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How to Write a Song Essay

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“How to Write a Song” by Allyson Jones Think back to the last time you heard your favorite song. You plant your headphones on, close your eyes, and completely immerse yourself in the music. You hang on to every word and every note, enchanted by the passionate vocals and addictive melodies. But have you ever wondered what really goes into making a song? Every Songwriter uses different methods to compose a song. In fact, if you were to type “how to write a song” in a Google search bar, you would get about 685 million results! When it comes to songwriting, the possibilities are endless. After years of trial and error, I’ve come up with a simple, four step process on how to write a song. This process strikes a perfect balance between …show more content…

Inspiration can strike at any time, so always be prepared to document your idea. This is where the recording device comes into play. The Inspiration usually comes in the form of a melody. When a melody hits you, its important to record it as soon as possible. There’s nothing worse than coming up with a great melody while sitting on a train, or driving in rush hour traffic, and having no way to document it, so be prepared! Don’t be afraid to hum the melody into your recording device, or sing it in gibberish. At this point, words are not important. Next, you need to build upon the melody. Decide what sort of vibe this melody portrays, and stick to it! Is it sad, happy, angry? Then use your instrument of choice, a guitar in my case, to make a sample melody for the song. I use the words “sample melody” because It will be subject to change, depending on the lyrics and structure of the song. You’ll need that pen and paper for this next step. The next step, and by far the most important, is to write the lyrics. Lyrics can make or break a song. Before writing the lyrics, it is important to ask questions: What are you trying to get across to the listener? What is the atmosphere of the song? Are you telling a story? Once you’ve answered these questions, you can develop the theme of your song. You also have to consider the structure. There are generally 4 components to a song: the verse, pre-chorus, chorus, and bridge. The opening line should grab the listener’s

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