It can be very daunting to write your first song so here are some tips to help you do just that.
This is not intended to be an article about how professional songwriters do it. It is here to inspire you to have a go.
1. Choose a subject you are passionate about.
As an example I deliver Socks and Chocolates (and sleeping bags for that matter) to the homeless in The West Midlands, UK. I am passionate about the plight of the homeless as I read somewhere that 70% of the homeless in GB are ex-servicement. This is appalling! So I decide to write a song about it.
Your song is unlikely to become the next "Angels" by Robbie so you must be content at enjoying the writing process.
2. Play around with your instrument of choice - Mine is a guitar.
You need to play around with some chords. To do this, have a listen to lots of different songs and see which ones resonate well with you. You can then consider the style of the song you wish to create. It is fine to imitate your heroes but please do not copy them. You are your own artist.
3. Choose your chord progression.
Do not worry about if it is "in key" perfectly. Plenty of famous songs fall outside the true key chords. Use what works for you.
Hum your melody over the chord progression to decide what sounds good. Here you want to make a note of the chords you are using and what rhythm you will want to use.
4. Write down your first attempt at the words.
Do not try to make them scan straight away. Play with the words over the chords using your melody and see how it fits. Then put away your efforts for at least 24 hours to get the creative juices flowing again and your unconscious mind working.
Repeat this process until you are happy with both the words and the scanning.
5. Go for it. Record yourself and expose your song to the world. You can publish on You Tube or sing at an open mic night. Either way, give it a go. Please remember though that you are really writing for you.
In addition you will need to be persistent. It is almost a given that you will write some very poor songs. All of us do. It is too easy to give up on your first effort. Keep at it and one day, who knows, you might nail that number 1 hit!
