After writing my article a couple weeks ago about the power of songwriting, I received good feedback and a request to talk about my process and how I go about songwriting.
First of all, the process of songwriting is completely different for each person. There are so many factors that go into how you write a song and every person deals with them in different ways. I personally start off by thinking about what kind of song I want to write. For example, I would have to choose whether I wanted to write a slow sad song or an uptempo happy song or something else. A lot of the ways I make these kinds of decisions is all reliant on how I feel when I want to write the song. Am I happy, am I sad, and so on...
Then after choosing what kind of song I want to write I try and think of a story. Something interesting that people would relate to and could listen to. I try to think of my own stories and experiences to give the song a very relatable feel and a more emotional feel because I have actually experienced what the song is about. After choosing the story, I then sit down at the piano or get my guitar and randomly play some chords, trying to mold the sounds and chords into the feeling I want for the song. I try different tempos, different chord progressions, different volumes, etc. I try everything I can to make sure I don't miss something that I would have if I didn't try things.
After I have gotten the basics of the music, I then start playing the music while improvising lyrics (keeping in mind what the song is about) over and over again. I find words and phrases I like, write them down, and try and expand on those words and phrases. For example, I wrote a song with one of my friends a little over a year ago called “Invisible”. The theme around the song was feeling invisible to someone you like and they don't see you or care. We wanted the word “invisible” to be brought up, so we discovered the lyrics: “Am I a ghost on your wall, can you see me at all, or am I just downright invisible…” as part of the chorus. We thought the connection with the ghost and being invisible obviously meant something and connected with each other. From then on, after we wrote those lines of the song, we based the other parts of the song and lyrics around what it feels like to be invisible, what we would do to not feel invisible, all of the above.
Finally, after a long time of writing and erasing, and writing more lyrics, I then finalize the lyrics and basic music parts of the song and start recording. After recording the basic music on piano or guitar, I then add in all the other instruments I want. Whether that be drums, violins, synths, the possibilities are endless and are really up to what I want the song to sound and feel like. Do I want it to be a very complex song with tons of different instruments? Do I want it to be a very simple song with just a piano and cello, and so on. It is really all up to how you want to song to feel and sound.
Next, after recording all of the music, I then record the vocals. Usually, as I record the different parts of the song, I realize something about the lyrics and just tweak them a tiny bit here and there.
Then boom. All of the hard work is done and I can sit back and listen to what I have fully created. When it really comes down to it, it is all about the person making the song. How they want it. What they want it to be about. How they want it to sound. You're in complete control so take the opportunity and make it yours. It may be hard at some points and you might get caught up (believe me, I know), however just take a step back, take a small break, and go back to writing the song and working it out. The more you write and make music, the better it gets.
