songs are simple enough to adapt to a number of songwriting methods. If you find that you are stuck or need some extra help, there are a number of excellent online songwriting resources that can help you learn more about the songwriting process.